Ex-president Tappan

The University Senate has placed upon ita records an appropriato tributo to the rnemory of the late Dr. Tappan, andatits request President Fiieze lias consorited to dehver a memorial address. the latter to form a part of the exercises ofcommencemontweek in .Tune next. We give below the action of the University Senate. In announciüg the death of Dr. Tappan to this body President Frieze said: Gentlemen of the Senate : Again it hns become my sad and painful duty to cali you togelher for the purpose ot adopting resolutions of respect for the honored dead. Scarcely a year ago we followed to their last resting place the remains of the lamented Watson. Since then Governor Bagley, KxPresident Haven, and the venerable Professor Wil'iams have passcd away, One after anotlicr in quick succession, and the death of ach of them has callcd Ibitli l'roin (he Sena te expresaions of profonnd regret, índ the díie tribute of praise for preemíuent worth and service. Üut the deatli record of iho year wns not yet closed. Ouo more numo was to be added to the mournful list; a mime w.hic.h must forever stand flrst among the names illustrious in tlie history of the Umversity. We have received the announceracnt of the death oí' Henry Philip Tappan, flrst President of the University of Michigan. Most impressively does thia announcement come apon us, after the Iosse9 n n preceden ted in our iiistory, whiofa we have so recontly been cailed, to mourn. Most impressively doissit remi ad us ihnt tliis institution is rapid!y passing beyond its nf'ancy, and that it numbere amongst ita friends, its alumni, and its past and present offiecrs of the instruction, many who are already advanced in lilë and who are liable at any moment to lall by the waysidc. We kiiow not yet the nature of the attao.k whieh has suddenly removed the venerable ex-President l'rom tJie seenes ofearth. Letters received trom his famüy but two weeks ago spoke of him as being in his usual vigorous health, and as takuig liis cuatomary walk Certainly we had reason to 'Junk tliat he hai a strong liold upoti life, even though severa years beyond 1]ie alloited three score years and ten. and that years of tranquil happiness were still in store for him, in that sweet vale in the heart of Switzorlatid, which ho had chosen for hislast earthly homo. But whatever may have boen the occasion of his death, his numerous Iricuds nud admirers in this aiid in fbreign lands, and above all, those who were relatedtohim in this University as associates or pnpils will tind a uiouriilul satisfaction in the reflection that the great work of his life was Ion); ago completed, and that it was completed here. For however eminent Dr. Tappan may have been as a thinker, as a philosophical writer, as a divino, as a gifted teacher and as an eloquent speaker, there can be no doubt that liis well won reputation derived from' these various gills and attainments, will be eclipsed by the greatnesa of his acliievements infouiidiug and building up, in organizing and developing, the higher edueational work of the State of Michigan. And this greatness will be enhanced by the infiuence which his work will be found to have exercised upon State unwersities and tlie educational systems ot' all the vaat región of the lakes and of the west. Filled with tho idea of the excellence and completeness of the educational syatein of some of' tlie Huropean nationalities and seeing no promise or possibility of any such systein in our Atlantic States, vvhere the higher institutions are entirely isolated, and have no root in the system of public primaryand secondary schools, he carne, to this State, then in lts infancy, and he found hce in embryo, the very system of general and complete organizition which he so much longed to see in iperation, the counterpart, at least in ibrm, of ihose of the old world, and the only one, which, n his estimation, possesfed tho conditions of aolid, permanent, and complete success. With great enthnseasm he enterad upon the enterprise of developing t)ie educational posslbilities of this system ; with glowing eloquence he impressed his great thoughta and high hopos upon the edticators and the people of the State. His compreliensive views, taking in the interests, not of any one clas, not of any one prolession, not of any one department ofstudy, or grado of education, but the educdlional interest8 of' íill classes, ol the entire community, in all branches, gradea, departmenta and professions, enforced wiih argumenta derived from extensiva reading, from wide observation and profonnd thoiight, have been impressed so indelibly upon the University and the educational work of the State, that there will never cease to he a olear and legible record of the rreat lilework of Henry P. Tappan. There is no doubt that lúa genius, his eloquence, his forcé, and persistence, gave an impulse to the educatioual work of'. the University and of the State which will be feit to the latest times. And now 1 invite you, gentleman, to tako such raeasures aa may aeetn to you appropriate lor the purpose of showing all due honor to the memory of the lirst Fresident ot' the University. A comrmttee consisting of President Frieze, Professors Coolcy, Palmer, D'Ooge, arjd Adama, was tben appointed to report an appropriato memorial, to be placed on the permanent records of the Señale. Tliis memorial was read at a moeting of the latter on Monday eveuing and is as follows : THE ACT10Ü TAKEX BY THE SEXATE. The members ot' tho University Señalo have received with prolound aensibüity ilio intelligence of the death of Henry Pliilip Tappan, onr f'ormer President. (ïrateful to a kind Providence for haring spared the life of Üúa eminent man until he was iull of days as he was of honors, we deern it fitting in expressing our senso of liia loss to recall with brevity some of tho services whieli specially endeured hia memory to the hearts of those whose affectioaa cluster around the University, to which he gave the best thought and the most eurnest labors of his matured years. White yct the University was incomplete, even in skeleton structure, and betore there had been breathed into it the lile of popular favor, he took up its interests in his strong arms, with a faitli lliat saw all its possibiiitiea and a courage that would not stop short ol achieving them. He brought to us an acquaintance with foreign sysiems, which was new to our people, and wasono of the flrst among eminent educators to perceive that the systern, oí which a sketch already appeared in our laws, had been wisely plannedand was peculiarly iitted to the needs of the State, and if developed in tho light of' foreign experience, was ca pable oí being made the chiei'glory of the commonwealth. He saw botter than others did that in accomplishing this the cliiel'need was nol stately halls and aspiring chapéis, but educated and able men, and he notonly called such men about him, so far as the resources at his command would enable him to do so, but in reports, public addresses, and papers, he appealed to the people of the State and to its leg3lature to take this imperteet and starving institution to their hearts, and give to it the means of' completing a corps of instructora, commensurate with the demands which he foresaw must soon be made upon it, and in some degree proportioned to the resources of the State. "While appealing for State aid he did not hesitate in any reform because it would for the time encounter popular opposition or prejudice, but moved on wilh conñdence trustmg to the good sense of the people for the final approval of his plans. We recall ospecially among these reforms the abolition of college dormilones with their attendant evils. lievmg most implieitly tliat the University should not stand apart from popular institutions and from the people, lio challenged the assistance of the people lor it as an integral and neeessary part of a State educational nystem, of which theoommon and high schools should also be neceusary parts ; and mueh of his attention was directed to raaking it plain that the best interests of the State required a aystem complete and adequate to all the wants of instruction, interwoven with the political strueture of the State, and eitendiugits benefieial and elevating iulluencea lo every hamlet and evcry household. Compelled toappeal toa people still busy in hewing out lor themselves dwelling placen in the iorest, and still heavily burdoned witli public and private debte, it waa inevitable that he should often be rebuffed, but he was never discouraged ; and he had the greatand proud satisfaction of knowing that trom year to year he was making his way steadity in the confldenceand regard of the people, and that the Univeraity of his affections was gradually and surely beeoming also the üniyeraity of the people. His broad catkolicity of spirit rejected and spurned the notion belore prevaleut that appointments to chairs of instruction must be made on denominational grounds, and ho refused to recognize in those who should be invited to share his labors any other tests than those of character and ütnes1?. Among his pupila he waa quiek to recognize ability and promise, and during an ïncurnbency of the Presideut's chair tor eleven years, he drew to himself the esteem and affection of successive classes, and impressed every receptivo and vigorous mind among them with something of' his own atrength and power. Wheu ho left he could justly take satislaction in the knowledge that hia pupila, while thus respecting liim as a teacher, loved him also as a companion and friend, and bore lor him such reverence as chüdren have for a father, at once great in heart, broad in mind and vigorous in iutellect. Cherishing thememory ofhis great qualitiea and grcat services, we do hereby resolve : 1. Tliat tlii.s expression ol our esteem and regard he entered as a perpetual memorial on the records of tho Sodmu;, and that a eopy Ihereot be pubiiphed In il' papers of the day. '2. That wc ino-t deeplj Byropathizo witli tlie faraily ofthe decoaBed m thoir great and sora 'ín. and that the 8eoretary be Jirocted to transrait to them a copy of this paper asan imperfect but most. sincere expreggion thereof.