Henry Ruthven Monteith

In 1900, Monteith was recruited to teach history, literature, and languages at Connecticut Agricultural College by college president George Washington Flint, who was Monteith's brother-in-law. He taught various subjects: in 1903, he was listed as a professor of history, civics, Latin, and mathematics; in 1906, Latin was dropped from the curriculum; in 1914, his title was professor of history and French; in 1916, his subjects were English and French. He retired in 1919 but continued to teach up until the time of his death. When he retired, Monteith was named emeritus professor of history – the first faculty member of the college to receive the emeritus designation.^[5]

Contemporaries described "Monty" as the "grand old man" of Connecticut Agricultural College. Popular among students, for many years Monteith served as faculty advisor to UConn's Daily Campus student newspaper and as teacher and mentor to generations of students.^[5] In 1921–22, female students convened the Monteith Arts Society "for the purpose of promoting an interest in literature and arts."^[6]

Monteith married Ella Ryder in New York City in 1873. They had two daughters: Isabel, a violinist and teacher at the Hartford Conservatory, and Marjorie, who scored the first goal at UConn's first-ever women's basketball game and captained the team.^[7] Marjorie married Robert K. Vibert, a Panama City merchant.^[4]

Monteith died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage in the campus dining hall on March 21, 1922.^[8] He was survived by his wife and daughters. His portrait, painted by Harold Green in Robert Brandegee's studio and completed around the time of Monteith's death, is held by the William Benton Museum of Art.^[9]

Opened in 1959 and renovated in 2016, the Monteith Building on UConn's Storrs campus is named in his honor.^[10] It is the home of the UConn Mathematics Department^[11] in the Storrs campus.