Reverend Sidney Harkey

(This series of Notable Faculty profiles was written in celebration Augustana's sesquicentennial in 2009.)

Sidney L. Harkey was educated at Gettysburg College and Springfield under his brother S. W. Harkey. He had a reputation for being a strong preacher and a good administrator with an interest in music.

In 1868, the Synod offered Harkey a position at Augustana as an English professor, replacing William Kopp. His salary was to be $1,000 a year, and he was also provided with a house.

Like President T. N. Hasselquist, Harkey supported a strong general education for those entering the seminary, and Harkey worked hard to ensure that this was provided in the curriculum. He organized a system of prerequisites for seminary students by requiring two preparatory classes and two college classes. Harkey also reported to Augustana that Geneseo, Ill., would be interested in providing Augustana with a new campus if the college was to leave Paxton, and that Geneseo was willing to raise $40,000 as an inducement.

Harkey left Augustana in 1870 after only two years, but having made a large impact on the school.