George Washington Flint

George Washington Flint (March 2, 1844 — October 23, 1921) was an American educator and academic administrator who served as the second president of Storrs Agricultural College, now the University of Connecticut, from 1898 to 1901.

Education and career Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and raised in Maine, Flint was the son of William and Emeline (Vickery) Flint. He graduated salutorian from Bates College in 1871 and earned his master's degree from Bates in 1874. A lifelong secondary school teacher and administrator, Flint served as principal of Franceston Academy in New Hampshire (1871–1873), West Lebanon Academy in Maine (1873–1874), and Collinsville High School in Connecticut (1875–1898). Flint was also active in the Connecticut Association of Classical High School Teachers and spoke Latin, Greek, and Old English.

Flint's presidency was marked by controversy as he attempted to steer the college away from its agricultural roots toward a more comprehensive classical education. Tensions ran so high that the conflict was nicknamed the "War of the Rebellion." Several faculty opposed to Flint resigned or were forced out. Debates raged in the op-ed sections of newspapers as far afield as Boston and New York. Connecticut newspapers staked out competing positions, with the Hartford Times and the Yale University-aligned New Haven Register arguing for and against Flint. In August 1901, the Connecticut State Grange, representing more than twelve thousand farmers, and the Connecticut Pomological Society called for Flint's resignation.

Personal life Flint married Elizabeth Monteith of McIndoe's Falls, Vermont, on January 30, 1873. The couple had one daughter (Georgiana, b. 1882) and two sons (William, b. 1875, and Harry, b. 1880), both of whom attended Yale University. Elizabeth Flint died in Pasadena, California, on November 17, 1931.