Charles Clement French (October 24, 1901 – March 6, 1988) was an American academic leader and the sixth President of Washington State University in Pullman, serving from 1952
Early life and education Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, French was the son of Henry Sailer French of New Jersey and Gertrude Comly MacMillan of Pennsylvania.Charles Clement French in Thomas French Chart #20 Quakers
He earned his B.S. in chemical engineering in 1922 from the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Tau Beta Pi engineering honorary and the Priestly Chemical Society.General alumni catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania, 1922 He earned his M.S. in chemistry in 1923 and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1927, both degrees also from Penn. His doctoral dissertation was titled "The Effect of Neutral Salts on Catalytic Decompositions."Catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania, 1927
Career
In 1930, French was an instructor of chemistry at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.University of Pennsylvania bulletin, 1930 From Penn he went to Randolph-Macon Women's College in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he was dean of the college from 1936 to 1949. During that period, he was chairman of the Committee on the Improvement of Instruction of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The committee conducted research and published results.The history of Randolph-Macon Woman's College from the founding in 1891 through the year of 1949-1950, University of North Carolina Press, 1951 On January 13, 1947, in Boston, he was elected an officer of the American Conference of Academic Deans.School & society, Volume 65, Society for the Advancement of Education, 1947
He served as vice president at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg from January 1949 to August 1950,Records of the Office of Vice President, Charles Clement French, 1949-1950, Virginia Tech when he was named dean of the college at Texas A&M University in College Station.Chemical and engineering news, Volume 28, 1950 Then on February 24, 1952, the Board of Regents selected him to become the sixth president of the State College of Washington in Pullman. The institution was renamed Washington State University in 1959, the midpoint of his presidency.
Recognition After his retirement, Washington State University honored French in 1968, naming the new administration building the French Administration Building. In addition, WSU created a scholarship fund established in his honor, named "The Helen B. and C. Clement French Scholarship" as he requested.WSU Presidents I Have Known or Know Of
French received honorary degrees from Whitworth College (Spokane) and Pacific Lutheran University (near Tacoma) and from the University of Punjab in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Family
French married Helen Augusta Black. Born January 15, 1902, she was the daughter of Arthur Proctor Black and Clara Belle Kiplinger. Married in late 1925, they had a son and a daughter; Helen died in 1976 and they are buried at the city cemetery
References
External links C. Clement French Profile as Past President of Washington State University C. Clement French Records, 1957-1966, Washington State University