Photo credit:
University of Maryland Archives

Richard W. Silvester (b. 1857) served as president from 1892 to 1912. Silvester studied agriculture at the Virginia Military Institute and served as principal of the Charlotte Hall Academy in St. Mary's County, Maryland, transforming it into a practical farmer's school.

He followed a program similar to Henry Alvord's, emphasizing vocational education. He lowered costs and reinstituted pre-collegiate courses. He also established short certificate courses for farmers and others who were unable to commit to a full four-year educational program. The curriculum contained focused on agriculture and engineering, de-emphasizing liberal arts. His tenure also saw the addition of seven new buildings.

In 1912, a fire destroyed the original College building known as the Barracks and the new administration building, and Silvester, discouraged by this loss, resigned.

Thomas H. Spence, President, 1912-1913