About Zephaniah Swift Moore
Lived 1770 – 1823 (aged 52). Zephaniah Swift Moore was an American clergyman and christian minister.
Zephaniah Swift Moore (November 20, 1770 – June 29, 1823) was an American Congregational clergyman and educator. He taught at Dartmouth College during the early 1810s and had a house built in Hanover, New Hampshire, that now serves as Dartmouth's Blunt Alumni Center. He served as the President of Williams College between 1815 & 1821 and the first President of Amherst College between 1821 & 1823. He is most famous for leaving Williams in order to found Amherst, taking some of the faculty and 15 students with him. The rumor that Williams College library books were also taken to Amherst College was declared false in 1995 by Williams College President Harry C. Payne.
Moore died two years after Amherst was founded, and was succeeded by Heman Humphrey, a trustee of Williams College. Moore's departure from Williams College established the foundation for the intense Williams–Amherst rivalry that persists to the present. To this day, he is regarded with a measure of derision on the Williams campus.
Cyrus Pitt Grosvenor wrote to him in 1823.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Zephaniah Swift Moore's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Zephaniah Swift Moore's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Zephaniah Swift Moore?
American academic administrator (1770-1823)
When was Zephaniah Swift Moore born?
Zephaniah Swift Moore was born on 20 November 1770 in Palmer.
When did Zephaniah Swift Moore die?
Zephaniah Swift Moore died on 29 June 1823 in Amherst.
What was Zephaniah Swift Moore's occupation?
Zephaniah Swift Moore was a clergyman and christian minister.
What nationality was Zephaniah Swift Moore?
Zephaniah Swift Moore was American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Zephaniah Swift Moore
· DBpedia: Zephaniah Swift Moore
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Zephaniah Swift Moore. https://biography.guide/zephaniah-swift-moore/
MLA: "Zephaniah Swift Moore." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/zephaniah-swift-moore/.
Chicago: "Zephaniah Swift Moore." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/zephaniah-swift-moore/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:18 UTC