hiː sˈɜːvd æz ðə pɹˈɪnsɪpəl ʌvðɪ ˈɔːlbəni ɐkˈædəmi fɹʌm wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːn tə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt, wˌɛɹ hiː ɛŋkˈɜːɹɪdʒd ðə fjˈuːtʃɚ kjʊɹɹˈeɪɾɚɹ ʌvðə smɪθsˈoʊniən ˌɪnstɪtˈuːʃən, dʒˈoʊsəf hˈɛnɹi, tʊ ɛnɹˈoʊl æz ɐ stˈuːdənt ænd lˈeɪɾɚ sˈɜːv æz ɐ pɹəfˈɛsɚɹ ʌv mˌæθɪmˈæɾɪks ænd nˈætʃɚɹəl fɪlˈɑːsəfi ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti sˈɪks.
He served as the principal of the Albany Academy from 1817 to 1848, where he encouraged the future curator of the Smithsonian Institution, Joseph Henry, to enroll as a student and later serve as a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in 1826.