Thomas W. Dosh

Thomas Dosh left his pulpit in Salisbury, N.C., to begin his tenure as Roanoke's second president, arriving in time to be inaugurated at the College's June commencement. There he outlined his philosophy of education, i.e. "the business of a student is to study." Dosh determined to restructure the course of study and more strictly enforce graduation requirements. While his intentions were noble, it was the intensity of Dosh's approach coupled with his rigid standards towards student behavior that created tension between him and most students. Therefore, when the General Synod South elected Dosh to the second professorship in the Theological Seminary, Dosh tendered his resignation within a year of his inauguration. Dosh remained on the Board of Trustees until his death in 1889.