Dr. Francis Andrew March (October 25, 1825 – September 9, 1911) was an American polymath, academic, philologist, and lexicographer.

Also known as the "Grand Old Man of Lafayette",[1] March was the first individual to hold the title "Professor of English Language and Literature" anywhere in the United States or Europe.

March is predominantly recognized for performing his duties as "Professor of the English Language and Comparative Philology" at Lafayette College, where he taught for 56 years.

March recalled being grateful for the education he received in the district, explaining his kindergarten teacher "made the children understand many things before the usual time.

The Honorable Alfred D. Foster of Worcester, however, offered to fund a portion of his education at Amherst College.

[4] Immediately following his graduation from Amherst, March began teaching at an academy in Swanzey, New Hampshire.

[5] March was the first to hold the title of "Professor of English Language and Literature" anywhere in the United States or Europe.

[6] March had a significant career at Lafayette College and remained loyal to the school, often turning down offers from larger universities as his published work and teaching style became more well-known.

He was devoted to both increasing the analysis of English literature in higher institutions, as well as in growing the college's academics.

[citation needed] March brought a new outlook to teaching English by introducing a detailed examination of linguistic and rhetorical pieces.

"[2] One of his most distinct analytical contributions was his philology-across-the-curriculum approach in which "professors train the students in each department to write on subjects connected with it in the words and phrases current among experts.

He contributed to over 200 periodical publications in philology, the historical study of grammar, the teaching of literature, and pedagogy.

[6] March aligned with the premise that spelling, grammar, and usage should be based on the spoken word.

March was the first American superintendent over the volunteer reading program of the Oxford English Dictionary, thus providing valuable support to James Murray in the compilation of this monumental work.

[7] General Peyton C. March was chief of staff of the United States Army during the First World War.

[9] March worked at Lafayette College for more than fifty years,[2] passing up opportunities at other institutions[3] in order to continue to study, teach, and publish at the small liberal arts school.

While praised for his hard work, March is also remembered for being the first academic in the country to study and teach English texts in the same manner professors taught Greek and Latin classics.

Bright spoke highly of the way in which March built relationships with faculty and served as a mentor to students.

[3] March's lasting legacy can also be seen in the wider Easton, Pennsylvania, community, where an elementary school is named in his honor.

March was the first to hold the title of "Professor of English Language and Literature" in both the United States and Europe.

[2] During his 56-year career at Lafayette College, March received several honorary degrees from world-renowned academic institutions.