Charles Keyser Edmunds (1876–8 January 1949) was an American engineer and physicist who served as president of Lingnan University in Canton, China, and Pomona College in Claremont, California.[2]

Charles K. Edmunds
5th President of Pomona College
In office
1928–1941
Preceded byJames A. Blaisdell
Succeeded byE. Wilson Lyon
President of Lingnan University
In office
1907–1924
Personal details
Born1876[1]
Baltimore, Maryland
DiedJanuary 8, 1949(1949-01-08) (aged 72–73)
Claremont, California
EducationJohns Hopkins University
ProfessionAcademic

Life and career

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Edmunds was born in Baltimore and attended Johns Hopkins University, graduating in 1897.[2]

He taught physics at the University of Utah during the 1898–1899 academic year, and subsequently moved to China to teach physics and engineering at Lingnan University in Canton, China.[2] He became president of Lingnan in 1907, serving until 1924.[2]

He moved back to the United States in 1928, to serve as president of Pomona College,[2] becoming the college's first non-clergy president.[3] During his tenure, he focused on Pomona's residential life, overseeing the construction of several dormitories and dining facilities, including Frary Dining Hall and the Clark dormitories.[3] He also inspired a growing interest in Asian culture at the college.[3] He retired in 1941, and later that year received the Order of Brilliant Jade from China.[2] He died after being struck by a car while crossing Route 66 in Claremont in January 1949.[2]

Pomona's original student center was named the Edmunds Union in his honor; it was built in 1937 and demolished in 1997.[4] An academic building opened in 2007 was named Edmunds Hall in his honor.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Edmunds, Charles K. (Charles Keyser) 1876-". WorldCat. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "DR. C. K. EDMUNDS KILLED; Auto Strikes Noted Educator, Former President of Pomona". The New York Times. Associated Press. 10 January 1949. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "1928". Pomona College Timeline. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Campus Center History". Pomona College. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Campus Facilities". Pomona College Catalog. Pomona College. Retrieved 2 August 2020.