E. Wilson Lyon

Elijah Wilson Lyon (1905 – 1989) was a diplomatic historian who served as the sixth President of Pomona College from 1941 to 1969. He studied at the University of Mississippi and Colgate University, and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.[1]

E. Wilson Lyon
6th President of Pomona College
In office July 1, 1941 – July 1, 1969
Preceded by	Charles K. Edmunds
Succeeded by	David Alexander
Personal details
Born	Elijah Wilson Lyon January 6, 1905 Heidelberg, Mississippi
Died	March 4, 1989 (aged 84) Pomona, California
Spouse(s)	Carolyn Lyon
Children	Elizabeth, John
Alma mater	University of Mississippi St John's College, Oxford
Profession	Academic

Biography

Elijah Wilson Lyon was born in Heidelberg, Mississippi, in 1904. Lyon had planned on becoming a journalist, but history drew his interest later on in life. Lyon attended the University of Mississippi. As a result of his great academic rigor, his tenure as senior class president, and editor of the college newspaper, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to St. John's College, Oxford. When he returned to the United States, he became an assistant professor of history at Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, then at Colgate University. He was named head of the history department in 1934 at Colgate.[2]

Pomona College

In 1941, Lyon was appointed president of Pomona College. He helped shape Pomona into a leading liberal arts institution. Lyon’s presidency was turbulent as it extended from the Second World War to Vietnam. He led Pomona through the birth of the civil rights movement and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. At Pomona, students protested about many college and national issues. During his term, the school's endowment rose from $3.5 million to over $22 million and the student body grew from 790 to 1,200.[3]

Following his retirement, he wrote a history of the college, published in 1977 as The History of Pomona College, 1887–1969. The account was praised by critics for its comprehensiveness and objectivity.[4][5][6]

References

1. "E. Wilson Lyon, 84, Ex-College President". NYTimes.com. 1989-03-24. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
2. "E.W. Lyon, 84; Ex-President of Pomona College". Los Angeles Times. 1989-03-05. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
3. "President E. Wilson Lyon". Pomona. 2000-01-01. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
4. Pflueger, Donald H. (1979). "Review of The History of Pomona College, 1887-1969". Southern California Quarterly. 61 (2): 212–215. doi:10.2307/41170824. ISSN 0038-3929. JSTOR 41170824. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
5. Rolle, Andrew (1979). "Review of The History of Pomona College, 1887-1969". Pacific Historical Review. 48 (4): 620–621. doi:10.2307/3638713. ISSN 0030-8684. JSTOR 3638713. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
6. Ringenberg, William C. (1978). "Review of The History of Pomona College, 1887-1969". The American Historical Review. 83 (5): 1351–1352. doi:10.2307/1854869. ISSN 0002-8762. JSTOR 1854869. Retrieved 24 August 2020.