The Uhler dormitory is named in honor of Dr. Jacob P. Uhler also known as the ‘Grand Old Man’. Dr. Uhler was a professor at Gustavus Adolphus College for three generations of students at Gustavus. Dr. Uhler was born in Easton Pennsylvania in the year 1854. He attended the public schools in his community, was student at the state normal school in Kutzdown Pennsylvania, and later attended Lafayette college where he graduated in 1877.  In 1881 he taught for a year at his former school Kutzdown Normal. After his year at Kutzdown, he received a call to come to St. Peter to help out with the struggling Gustavus Adolphus College. Before he made the trip out west, he married Elizabeth Walter and the both of them made the trip to the small town in southern Minnesota.  Dr. Uhler was truly one of the most tenured professors ever to teach at Gustavus. Teaching a total of 55 years, he witnessed many changes in courses and trends and he saw Gustavus go from a struggling college to one of the finest educational institutions in the state. He was a professor in the physics and math departments and he taught some courses in astronomy. From the year 1911 to 1913, Dr. Uhler served as the college’s acting president. In 1895 he received his doctorate degree in philosophy and then in 1923 he received another doctorate degree in Divinity. In 1932 he received a gold medal from the college as an appreciation for his 50 years at the institution. He retired in 1937 and purchased a home on Mulberry Street in St. Peter. He spent remaining of his life visiting his son in Maryland or his brother in Florida.  He passed away in 1941 at the age of 87 in Eastport Maryland, where he was living with his son.

'Grand Old Man'. 2014. [Newspaper]. Uhler collection, Gustavus Adolphus College Library, St. Peter.

Augustana Gives Honorary Degree To Dr. J.P. Uhler. 1935. [Newspaper article]. Uhler collection, Gustavus Adolphus College Library archives, St. Peter.

"Uhler Hall." - Residence Hall. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014. <https://gustavus.edu/profiles/location/Uhler%2520Hall>.

President Jacob P. Uhler. Digital image. :: Gustavus Adolphus College Images. College Archives, Gustavus Adolphus College, 06 Oct. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2014. <http://archives.gac.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15292coll2/id/160/rec/9>.