James Thomas Ward D. D.

Ward’s conspicuous memorial lies

not far from the center of the cemetery. James Ward served as president of Western

Maryland College from 1867 until 1886, then as president of Westminster Theological

Seminary from 1886 until his death. During thirty years of service, he had a

tremendous impact on both institutions.

While Western Maryland College was the dream of Fayette Buell, it was Ward who

worked with him to make it a reality, helping to raise money from the likes of John

Smith of Wakefield and Isaac Baile. The classically educated Ward became the

College’s first president and teacher of Greek and Latin in 1867. Earlier he spent years

as a successful leader of revivals and as a Methodist Protestant preacher in pastorates

in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Western Maryland College began with a faculty of five, 30 students, and one large

building. During Ward’s term as president, it grew substantially but continued

struggling financially. At the age of 65, Ward requested that he be allowed to retire. His

leadership and background in the ministry were so valuable, however, that he was

immediately offered the presidency of Westminster Theological Seminary located on

the same grounds as the college.

Shortly after Ward’s demise, his niece donated $1,000 to build a stone gateway to the

college and seminary campus in his memory. It originally stood over the drive leading

to the top of the hill, but was later moved to the corner of Union and Main streets

where it stands today. As the inscription on this memorial states, the marker was

intended as a tribute from his students.

Rev. James Thomas (J.T.) Ward (1820-1897)

The first President of Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), Rev. James Thomas (J.T.) Ward was born August 21st, 1820 in Georgetown, Washington D.C. to Rev. Ulysses Ward and Susan Beall Ward. J.T. Ward was the second of seven children. He was educated in various schools through the D.C. region as well as at the Classical Academy of Brookeville in Montgomery County, Maryland, which he graduated from in 1838. In 1841, Ward, like his father, was ordained as a Methodist preacher. For the next twenty-five years he served as an assistant pastor and lead pastor in Methodist churches throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Ward married Catherine Ann Light in 1845 and together the couple had two daughters: Mary Miranda and Clara Virginia (who died in childhood). Upon Ward’s retirement from active ministry in 1866 due to poor health, the family moved to Westminster. During this period, Ward met Fayette Buell and became involved in his plan to open a Methodist-based college in the community. Through connections made during his ministry, Ward helped secure the necessary funding to open the school, which held its first academic year as Western Maryland College in 1867.

During this first year, Ward served as principal of the faculty and as a professor of Biblical literature and Latin and Greek. Following Western Maryland College’s incorporation and purchase from Buell, Ward continued to serve as principal of the faculty and as a professor of Mental and Moral Science. In 1873, Ward’s administrative title was changed from principal to president of the College, a position he held until his resignation in 1886.

Following Ward’s retirement as the first president of Western Maryland College, he was named president of Westminster Theological Seminary, which opened in association with Western Maryland College in 1883. In addition to these roles, Ward also served as President of the Board of Trustees for WMC until 1892. During his time with the college, Ward received several honors, including an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Adrian College in 1871 as well as being named a Fellow of the Society of Science, Letters and Art in London in 1888.

On March 4, 1897, Ward died at his home in Westminster at the age of seventy-six.