Robert Norman Daniel was born on November 30, 1888 at Gravel Hill, Va., to John Robert and Florence Lillian (Hall) Daniel. He was educated in the grade school at Scottsville, Va., Fort Union (Va.) Military Academy, the University of Richmond (A.B., 1907; A.M., 1908), and the University of Chicago (Ph.M., 1911).

Daniel was associate professor of English at Furman University (1911-1914), and head of the English Department, Georgetown College, Ky. 1914-1920. He returned to Furman in 1920 and held the following positions: head of the English Department, 1920-1956; dean, 1922-1948; dean emeritus, 1948-1956; acting president, 1938.

Daniel was awarded the Litt.D. (Georgetown College, 1942) and the LL.D. (Furman University, 1948). He was author of Furman University, a History (Greenville, S.C.: Furman University, 1951), A century of progress: being the history of First Baptist Church, Greenville, South Carolina (Greenville, S.C.: First Baptist Church, 1957), and was chairman of the editorial committee for the S.C. section of the Southern Baptist Encyclopedia. Daniel was recognized as an authority on Robert Browning’s works, and was an active Baptist layman, serving on occasion as pastor, deacon, and Sunday School teacher.   – From the Southern Baptist Encyclopedia.