Sudden Death Of Prof. Edward Olney

This community was statled, Sunday morning, by tüe announcement of the suelden death of Prof. Edward Olney, LL. D. For a year or more he has been íd poor health, most of the time being unable to attend to his dutjes in the university. For the past few months, however, he has heard his classes. Friday last he carne down town feeling unusually well, as he expressed himself to a friend. He slept in a room in the second story Of nis residence, and when his niece went to cali him, Sunday morning, she found him dead in bed. The last vork he ever did waa preparing notes for the Christian Herald, Detroit, the manuscript of which he left on his desk when retiriiig for the night. Kdward Olney, professor of mathematica in the university of Michigan, and author of a complete series of niathematioal text-books, which are in general use, was bom in .il onmu, Saratoga Co., N . Y. , July 24, 1827. His father removed to Oakland oounty, Mich., in 1833; but remained only a few months, and then permanently settled in Weston, Wood county, Ohio. llere, on a new farm, in the heavily timbered lands of the Mau mee, these worthy Christian parents and faithful children toiled and suffered together, until the massive forests were displaced by a beautif ui home. The school privileges of Mr. Olney were soanty, enjoyed in log school-houses, and only in his chüdhood years, - six weeks being all bis school life after the age of tbirteen. To secure even this amount of instruction, be hired another boy to drive the ox team on the farm, while he went daily two and a half miles to his studies, teaching at home an evening arithmetio school to obtain the means for paying his substituto. Da) 's algebra was gone through with during those six weeks The blackboarda used in his sohooling were the plow-beam and the cylinder of the fanning-mill,where the formulas and diagrama, teeming in the young mind, were written out in f uil. His teaching in district sohools commenoed at the age of mneteen, at a salary of $12.50 per month, around. While working at home, in summer, he would study mathe matics and natural soience; in winter, sit down, without a teacher to the Latin. At the age of 21 he was employed to teach the district school at Perrysburg, the county seat, with the understanding that a unión graded school was soon to be established, as was done the tollowing year. In this, the flrst union school of the región, he took, at first, the position of principal of the grammar department; when, two years later, the superinteudancy becanie vacant, he was appointed to that plaee. Ia these positions, during something over flve years, he did muoh to make this leading experiment in the graded system a success, and an inspiration to the surrounding country. Having to teach Latin, as well as the higher English branches, the greatest dilligence and application in private studies accompanied his school duties. And such became his proticiency in yaried leaning, and his eminence as an instructor, that, at the end of this period, and at the instance of college-bred brother teachers, the honorary degree of M. A. was conferred on him by Mudison university, N. Y. In the autumn of 1853 he acocpted an appointment to the professorskip of mathematics in Kalamazoo ooilege, this state. In Kalamazoo, during the next ten years, his peculiar talents and energetic work werefamong the main torces which carried the.institution forward. As a member of the faculty he was eminently prized by his associates for his high (Jhristian aims; his generous, self-saorificing spirit; his ness in government and discipline; and the inspirntion wbich, as an atmosphere, attended him. Amoug t ie studente bis class-room was a coveted place, whether in mathematica, natural science or Latín. The peculiar faculty of setting all ra a olass earuestly at work, and holding them all thus engaged through the hour, was found to be remarkable in him; henee eacb pupil went out f rom the recitations assisted and grateful. He rigidly insisted, also, that exactly the rigbt words and only these, should be used in reoiting. In mathematics, bis simplifying the oonoeptions and proceeses, and correcting or supplying the deünitions and the statements, often ülled with wonder the student who had toiled with diraness of visión anü disoouragement of spirit. It is these peculiarities, in which Prof. Olney was naturally gifted and persisten tly self-trained which give to these text-books their great favor witb those who become acquainted with them. in 1863 he was called to the professorship of mathematics in the university of Miohigan, and occupied the position up to the time of his death. " Here," says President Angelí, "he acquired a national reputntion, both as a teacher and an author of mathematical works. The secret of bis success as an instructor was in bis unusual powers of lucid and simple mathematical exposition, and of kindling in his pupila an enthusiasm for a departruent whicb, in most colleges, is not deemed by tstudents as especially attractive. His text-books consist of arithmetics and algebras for use in schools, and of treatises on algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus, for the special use of students in colleges, His books are used in a larga number oi the leading schools and colleges of the country. Dunng his conneotion with the university he wielded a muoh larger educational influence than that which üows trom the discharge of his duties as professor of mathematics. His judgment was of great weight witn his colleagues in shaping the policy of the literary department of the university; while his warm interest in the right conduct of the publio schools, and bis long expenence in managing them, enabled bim to exert a large and salutary inrluence on the school system of the state." Prof. Olney, though a specialist, was not an exclusivist. Hegave bis earnest attent ion and energetio hfe to the general interest of society. Every work of true reform had him among lts unllinching advocates. In Sunday school labore he was a leader - superintending schools at home and working in state and national organizations. For a number of years he furnisbed extended weekly preparations of the unión lessons for publication in the religious papers of the state. He was an active member of gthe educational and missionary boards of his denomination, and held for two years the preBidency of the Baptist convention of Michigan. His efficiency as a presiding officer in public assemblies was kindred to tbat o! the class-room. He was, alno, not unfrequently called to give public addresses on the Sabbath and other occasions During the years 1861-63, he was proprietor and editor of the Michigan Ohris tian Herald, adding these labore to the professorship of those at Kalamazoo He also conthbuted articles to the week ly Educational Journal; the author of the articles on " Pure Mathematics" in the Educational O.vclopmdia, and various other occaaional productions. In greatful appreciation of his work Kalainazoo college oonferred apon him the degree ot LL. D. He was an Barnest advocate of the cause of temperance and during the red ribbon movement his voice was often heard imploring young mtn and old men to turn trom the error of their ways. Prof. Olney was an honored memb r of the Baptis church, and it was through his untinn efforts that the beautiful edifice on Hu ron street was erected. In his deat Ann Arbor has lost a valuable citizen the university an able instructor, anc the churoh one of its most iutiuentia members. AOTION OF XHK UNTVBBSITy SENATE. At a uieetiuíí of the university uenat 'uesday evening, the' following memolal was adopted: Professor Edward Olney, LL. D., who for more than twenty-three years haa held the aalr of mathematlcs In the academie departmentofthe Unlverslty of Michigan, dled ut ils resUlence In Ann Arbor on the slxteenth ay of Janaary, 1887, In the stxtleth year of ils age. Though hls decease was sudden at ie last, and without lramediate warnlng, the tate of hls health during the last Miree years f hls Ufe had made hlm consclousof momenarydanger; and there Is reason to belleve ïat he was conatantly looking for that great hange, for wtilch certainly no Chrlstlan ould have been better prepared. Professor Olney had already won a distlnuished reputation as a mathematlclan, and was employed as a teacher of that solence In (alamazoo College, when he was appolnted o thechalrof mathematica In this uolverslty, nd entered upon lts dulles In September, 86S. He lmmedlately took high rank raongst hls eolleagues both on account of hls rofound lnslght lnto the science whlch was lis speclalty, hls absolute command of the ubject, hls admirable system of lnstructlon, lis precisión and clearness of statement, and lis glftof ïnspirlng enthuslasm In hls classes ; nd hls preminent worth as a teacher Is stlll urther attested by the high attaluments of ie iarge number of students who have passd out from under hls instructlou to take enlabie p sltlons as teachers of mathematlcs n colleges and high schools. It is, perhaps, st.ill greater honor to hls name and to this niversity, that he has contrlbuted, during Is connection wlth it, a long series of maserly works to the literature ol mathematlcs. hese books, embraclng as they do a large art of the field of pure mathematlcs, both In ts elementary and hlgher departraents, the esult of inany years of exhaustlng labor.now ldely known and used in the lnstltutions of arlous grades lor whlch they were designed, onstltute a monument to the memory and ame of our departed colleague which time i mu it oblitérate. In the advancement of the Unlversity In s educatlonal work, and especially that of ie academie department, no one of our umber has ever taken a llveller interest or lade more earnest endeavor. He has hearty co-operated in every measure of progress, as been frultful of ideas and suggestlons ; nd to hlm we are indebted for much that ie aluable in the most characterlstlc of all our nnovattons on old methods- our system of eotives and credits. But he was not less ctlve in the promotion of the work ol education outslde of the University. and in the ate, and his person was familiar to the members of our state teachers' assoclatkm, n whioh for somany years he took an aove and efficiënt part. His aotlvity, howiver, was by no means conflned to the interest of eduoation. Scarcely any clergyman of he denomlnatlon to which he was attached evoted more time and zealous labor to the cause of religión and morality than Professor Iney ; and, not contenting himself wlth the acriüce of time and toil, he contrlbuted argely, too, even profueely, of his limited nancial means to the cause he so much oved. Kindred to this, also, was his inefallgableaotivity in creatlug and promotng organlzatlons of every kind for amellortinc social evlls and for advancing social reorms; and his efforw in behalf of religión nd moráis, were directed not lesa to the Tniverslty than the communlty al large. In hls relations to hl colleaftue Professor Iney was always genial and courteous, syraatheticand helpful ; and all with whom he asso long fassoclated will sadly miss hl ise and ralthfnl counsel, and hls hearty lendship and support. All the actlvitles of his remarkable Ufe, he work which he achieved as an educator, nd that, scarcely less frulthful, whlch he ocomplished as a Christian phllantroplst, ere the outcomeof an earnest spirit devoted o truth and knowledge and duty. His conictions were strong, and with nlm convicoa was actlon. Wnatever he believed to be rue or right he fearlessly expressed and ïaintaiued, and he led on In any canse hlch he espoused, from his sense of duty vlthout regard to popularity or to the numer of adherents. He was a good man, and brave Christian soldier, and has left to us nd to all men a shining exampie. The following resolutions were also dopted : Resolved, That weeonvey to the wlfe and to he surviving kindred of our lamented ooleague, the assurance of our profound regret br hls loss, and our heartfelt sympathy in ïeir heavy afflictlon. Resolved, That the seuate attend in a body ie funeral of the deceased. Retolved, That the foregoing memorial and esolutions be furnlshed to the press for pubcatlon. Resolved, That the regular exerclse of the niversity be suspended on the day of the üneral. Resolutions were also passed by the fcndents' Christian association and the Japtist church society. At2o'clockyesterday afternoon the remains of Prof Olney were removed from lis late residence to the main univerity building, where they lay in state in he lower corridor until 3 p. m. The 'uneral services took place soon after bis hour in univeraity hall, Pres. Angelí, íev. Dr. Haskell, and Prot. Putnam of ;he state normal school, and Prof. Brooks f Kalamazoo, officiating. The following gentlemen aoted as PAIíIí BEABBRS: Honarary- Rev. L. H. Trowbridge, D. A. Waterman, Bsq. and Schuyler Grant, Esq.,of Detroit; Rev. Dr. Brooks, of Kalamazoo; rof. H. 8. Frloze, Prof. A. B. Palmer and rof. W. W. Beman, of the University ; and A. W. Britten, Esq., Ann Arbor. Active- 3. E. Hodge '88, R. W. Moore "87, A. H. Hopkins '89, A. E. Jennings '89, ö. W. Lacea '85, P. E. Derr '89. The remains of the late professor were escorted to the grave by a large number f his friends and aoquaintances.