Philosopher Laurens Perseus Hickok was born in 1798. He was professor of Theology at Western Reserve College in Ohio, and at Auburn Theological Seminary in Auburn, New York. He was vice president, professor of mental and moral science, and president of Union College in Schenectady, New York. In his retirement, spent in Amherst, Massachusetts, he devoted himself to writing and study. Amherst College holds a collection of his papers.