Cyrus G. Baldwin

Cyrus Grandison Baldwin (October 10, 1852January 10, 1931) was an American minister in the Congregational Church, the first official president of Pomona College, and a pioneer of hydroelectric power in Southern California. Early life and career Baldwin was born in Napoli, New York, in 1852. He moved to Ohio with his family when he was a child and graduated from Oberlin College in 1873. He completed his seminary degree at Andover Theological Seminary in 1876, becoming ordained five years later. After that, he became a professor of Latin at Ripon College, and helped fundraise for the YMCA. Pomona College presidency His success at the latter endeavor led to his election as the first official president of Pomona College in 1890 by its board of trustees, succeeding trustee Charles B. Sumner, who had led the college during its founding years. He became popular among both students and community members, enjoying a loyal following. During his tenure, he sought to raise desperately needed funds for the fledgling school, ultimately increasing its endowment by $100,000 (equivalent to $ in ). When a donor offered to fund a second building for the college, he argued for it to be built in Claremont, rather than the college's planned permanent location at Piedmont Mesa north of Pomona. The decision was supported by the college's board of trustees in a seven-to-four vote, establishing Claremont as the college's permanent home.