Reverend James Black, born April 27, 1826, was selected by the Board of Trustees to be the first president of the Pennsylvania Female College. Although his work prior to his presidency had primarily been the instruction of men, his two years of teaching at the coeducational University of Iowa had shown him “that our daughters are as capable of instruction as our sons.” Noted for his stirring oratory, Reverend Black led a daily devotional every morning before classes began. (from JKM Blog)