although thomas southwood smith and john hoppus were considered for the two philosophy appointments, the posts were left vacant. george grote, one of the promoters of london university, convinced the college that appointment of a congregational minister such as john hoppus would imply a religious affiliation, contrary to the institution's nondenominational principles. grote therefore promoted his own candidate, charles cameron. however, zachary macaulay and others on the college's council decided that the teaching of ethics had to have a religious basis (one of the emerging criticisms of the college from its detractors was that it was "an ungodly institution"). seemingly with the agreement of grote's two fellow promoters of the college, james mill and henry brougham, and whilst grote was absent (perhaps advisedly so if, as some claim, jeremy bentham supported hoppus' candidature), the college council recommended dr john hoppus for the chair of philosophy – which would now become a single academic position, this being perhaps less potent to the college's critics. grote resigned on 2 february 1830, his concept of the new institution, and the way forward, which he had mistakenly believed would be bentham's wish, overturned. john hoppus became the institution's first professor of philosophy (professor of logic and mental philosophy) in 1830; a position he held for over thirty years, until he retired as emeritus professor in 1866.