James Hope Caldwell (1860-1941)

On September 25, 1860 in Newman, Georgia, James Hope Caldwell was born to the educator and minister, Dr. John H. Caldwell, and his wife, Elizabeth Hodnett Caldwell. His father was a founder of Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia. Caldwell attended the Wilmington Conference Academy before entering Dickinson in 1876. He became a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and ended his senior year as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received a B.A. degree from Dickinson in 1880 and a M.A. degree in 1883.

After leaving Dickinson, Caldwell enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he received his law degree in 1884. That same year, he was admitted to the bar and moved to New York City to practice law. He eventually became a senior partner at Caldwell & Raymond, a firm specializing in municipal and state bond issues. While at Caldwell & Raymond, he served as bond counsel for the cities of Buffalo, Syracuse, Miami Beach, Nashville, and Chattanooga. He also represented several leading motion picture companies when President Taft's Attorney-General George W. Wickersham sued for a dissolution of the motion-picture trust.

Caldwell worked as a lawyer for more than fifty years, and even after retirement, he remained active. He was a member of the Methodist Church, , The Pilgrims, the Metropolitan Club of New York, the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Bar of the City of New York, and the Board of Trustees at Andrew College. His involvement in Dickinson also continued throughout his life. He was both a Life Member of the General Alumni Association as well as a trustee of the College from 1930 to 1941.

On March 19, 1941, Caldwell died in Miami Beach, Florida, survived by his widow, Ella, and a daughter, Olive. He is buried in New York City. Upon his death, Caldwell left one-fifth of his estate, or approximately $66,000, to the College, with nearly $100,000 more received upon the death of his widow in 1964. With this gift, the James Hope Caldwell Memorial Chair was established in 1966.