Robert Allyn was the first President of Southern Illinois Normal University (now known as Southern Illinois University Carbondale). Raised on a farm in Connecticut, he spent his life as a minister and educator.
Dr. Allyn graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 1841. Afterwards he served as head of Wilbraham Academy in Massachusetts, and of East Greenwich Academy in Rhode Island, a Methodist Seminary. During his time in Rhode Island he served two terms in the state legislature, as well as serving as state superintendent of education.
He went on to become a professor of Greek and Latin at Ohio University, then served as head of Wesleyan Academy at Cincinnati. Before he came to southern Illinois to become president of SINU, he served as president of McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois for eleven years.
Upon the founding of the new university in Carbondale, he was selected to be the first president of SINU and served in that capacity for eighteen years until his retirement in 1892. After retirement he edited the journal, "Southern Illinois Teacher."
A biographer once said of him: "His scholarship, business, talents and administrative ability were of the highest order. He had the rare faculty of managing a large amount of business and attending to many things at the same time without seeming worry or confusion, and doing them all well. He was a vigorous, versatile, and chaste writer, a fluent, eloquent and energetic speaker, lecturer, and preacher."
Married twice, his first wife was Miss E.H. Denison, of Coleraine, Massachusetts. When she passed in 1844 they had two children living. In 1845 he married Miss Mary Budington of Leyden, Massachusetts, she predeceased him in 1879. Upon his death he had three children who survived him: Joseph, Emeline, and Ellen.
Dr. Allyn graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 1841. Afterwards he served as head of Wilbraham Academy in Massachusetts, and of East Greenwich Academy in Rhode Island, a Methodist Seminary. During his time in Rhode Island he served two terms in the state legislature, as well as serving as state superintendent of education.
He went on to become a professor of Greek and Latin at Ohio University, then served as head of Wesleyan Academy at Cincinnati. Before he came to southern Illinois to become president of SINU, he served as president of McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois for eleven years.
Upon the founding of the new university in Carbondale, he was selected to be the first president of SINU and served in that capacity for eighteen years until his retirement in 1892. After retirement he edited the journal, "Southern Illinois Teacher."
A biographer once said of him: "His scholarship, business, talents and administrative ability were of the highest order. He had the rare faculty of managing a large amount of business and attending to many things at the same time without seeming worry or confusion, and doing them all well. He was a vigorous, versatile, and chaste writer, a fluent, eloquent and energetic speaker, lecturer, and preacher."
Married twice, his first wife was Miss E.H. Denison, of Coleraine, Massachusetts. When she passed in 1844 they had two children living. In 1845 he married Miss Mary Budington of Leyden, Massachusetts, she predeceased him in 1879. Upon his death he had three children who survived him: Joseph, Emeline, and Ellen.
Robert Allyn was the first President of Southern Illinois Normal University (now known as Southern Illinois University Carbondale). Raised on a farm in Connecticut, he spent his life as a minister and educator.
Dr. Allyn graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 1841. Afterwards he served as head of Wilbraham Academy in Massachusetts, and of East Greenwich Academy in Rhode Island, a Methodist Seminary. During his time in Rhode Island he served two terms in the state legislature, as well as serving as state superintendent of education.
He went on to become a professor of Greek and Latin at Ohio University, then served as head of Wesleyan Academy at Cincinnati. Before he came to southern Illinois to become president of SINU, he served as president of McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois for eleven years.
Upon the founding of the new university in Carbondale, he was selected to be the first president of SINU and served in that capacity for eighteen years until his retirement in 1892. After retirement he edited the journal, "Southern Illinois Teacher."
A biographer once said of him: "His scholarship, business, talents and administrative ability were of the highest order. He had the rare faculty of managing a large amount of business and attending to many things at the same time without seeming worry or confusion, and doing them all well. He was a vigorous, versatile, and chaste writer, a fluent, eloquent and energetic speaker, lecturer, and preacher."
Married twice, his first wife was Miss E.H. Denison, of Coleraine, Massachusetts. When she passed in 1844 they had two children living. In 1845 he married Miss Mary Budington of Leyden, Massachusetts, she predeceased him in 1879. Upon his death he had three children who survived him: Joseph, Emeline, and Ellen.
Dr. Allyn graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 1841. Afterwards he served as head of Wilbraham Academy in Massachusetts, and of East Greenwich Academy in Rhode Island, a Methodist Seminary. During his time in Rhode Island he served two terms in the state legislature, as well as serving as state superintendent of education.
He went on to become a professor of Greek and Latin at Ohio University, then served as head of Wesleyan Academy at Cincinnati. Before he came to southern Illinois to become president of SINU, he served as president of McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois for eleven years.
Upon the founding of the new university in Carbondale, he was selected to be the first president of SINU and served in that capacity for eighteen years until his retirement in 1892. After retirement he edited the journal, "Southern Illinois Teacher."
A biographer once said of him: "His scholarship, business, talents and administrative ability were of the highest order. He had the rare faculty of managing a large amount of business and attending to many things at the same time without seeming worry or confusion, and doing them all well. He was a vigorous, versatile, and chaste writer, a fluent, eloquent and energetic speaker, lecturer, and preacher."
Married twice, his first wife was Miss E.H. Denison, of Coleraine, Massachusetts. When she passed in 1844 they had two children living. In 1845 he married Miss Mary Budington of Leyden, Massachusetts, she predeceased him in 1879. Upon his death he had three children who survived him: Joseph, Emeline, and Ellen.
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