The first president of Harvard was Henry Dunster, who was appointed in 1640. His predecessor, Nathaniel Eaton, served as the first headmaster of Harvard College from 1636 to 1639. Eaton was a Puritan minister and schoolmaster who had been appointed by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts. He was dismissed from his post due to his harsh treatment of students and his refusal to accept the authority of the college's board of overseers.