William Wistar Comfort
William Wistar Comfort was president of Haverford College.Life
He was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania and raised a Quaker. He graduated from Haverford College in 1894 and from Harvard University with a Ph.D. in 1902. His thesis was titled: “The Development of the Character Types in the French Chansons de Geste.” He was a polymath, and translated The Quest of the Holy Grail, wrote on Arthurian Romances among such topics as Quakerism, children's literature, and the poet William Cowper.
Comfort served as President of Haverford College from 23 years, from 1917 to 1940, and was succeeded by journalist Felix Morley.
Comfort continued to teach until 1953, and died at his home located on the campus in 1955. He was survived by his wife of 53 years, the former Mary Foles, and five children,, among them, the mathematician bearing his very same name. His papers are held at Haverford.
