BIOGRAPHY: King, William Fletcher
From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

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Reverend WILLIAM FLETCHER KING, D. D. - This gentleman, one of the eminent 
educators of Iowa, and president of Cornell College, was born December 20, 1830, in 
Muskingum County, Ohio.   His ancestors are English, and came to America in colonial 
timel his maternal grandfather being killed at the battle of Brandywine.
Doctor King was educated at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, which he 
entered at the age of twenty, and graduated with the class of  1857, having spent some 
two years of the time in teaching.   He was immediately elected tutor in mathematics in the 
same institution, which position he held  five years, when he resigned, intending to travel 
in Europe, but in the Fall of 1862, being interrupted in his palns by the Rebellion, accepted 
the chair of ancient languages in Cornell College, Iowa, and the following year was 
appointed acting president, the duties of which office he preformed for two years, when he 
was elected president.   In 1873, his health failing, he resigned with the intention of visiting 
Europe, but the board of trustees declined to accept his resignation, gave him the liberty to 
go abroad, and generously offered to continue his salary, which offer he declined.   In June 
of that year he sailed with his wife, and spent one year abroad, during which time he 
visited Scotland, Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany, going  as far 
east as Greece. and passing considerable time at the universities in Germany, France and 
England, making  himself thoroughly familiar with their leading characteristics.   Upon 
returning he resumed charge of Cornell College, and has just closed a very successful year.
Doctor King was ordained a Minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1865, 
received his degrees in course from hia alma mater, and that of  D.D. from Wesleyan 
University, at Bloomington, Indiana ; and was married in 1865 to Maggie McKell, of 
Chillicothe, Ohio.