Henry Rutgers
Henry Rutgers (
October 7,
1745 -
February 17,
1830) was a
United States Revolutionary War hero from
New York.
Rutgers was the son of Hendrick and Catharine (
DePeyster) Rutgers. He graduated from
Columbia University in
1766 and promptly became an advocate of U.S. independence from
Great Britain. He went on to serve as a captain of American forces at the
Battle of White Plains, and later as a
colonel for the New York militia. His home served as a
barracks during the British occupation of New York in
1776.
In
1784, Col. Rutgers was elected to the
New York Legislature, where he served several terms. He also served on the New York Board of Education Regents from
1802 to
1826.
His later life was also one of
philanthropy. He was a landowner in the vicinity of Chatham Square in New York, and he gave land for schools, churches, and charities in the area.
Col. Rutgers continued to play a role in the defense of the young nation, presiding over a meeting held
June 24,
1812, in anticipation of a British attack that would become the
War of 1812.
A strong believer in education, and a leader in the Dutch Reformed Church, Col. Rutgers donated $5,000 and a bell to Queen's College, a faltering school founded by the church in
New Jersey. In gratitude, the institution renamed itself Rutgers College (now
Rutgers University) on
December 5,
1825.
Aside from his service to schools in New York and New Jersey, Col. Rutgers' lasting legacy is perhaps best summed up in a quote attributed to him and directed to students of all ages: "Don't let your studies interfere with your education."
Rutgers died in New York, and was long believed to have been buried in a
Dutch Reformed Church yard in
Belleville, New Jersey. One road running alongside the graveyard is now called Rutgers Street (signed as, but not technically part of,
Route 7). However, it is now believed that he is buried in an unmarked grave which is part of the Dutch Reformed Church plot at The
Green-Wood Cemetery in
Brooklyn, New York.
External link
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Virtual American Biographies: Henry Rutgers
