The first president of Harvard College, proceeded Bachelor in 1630, at Magdalen College, Cambridge, Eng., where he also
received the degree of Master in 1634. He came to New England in 1640, was inducted into the office of President of
Harvard College, August 27, 1640, and was admitted freeman in 1641. His wife was Elizabeth, widow of Rev. Jesse or Josse
Glover, who died Aug. 23, 1643. Mr. Dunster was highly respected for his learning and piety. The author of "New England's
First Fruits" says, "Over the Colledge is Master Dunster placed, as President, a learned conscionable and industrious man,
who hath so trained up his pupills in the tongues and arts, and so seasoned them with the principles of divinity and
christianity, that we have to our great comfort (and in truth) beyond our hopes, beheld their progresse in learning and
godlinesse also." Dunster's services to the College were invaluable; "He found the seminary in school. It rose, under his
auspices, to the dignity of a College." But having fallen "into the briers of Antipaedobaptism," these services were deemed
no longer desirable. "Indicted by the grand jury for disturbing the ordinance of infant baptism in the Cambridge church,
convicted by the court, sentenced to a public admonition on lecture day, and laid under bonds of good behaviour, Dunster's
martyrdom was consummated by being compelled, in October, 1654, to resign his office of President, and to throw himself on
the tender mercies of the General Court." He now went to Scituate, where he spent the remainder of his days. He died Feb. 27,
1659, and, in accordance with his last wishes, "his body was solemnly interred a t Cambridge, where he had spent the choice
part of his studies and of his life, and might there have continued, if he had been endowed with that wisdom which many others
have wanted besides himself, to have kept his singular opinion to himself, when there was little occasion for venting thereof."
"He was a modest, humble, charitable man; as true a friend, and as faithful a servant, as this College ever possessed." By
his last will he bequeathed legacies to the very person who had been the cause of his removal from the College, and also
nominated President Chauncy and Rev. Mitchel appraisers of his library, "some of the books of which," he says, " being in
such languages, whereof common Englishmen know not one letter."

Appendix	Andrew Belcher Elijah Corlet Stephen Day John Fessenden Nathaniel Gookin Samuel Green Roger Harlekenden Jonathan Mitchel Thomas Shepard Gregory Stone Vassal Rev. Joseph Willard
Linx	Cambridge Genweb Epitaphs Home Epitaphs By Year Surname Index

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