 After resigning in 1872, he held a number of academic positions in civil and mechanical engineering; including Maine State College, Imperial University in Tokyo, Harvard University, and Union College.He served as dean of the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard for six years before being named Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis at age 43.During his tenure, Washington University in St. Louis moved from downtown St. Louis to the Hilltop Campus (now known as the Danforth Campus) on the western edge of Forest Park.