A Schoolmaster's Son Led Princeton

Did you know? The man who ran a Stone Valley academy in the 1880s was the father of a president of Princeton University, according to the county's 1937 souvenir history.

The Stone Valley Academy at McAlevys Fort was founded under the patronage of the United Presbyterian Church. The 1937 book says the school reached its high point of popularity and success under Prof. Samuel Dodds, who headed it from 1884 until 1889, and that under his guidance it drew an enrollment of over one hundred students.

After leaving the academy, Dodds taught at the Moody Institute in Chicago and preached at some of the largest and finest churches in the country. The book adds that he was the father of Dr. Harold Dodds, who was president of Princeton University when it went to press in 1937.

Checked 2026-10-30 · County histories and primary sources, read in full

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