Harry Pratt Judson

(1849-1927)
Once the terminal nature of Harper's illness became known, Judson assumed an increasing burden of administrative responsibility. Appointed acting president immediately upon Harper's death in early 1906, Judson was named president in his own right by the trustees a year later. Judson's conservative fiscal policies came as a relief to the Rockefellers, who had grown steadily more concerned about the University's annual deficits. Within two years of his appointment, Judson brought the University's budget into balance, and he maintained it in the black for the remainder of his administration.

Judson's cordial relations with the Rockefellers led to his involvement in several of the family's philanthropies, including the Rockefeller Foundation and the General Education Board.

In 1914 he travelled to China as director of the China Medical Commission, which investigated medical and public health conditions and evaluated needs for medical schools and hospitals. The work of the Commission led to the establishment of the China Medical Board and the creation of Peking Union Medical College.

At the University, Judson presided over a period of consolidation and sustained growth for the young institution, as the budget tripled and the student body grew from 5070 to 12,429 between 1907 and 1923. New buildings for geology, classics, and the general library were constructed, and thanks in part to the personal contacts made by Rebecca Judson, a lavishly decorated center for the University's women students was completed. The dedication of Ida Noyes Hall in 1916 provided a centerpiece for the University's Quarter-Centennial, a celebration which honored the institution's accomplishments and confidently proclaimed its future promise.