Merrill Edwards Gates

Biography

Merrill Edwards Gates devoted his career to higher education, leading Rutgers University and later Amherst College while also serving as U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, where he worked to strengthen schools and bring a scholarly rigor to government service.

A thoughtful administrator and classicist, he championed campus growth, expanded libraries, and inspired generations of students and faculty, leaving a legacy of measured leadership and stewardship of learning.