Title
Preview
Creation Date
1906
Description
The president's office was created in 1906. Henry Hardin Cherry served as founder of WKU and its first president, a position he held until his death in 1937.
Henry Hardin Cherry was born November 16, 1864 in Warren County, Kentucky, the son of George Washington and Frances (Stahl) Cherry. He attended the Southern Normal School and Business College along with his brother Thomas Crittenden Cherry. After college the Cherry brothers taught in rural schools and Henry returned to teach at the Southern Normal. They purchased the school in 1892 with Henry filling the main administrative role. Cherry actively pursued the creation of a state funded teacher training school and in 1906 succeeded in converting the Southern Normal into the Western Kentucky State Normal School.
Keywords
Western Kentucky University, President