Thomas Henry Burrowes (November 16, 1805 – February 25, 1871) was the fourth president of Pennsylvania State University, serving from 1868 until 1871. He also served as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1835 until 1839, the ninth Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania., State Chairman of the Anti-Masonic Party, and Superintendent of Pennsylvania Schools. Early life Born on November 16, 1805, in the town of Strasburg Pennsylvania Thomas Henry Burrowes' parents were natives of Ireland. At the age of five, the Burrowes family moved back to their homeland where he studied under the tutorage of scholars from Trinity College as well as clergymen of the Church of England until he was 12 years old. He continued his education by attending school in New York and studying the classics and eventually attended Yale Law School for only one year and was admitted to the bar in 1829. Early career Thomas Henry Burrowes, held a number of important positions including Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania State Chairman of The Anti-Masonic Party, an elected member to the lower house of legislature (Pennsylvania House of Representatives), Superintendent of Schools, founder and editor of the Pennsylvania School Journal (1852-1870), and author of works such as the State Book of Pennsylvania, and Normal School Law, School Law and Decisions. Penn State career In October 1868, The Agricultural College of Pennsylvania was looking for new leadership. After being nearly run into the ground by former president John Fraser, the school's student body had dwindled to 20 students, the school was showered in debt and people across the state were losing hope that the agricultural school would survive. The College had been plagued by financial troubles and was in danger of closing its doors. The board of trustees decided to invite important men of the time—including Thomas Henry Burrowes, an individual with much expertise in educational matters for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania—seeking advice in their search for a new President. Meeting Minutes suggest that Burrowes recommended to, "make the school more practical and less scientific; the president should have administrative ability as well as scientific and literary attainments; and to lower the cost of room and board and tuition as much as possible to attract a wider array of students." At the board's next meeting, they chose Thomas Henry Burrowes to lead the school; he accepted the offer on December 10 with a