John Wheelock (1754-1817)

He became the second President of Dartmouth College upon his father's death in 1779, despite lacking traditional academic and clerical credentials. During his nearly four-decade presidency (1779-1815), he successfully guided the college through the Revolutionary War, maintaining fiscal stability largely through a 23,000-acre land grant from Vermont's legislature in what became Wheelock, Vermont. After the war, he oversaw the construction of Dartmouth Hall (one of the country's best-known collegiate buildings) and in 1797 he established Dartmouth Medical School, the fourth-oldest medical school in the country. However, his later years were marked by increasing conflict with the Board of Trustees over religious matters and institutional governance.

In 1815, the trustees dismissed Wheelock from his positions as president, professor, and board member following controversies over his anonymous public criticisms of the college. After his removal, he convinced New Hampshire's Governor to amend the college charter, temporarily transforming it into "Dartmouth University." This action ultimately led to the landmark 1819 Supreme Court case, Dartmouth College v. Woodward, which established important precedents for private corporations and contract law. Despite these controversies, Dartmouth made tremendous progress under his leadership.