In 1852 Horace Mann accepted the appointment as the first president of Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  Founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection, the school was to be a pioneer in the field of non-sectarian, coeducational, character building education. 

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Horace Mann devoted the remainder of his life laboring for the advancement of Education and Philanthropy. It was in the conclusion of his commencement speech to the graduating class of 1859 where Mann spoke one of his most memorable quotes … ‘While to a certain extent, you are to live for yourselves in this life, to a greater extent you are to live for others…And I beseech you to treasure up in your hearts these, my parting words:  Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”