Founder
The Reverend Edward Riggs was one of the founders of Anatolia College in Merzifon and the man who introduced the Greek element to the school. After two years of studies in Athens (1878-1880), he founded the Greek departments of the Seminary and the Girls’ School, which attracted students from all over the Ottoman Empire. By traveling to the remote Greek communities, Riggs made the schools of Merzifon known to Greeks throughout Europe and the Middle East. In 1896 he succeeded John Smith as principal of the Seminary and served with devotion for the next thirty-five years. Under his leadership, Anatolia College became one of the most important educational institutions of the Ottoman Empire.
