Ralph Cooper Hutchison

Ralph Cooper Hutchison (February 27, 1898 – March 15, 1966) was president of Washington & Jefferson College and Lafayette College.

Personal

Hutchison was born in Colorado on February 27, 1898. He attended Lafayette College, graduating in 1918. Hutchison, in his inaugural address, spoke out against the "false, materialistic doctrine" of going to college "because it pays."

President of Lafayette College since 1945, Hutchison had conferred an honorary degree on Eisenhower after World War II and maintained a friendship with the General (Galambos, Chief of Staff, nos. 722, 1179). In 1949 Eisenhower had recommended him as a civilian member of the U.S. Air Force Academy planning board (Galambos, Columbia University, no. 322). He had visited Eisenhower the morning of February 26.

Death At the time of his death on March 15, 1966, he was president and executive director of Studies in Higher Education, a Philadelphia-based colleges and universities research firm.