 In September 1896 , Cornell ’ s president Jacob Gould Schurman prevailed upon the Board of Trustees to extend an offer to Nathaniel Schmidt . The situation at Colgate ’ s Divinity School had deteriorated . Schmidt ’ s unorthodox theology generated discomfort within that college . From 1886 to the arrival of Professor Nathaniel Schmidt in 1896 , Cornell ’ s Library maintained its support for the acquisition of Near Eastern materials . Taking over as Cornell President , Jacob Gould Schurman decided Cornell needed a chair of Hebrew language . In 1896 , Schurman persuaded Henry W. Sage to finance a professor of Semitic Languages and Literatures for <unk> @-@ 97 and AY 1897 @-@ 98 . He knew the University could secure Schmidt at a bargain . Schmidt ’ s unorthodox theological views made his stay at Colgate Divinity School untenable . Schmidt gained the respect of the Cornell community . Noted for his personal and scholarly integrity , he was soon shielded by sympathetic administrators . Schmidt served Cornell for thirty @-@ six years , carrying a high teaching load in addition to this extensive research . He taught an elementary course in Hebrew each year . Advanced Hebrew covered the leading writers of the Old Testament and some parts of the Mishnaic and other Talmudic literature in three years . General linguistics students were advised to begin their study of Semitic languages with Arabic , also offered each year . Aramaic and Egyptian alternated with Assyrian and <unk> . The Semitic Seminary , given one term each year , was dedicated to epigraphical studies . 
