John Monteith (minister)

John Monteith (1788 – 1868) was a Presbyterian minister and educator, best known as one of the founders of the University of Michigan.

Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, Monteith graduated from Princeton University in 1813 and Princeton Theological Seminary in 1816. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister and sent as a missionary to the Michigan Territory.

In Detroit, Monteith played a pivotal role in establishing both the First Protestant Society of Detroit (later the First Presbyterian Church) and the "Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania" in 1817. This institution, conceived in a highly ambitious and somewhat unconventional manner by Judge Augustus B. Woodward, was effectively the predecessor to the University of Michigan.

Under Woodward's plan, Monteith served as professor of seven of the thirteen "didaxiim" (professorships), covering subjects including mathematics, science, literature, and languages. He also served as the institution's president. He was responsible for securing land for the university, shaping its early curriculum, and actively recruiting students. While the Catholepistemiad was short-lived in its original form, its establishment laid the groundwork for the later, more conventionally structured University of Michigan.

Monteith remained in Michigan until 1821, when he returned to Ohio to continue his ministry. He served as a pastor in various churches and actively participated in Presbyterian Church affairs. He later served as president of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, for a short time.

John Monteith's legacy rests primarily on his contributions to the early educational landscape of Michigan and his significant role in the founding of the University of Michigan. His efforts in promoting education and establishing religious institutions in the frontier territory left a lasting impact.