President Krauth 1834-1850
Charles P. Krauth (1797-1867) was the first president of Gettysburg College, serving from 1834 to 1850. A Lutheran pastor, he became a trustee of the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Gettysburg in 1826 and of the College in 1832. At the College, he served as professor of intellectual and moral science, and at the seminary as professor of Biblical and Oriental literature. For 16 years, he lived with his family in what is now Pennsylvania Hall, acting as a guardian for the students who also resided there. For an 1882 history of the College, an alumnus wrote that Krauth “possessed in a high degree the requisites for a successful college president — dignified bearing, suavity of manner, cool temperament, conservative judgment, enthusiasm for his work, and large sympathy with young men preparing for life’s struggles ... he was noted for his courtesy, high sense of honor, kind but firm administration, which compelled a return of respect and affectionate regard.”