James S. Rollins
James Sidney Rollins (April 19, 1812 – January 9, 1888) was a nineteenth-century Missouri politician and lawyer. He helped establish the University of Missouri, led the successful effort to get it located in Boone County, and gained funding for the university with the passage of a series of acts in the Missouri Legislature. For his efforts, he was named "Father of the University of Missouri."
James S. Rollins | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri | |
| In office March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1865 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas L. Anderson |
| Succeeded by | George W. Anderson |
| Constituency | 2nd district (1861–63) 9th district (1863–65) |
| Member of the Missouri Legislature | |
| In office 1838 1840 1854 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 19, 1812 Richmond, Kentucky |
| Died | January 9, 1888 (aged 75) Columbia, Missouri |
| Political party | Whig Constitutional Union Unionist Democratic Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Elizabeth Rollins |
| Signature | |
As a border state Congressman, Rollins played a role in Congress's passage of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. He changed his vote to support the amendment, and spoke in favor of it. Rollins was a Whig for the first 20 years of his political career. When that party broke up, he began a political transition, changing parties several times before becoming a Republican late in his life. Rollins' lifelong support of business development was compatible with Republican policies, but his situation as a major slaveowner prevented him from joining the Republican Party until well after the Civil War.