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Patrick Kerr Rogers Letters, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries
Removed from the Faculty-Alumni File Collection in 2016
Patrick Kerr Rogers was born in Newton-Stewart, Ireland, the first of twelve children. He fled to the United States during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He settled in Philadelphia, where he met and married Hannah Blythe. Their four sons, James Blythe, William Barton, Henry Darwin, and Robert Empie, all became distinguished scientists. In 1819, Rogers was appointed Chair of Natural Philosphy and Chemistry at William & Mary, where he lectured until his death in 1828. His second son, William Barton, succeeded him as Chair and went on to found the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.
University Archives Faculty-Alumni File Collection Faculty Assembly Records
The collection consists of two letters. One letter, dated December 13, 1820, was written by Rogers to William & Mary President, John Augustine Smith. Rogers states he has no objections to Smith examining his classes in Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, but he does object to a colleague "sitting as watch or judge over me." He then provides seven reasons he deems "sufficient cause to deprecate your pretensions" and states they are some of his objections to the "alleged authority by which you would judge the professors." The second letter, dated July 6, 1825, was written by Rogers to John Tyler. It is a reply to a letter he received from Tyler. Rogers discusses seven points. A few include establishing a classical school at W&M, the need to offer boarding to students, and limiting how often students are allowed to participate in "parties of pleasure."
The July 6, 1825 letter to John Tyler was a gift from John Tyler of the U. S. Naval Academy in 1930.