Harry Bidwell Ansted

Harry Bidwell Ansted (December 17, 1893 – November 15, 1955) was a United States Army officer, pastor and educator, and the first president of Seoul National University.

Harry Bidwell Ansted
1st President of Seoul National University
In office 1946 – October 24, 1947
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Lee Choon-ho
Personal details
Born	December 17, 1893 Temperance, Michigan, U.S.
Died	November 15, 1955 (aged 61) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Education	Hillsdale College (BBA) University of Southern California (MA)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Battles/wars	World War II

Early life and education

Born in Temperance, Michigan, Ansted attended Hillsdale College and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Greenville College. In 1923, he earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Southern California.

Career

He then became a Christian pastor and served in several churches in Michigan for five years. He went on to teach in Wessington Springs College, Los Angeles Pacific College, and Seattle Pacific College.^[1]

In 1944, near the end of the World War II, Ansted enlisted in the United States Army as an Army chaplain. After his service in Leyte, Philippines, he was transferred to Korea, a part of the United States Army Military Government in Korea. It was here, in 1946, that he became the first president of Seoul National University, a new national university established in place of Keijō Imperial University.^[2] He also created the official motto of the school, Veritas Lux Mea. Ansted was succeeded by Lee Choon-ho on October 24, 1947.

He was a member of the American Economic Association, the American History Society, and the Royal Economics Society.