Friedrich Althoff

In 1882-1907, he served as privy councillor and chief executive officer of the Prussian Ministry of Ecclesiastical, Educational, and Medical Affairs.

He achieved heavy funding and strong support from the Prussian government under Otto von Bismarck, and was in close contact with the Kaiser and with private financiers eager to help their alma mater.

He strove to turn the undergraduate-oriented Prussian schools into preeminent research centers in the humanities, law, theology, sciences, and medicine.

In the final decision-making in hiring key people, and he disregarded local prejudices in often selecting Jews, Catholics and secular scholars.

He led the German delegation to the world's fairs in Chicago in 1893 in St. Louis in 1904, and created exchange professorships with American universities.