The Rev. Ezra Stiles (November 29, 1727 - May 12, 1795) was a Congregational clergyman, minister of the Second Congregational Church in Newport, Rhode Island, and President of Yale College from 1778 to 1795. He was also a dedicated supporter of the American Revolutionary cause and an avid amateur scientist who corresponded with Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin about scientific discoveries. November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events June 11 - George, Prince of Wales becomes King George II of Great Britain. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront Newport is a city located in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ... Yale can refer to an educational institution: Yale University, one of the United States oldest universities. ...

Stiles also struck up a close friendship with Rabbi Haim Isaac Carigal during Carigal's six month residence in Newport in 1773, the two meeting 28 times (according to Stiles' records) to discuss a wide variety of topics ranging from kaballah to the politics of the Holy Land. In addition, Stiles took the opportunity to improve his rudimentary knowledge of the Hebrew language, to the point where he and Carigal were to correspond by mail in Hebrew. Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbÄ«;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbÄ«) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools the sages were addressed as רִבִּי (Ribbi... Rabbi Haim Isaac Carigal (born in Hebron, 1733, died in Barbados, 1777) was, indirectly, a significant influence on the development of Yale University in the late 1700s. ... 1773 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The tree of life Kabbalah (קבלה Reception, Standard Hebrew Qabbala, Tiberian Hebrew Qabbālāh; also written variously as Cabala, Cabalah, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, Kabalah, Kabbala, Qabala, Qabalah) is a religious philosophical system claiming an insight into divine nature. ... The phrase The Holy Land (Arabic الأرض المقدسة, al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah; Hebrew ארץ הקודש: Standard Hebrew Éreẓ haQodeÅ¡, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÉreá¹£ haqQāḏēš; Latin Terra Sancta) generally refers to Palestine or the Land of Israel. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 7 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ...

Stiles' knowledge of Hebrew also enabled him to translate large portions of the Hebrew Old Testament into English. Stiles believed, as did many Christian scholars of the time, that facility with the text in its original language was advantageous for proper interpretation. As president of Yale, Stiles also became its first professor of Semitics, and required all students to study Hebrew (as was also the case at Harvard); his first commencement address in September, 1781 (no ceremonies having been held during the Revolutionary War) was delivered in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. By 1790, however, he was forced to face failure in instilling an interest in the language in the student body, writing Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh, but not Old Testament, because it does not recognize the concept of a New Testament. ... Semitic is a linguistic term referring to a subdivision of largely Middle Eastern Afro-Asiatic languages, the Semitic languages, as well as their speakers corresponding cultures, and ethnicities. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... See also Academic dress Categories: Education | Academia ... Look up September in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

"From my first accession to the Presidency ... I have obliged all the Freshmen to study Hebrew. This has proved very disagreeable to a Number of the Students. This year I have determined to instruct only those who offer themselves voluntarily."

The valedictorians of 1785 and 1792, however, did deliver their speeches in Hebrew. In the United States and Canada, the title of valedictorian (an anglicized derivation from the Latin vale dicere to say farewell) is given to the top graduate of the graduating class (compare dux) of an educational institution. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Yale's legacy from this interest of Stiles' includes a portrait of Carigal by artist Samuel King, and the Hebrew words "Urim" and "Thummim" (אורים ותמים) on the Yale seal. For the ancient city of Urim see Ur. ...

He married twice and had eight children. He owned at least one slave, named Newport, whom he freed on June 9, 1778. June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

A book he authored, The United States elevated to Glory and Honor was printed in 1783. Title page The United States elevated to Glory and Honor is a book by Ezra Stiles, published in 1783. ...

One of the newest of the residential colleges at Yale University was named in Stiles' honor; it is known for its successes in acquiring the Gimbel and the Tyng Cup, as well as architecturally for its lack of right angles between walls. The building was designed by architect Eero Saarinen. Its mascot is the moose; this arose from the installation of a stuffed moose's head, currently decomposing away in the Ezra Stiles Dining Hall, in honor of former college master and Yale president A. Bartlett Giamatti. Adjacent to Ezra Stiles College is its twin sister college, Morse College, which is architecturally similar. Eero Saarinen (August 20, 1910, in Kirkkonummi, Finland – September 1, 1961, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States) was a Finnish-American architect of the 20th century famous for his simple sweeping and arching shapes. ... Mascots at the Mascot Olympics in Orlando, FL. A mascot is something, typically an animal or human character used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team (the name often corresponds with the mascot), society or corporation. ... Binomial name Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) Alces alces, called the moose in North America and the elk in Europe (see also elk for other animals called elk) is the largest of all the deer family Cervidae, distinguished from other members of Cervidae by the form of the antlers of its... Angelo Bartlett Bart Giamatti (April 4, 1938 – September 1, 1989) was the President of Yale University, and later, the 7th commissioner of Major League Baseball in the United States. ... Ezra Stiles College is a residential college at Yale University, built in 1961 by Eero Saarinen. ... Morse College is a residential college at Yale University, built in 1961 by Eero Saarinen. ...