William O. Hotchkiss

He was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on September 17, 1878. He earned a geology degree in 1903, a civil engineering degree in 1908 and a Ph.D. in 1916, all from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

He served as state geologist in Wisconsin from 1909 to 1925. He wrote publications including Rural Highways of Wisconsin, Limestone Road Materials of Wisconsin, and Geological and Road Map of Wisconsin and served on several state and federal geology committees, as well as president of the Association of American State Geologists. The Wisconsin state highway commission was created during his tenure and he served on it between 1911 and 1925. In 1925, he was appointed president of the Michigan Mining School. During his tenure, the school added programs in chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering and a program in forestry. In 1927, the school changed its name to the Michigan College of Mining and Technology and is now known as Michigan Technological University.

In 1935, he was appointed president of Rensselaer. In 1943, he retired at the age of 65 but remained president emeritus. He died on June 20, 1954.

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite news|title=Dr. William Hotchkiss |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5425246/william_o_hotchkiss_18781954/|newspaper=Janesville Daily Gazette |date=June 22, 1954|page=13|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = May 30, 2016}} {{Open access}}

[http://www.lib.rpi.edu/dept/library/html/Archives/history/presidents/hotchkiss,wo.html William O. Hotchkiss]

"Takes R.P.I. Post Tuesday", New York Times, September 1, 1935

{{cite news |title=Dr. Hotchkiss Named President of R.P.I.; Head of College in Michigan to Succeed Dr. Ricketts, Who Died in December. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/06/17/archives/dr-hotchkiss-named-president-of-rpi-head-of-college-in-michigan-to.html|newspaper=Associated Press in the New York Times |date=June 17, 1935 |access-date=2011-03-19}}

[http://www.uwex.edu/wgnhs/meohis2.htm History of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey: Part 2]

[http://www.mtu.edu/mtuinfo/history.html MichiganTech History]

[http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/magazine/dec05/archives.html Michigan Tech Magazine, December 2005]

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{{s-aca}}

{{s-bef|before=Fred W. McNair}}

{{s-ttl|title=President of Michigan Technological University|years=1925 – 1935}}

{{s-aft|after=Grover C. Dillman}}

{{s-bef|before=Palmer C. Ricketts}}

{{s-ttl|title=President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute|years=1935 – 1943}}

{{s-aft|after=Livingston W. Houston}}

{{end}}

{{Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute presidents}}

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Category:Presidents of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Category:1878 births

Category:1954 deaths

Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni

Category:People from Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Category: University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni

Category:Presidents of Michigan Technological University

Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering alumni

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