John Rood Cunningham

(b. 1891 d. 1980) Reverend John Rood Cunningham, D.D., LL.D. was fifty years old when he accepted the presidency of Davidson College in 1941. A native of Williamsburg, Missouri, Cunningham obtained his B.A. degree from Westminister (Presbyterian) College in 1914 and his D.D. from Louisville Presbyterian Seminary in 1917. He was later honored with doctor's degrees from Westminister, King, Duke, Wake Forest, the University of North Carolina, and, on his retirement, Davidson. Prior to becoming president of Davidson College, Cunningham served as the pastor of several large churches and as president of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

The years of Cunningham's administration were an era of prosperity and progress for the college. The permanent endowment expanded from one to five million dollars. The teaching faculty rose from forty-seven in 1941 to eighty-six in 1957. In response, the student body rose from a meager 162 students in 1945 to a total of 971 students. Five major buildings were constructed under Dr. Cunningham's presidency, increasing the total value of the campus from $1,500,000 to $5,400,000.

In addition to being president of Davidson, Cunningham was, also, elected moderator of the Southern Presbyterian Church in 1947, delegate of the denomination at the organizational meeting of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam in 1948, and president of the Association of American Colleges in 1953. On his retirement from Davidson, Cunningham was appointed Executive Director of the Southern Presbyterian Foundation, serving until 1964.

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Works Cited

Author: Molly P. Gillespie
Date: 1998

Cite as: Gillespie, Molly P. "John Rood Cunningham " Davidson Encyclopedia 1998 <http://library.davidson.edu/archives/ency/cunninghamjr.asp>

Related Links: Cunningham's Presidential Portrait

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