Howard B. Grose

Howard Benjamin Grose was born on September 5, 1851 in Millerton, New York.  He was a friend and classmate of President Edward Olson.  Grose was invited to speak at Olson’s funeral oration; he made such an impression that he was chosen to succeed him in the presidency in January 1890.  Grose received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Rochester.  Following graduation, he worked for the Chicago Times and Baptist Examiner. In 1883, he was ordained as a Baptist minister and served at the First Baptist Church in Poughkeepsie, New York (1883-1887) and at the Fourth Avenue Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania until he became president of the University of Dakota (officially named the University of South Dakota on March 5, 1891).  During his administration, serious differences arose between the president, the faculty, and students.  Students disliked the direction President Grose was taking specific classes in the curriculum.  The university was also facing drastic salary cuts that caused tensions to increase between President Grose and the faculty.  In early 1891, 167 students signed a petition that requested Grose’s removal.   The Board of Trustees convened a meeting on March 24, 1891; the board declared that University to be in a state of rebellion and suspended seven student leaders.  In addition, the faculty urged board members against retaining Grose for another year.  The responsibility then shifted to the Board of Regents in an April 1891 meeting held in Brookings.  The Board of Regents supported Grose, but decided to withhold judgment for two months. Eventually, the disagreements led to the dismissal of the entire faculty, followed by the resignation of Grose on May 1, 1891.  Graduation exercises did not take place that spring; diplomas were mailed to students.   After his resignation, Grose taught history at the University of Chicago from 1892-1896, was assistant editor of The Watchman in Boston (1896-1900), editorial secretary for the American Baptist Home Mission Society (1904-1910), and finally, the editor for the Missions journal for 23 years.  He lived in Mount Vernon, New York, until his death on May 19, 1939.