Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) has been described as the first and greatest homegrown American philosopher. He was an ordained minister, a theologian, a missionary, and a man of letters, producing some 100,000 pages during his lifetime. Briefly, towards the end of his life, he was President of The College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University).
Not to be confused with his second son, Jonathan Edwards (1745-1801), who was also a minister and theologian. His son served as President of Union College of Schenectady, New York.