Jesse Appleton (1807–1819)

Jesse Appleton, a Congregationalist minister, became Bowdoin's second president in 1807, serving in that office until his death, probably from tuberculosis, in 1819. His appointment came after ten years of service to a Hampton, New Hampshire parish. A 1792 graduate of Dartmouth College, Appleton was an experienced teacher and orator; his Bowdoin College addresses were collected and printed in 1820.

Appleton married Elizabeth Means, they had three daughters and two sons who survived infancy. Their daughter, Jane, became the wife of Franklin Pierce (Bowdoin 1824), fourteenth president of the United States. Their daughter, Frances, was the first wife of Alpheus Spring Packard, Bowdoin graduate, professor and librarian.

Painting Credit: Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine Gift of the Grandchildren of Jesse Appleton