Jonathan Edwards (1817–1891) was the first president of Washington & Jefferson College following the union of Washington College and Jefferson College.^[1]

Edwards was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 19, 1817.^[2] He graduated from Hanover College in 1835 and from Hanover's theological department in 1838.^[1] Edwards taught in Kentucky from 1838 to 1842 before becoming ordained clergy in the Presbyterian Church in 1844.^[1] He served as pastor at various churches in Ohio, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Edwards served as the fifth president of Hanover College from 1855 through 1857.^[1]

On April 4, 1866, Edwards was elected as the first president of the newly unified Washington & Jefferson College.^[1] By the end of his presidency, the college was considering consolidating the two campuses, a direction Edwards supported.^[1] Edwards resigned the presidency of W&J on April 20, 1869 to accept a pastoral charge in Baltimore.^[1] He died in Peoria, Illinois on July 13, 1891.^[1]