An Eloquent And Feeling Tribute To The Late Dr. Henry S. Frieze

The seats in university hall were nearly cvery one occupietl Sundav afternoon, the occasion behifï the memorial nddress of President A ngell pon the life and characler of the late Dr. Friese. The beautiful, quict, modest life of Dr. Frieze was tlwelt upon in all of its heauty, sweetness and purity, and quite often the words of the speaker came from trembling lips that showed tlieir heartfelt source, The bo3'hood and college life of the deceufed wasreferred to, and hisconnertion vvitli tliïs university since 1854, daring wblch time he liad been its acting president three times, was passed in review. All of the great crisis in the career oí the university, all of the important events in its growth and life had had the wise counsel and firm though modest haud of Dr. Frieze to help carry them through successfully. It was a flne, feeling, tribute to. one of the most lovable men who ever lived. Music was furnislied by nbout niuet-y members of the Choral Union, under the leadership of Prof. Stanley. The following are extracta from Dr. Angell's addrcss: We have gathered here to-flay wlth tliat deep seuse of loss. whlch has weighed so heavlly upou us ior tbe past few weeks. Daily iis we have enterod lliese grounds or paused througb these halls we lulssed the Hastio step, tlie radlant face, the genial word of hun who for inore than a gcneration, as the lnsplring teacher, the helplul colleague, ttie charmtiig frlend, has left a benedlctlon on every Ufe he has touched. For live and thlrty years he has forrued so large a part of the uoiversity that we who are left bchlnd feel in our privatlon as though a portion of the very lite of the university had Deen cleft away. Hls lovable and loviog nature drew thoseof us who had Unowhlm longestand best so close to him that lt seems ofien to us as though In hls death something was rlven from Oí' inmost belng ol each ot us. We have feit that we could not deny ourselvesthesad pleasure of coming up to this place whero we have llstened In days gone by to bis words of lnstrucllon and cheer, to recall the chief events of hls Ufe and the trsilts of hls character and to express our appreclatlon of the man and of hl great services to the Uuiversity. Dr. Angelí then entered Into a full review of the life of Dr. Frieze, beginnin;; at li is birth nnd showing hls strujrgles and works durlng the early part of hls career. He contiuued: It Is not strange that when In 13-51 a vacancy occurred in the chair of Latín in this universlty, Prof. Rolse, who had been familiar with Mr. Krleze's career as a student and teacher, should have dlrected the attentiou of the universlty authorlties to hls frlend. Mr. Frieze was appolnted to the chalr which he held to the day of hls dealh. It was a rare fortune whlch brought to the universlty In lts early days two suoli classiral teachers as Profs. Boise and Frieze. They so lmpressed themselves on tbe inslitutlon In lts plastic and formatlve days, they so commended the value of the studie commltted to their care, they invested what was often contemptuously and ienorantly called the 'dead languages'' with such a charin, they so Ulustrated in thelr own mlnds the culüvating and reflnlng power of the anclent literatura that from the very beglnnlngol thelr labor an entlui Hlastlc iove lor classlcal culture was nutured in this unlversity and it has contiuued to tb Is day. The spolia opima whlch he brought from hls litcrary, feulbetlc and archseologlcal studies abroad added a new charra to hls teaching. In his presence, in hls class-room even the raw and untraiued student feit at once tbe subtle infiuence of the spirit of culture, whlcli emauated from the instructor. The flneness of llterary perception, the delicacy of taste, whlch revealed themselves throughall hls lnterpretatlon of tlie anclent masters of thought, polished and elevated whlle they instructed the class. Hts exalted ethical nature led him also to lmpress upou hls puplls without cant or platitudes, bui lu tbe most natura! and effective manner, the moral, tbe herolc greatuess of the ancient characters of whom they were rcadlng. He made those characters living, real, persons, who had their messages for our time and for us. The oíd literatura was made vital wlth a fresh and throbbiug life that poured lts currenta into the llves of tbe youthful btudents of our day. ün the resignation of President Haven in 1869 he was appointed acting president of the universlty. Hls characterlstic modesty led him to liesltate about acceptlng the posltiou, but he iluully yielded to the persuasión ot' tbe board of regents. The two years durlng which he was the chief executlve were marked by Important events in thehistoryof the lnstitulion. In 1870 women were admittetl to all departmeuts of Oie universlty. Anotber important step was altogetber on the suggestlon of tbe aolinj; president, that was the so-called diploma relatlon wlth the preparatory schools. It was owing to the prompt actiou of Dr. Frieze and tbe ifeneroalty of his frlend, Piulo Parsons, that the library of Prof. ilau of Heldelberg was secured for us. It was at the lnsUince of the acting president that the age for admlssion to the llterary department was rajsed from 11 to lli years, thal music was Inlroduced into chapel service, that the custoni of lurnlshing a dinner to the alumni and frleuds of the university on commencenieiit day was lntroduced, and that In the hope of creating a commou interest betweeu tho several departments an attempt was made, thougb afterward abandoned, to observe a universlty day by public exercises. lt was duiiug hls term of office that the legislature voted the sum of $75, WO for the eiectlon of the inaiii building betweeu the two wings of university hall, and so establisbed the happy precedent, which every subsequent legislatura has followed, Ín furnlsbing liberal [titans for the erectlon of needed buildings for the universlty. He was afterward twlce called to the posltion of actiug president during the abscuce of the president. W ti i lt' conductlng hlaown department with the blgüest aims. Dr. Frieze was ever seeklug the lmprovement and development ol tbe whole uuiversiiy. He was continually urglng tbe lifting of the institutlon out ot tbe nanow ruts of a small local college and gtvlug lt the scope and elevation and power of h natlonal universlty. He never carne so near the manifestation of impalience verging on anger as wheu some pollcywas proposed whlch he thougbt would bind us dowu to metbods that we ougbt long ago to have oulgrown and abandoned. Hls visión was ever stretching out to a broad horizon for us. He was a staunch advocate of the pollcy of preserving the lntegrlty and unity of the university by retainingull of ltsdepartmeuls here. ín closing President Angelí said: And so death had no terrors for hlm. He otten spoke of il to rae as oue speaks of a coming brightness. Al the beginulng of eacu of the last two or three winters he had deemed lt not improbable tuat bronchial compllcatlon8 raight prove fatal. His chief anxlety seemed to be not about himself, but about iils laiinly and about nis departrnent of work in the universlty. After the death ofhisdear frieud and associate, Prof. Elisha Jones, to whom he had hoped to leave the care of the lnstructton In Lat in, he was extremely anxlous that a euccessor in sympathy witu his views of the conduct of the jLatin work should be found and appointed. He began the labors of the year In good spirits and, as he thought, with a measure of strength which might at ' least carry him through the wiuter. We now know that the insldlous aud fatal disease which causcd his dealh was even Uien eapplng the foundations of hls lile. Hls mlnd became clouded at times. But lt was pathelic, may we uot say cbaracterlstlc, that bis spirit o' love and tenderuess seemed to sbape hls visión even In the wanderlngsof his mind. His altendIng phyxlclan ha told us how In thosc halfcoiiüclous hours of his last lllness he reclted with appareut delight the names of BMO ciates, aud expressed hls gratltude that they had so cheered his life. Pure and loving heart ! Not ofte of us ever gave to thee a lithe of what thou gavest to us. Aud now, after all that I have KaM, after all that any one could say, I feel and you feel how far short my word have come or any any wordscan come of making a complete portraiture of our frlend. Tuerewae someihing lu his winning personallty that eludes analysls. There was In hira acertaln cbarin of soul, which cannot be fully depicted wlth sucb au Instrument as human speech. But memory wiil preserve for us the sweet recollectiousof the wlnsomeness of that personallly, of the attractions of that spirit. The name mentioneU a the following arllcle from the Paw Paw True Northerner will be received tylth greíit favor here in Ann Arbor, wliere the gentleman is so well known and unlversally respccted : It seems to be generally conceded ttiat the Republicana of the upper península- tbat portion of Michigan so wonderfully rlch In mineral deposita and resources, sn noted for lts enterprlsing, substantial and successful liiisines iin-ii wbo have madeour state famous and wbo have contrlbuled so mucb toward tbe success of tbe dominant party in the state- lt is generally conceded, if the republlcausof that secllon deslre lt. tbey areentltled to, and should be allowed to name tbe nominee of the next convention for tbe oflice of l.n-ut. Uovernor. Notwltbstanüing the fact tbat tbe convention to nomínate a ticket wlll not be called for a considerable time yet, we desire to present for consideratlon the name of a man wbom, we flrinly belleve tbe republlcans of the lower península, would be glad to Bee thus honored. Tbe recognlzed leader of tbe republlcans In the last leglslature, he Ís well and favorably known througbout the State; a young man, be represents the element which uow controls ihe política! policy and business lnterests of our state: a hrllllant speaker, he Is, and wlll be invaluable in advoeatliiK the principies and policy oi the party; a lawycr of recogulzed ablllly, posseaslug a logical nnd well tralned mimi", sagaclous and of qutck perceptions, he would perside acceptabiy over, and glve dlgnlty to the dcliberatlons of the state senale; aud, sbould tbe emergeney irise, makIng lt necessary for him to assume tbe gubernatorial chalr, he would brlug to tlie discharge of the resDonslble and onerous duties of that office aíl uecebsary qualiflcatlons. Gentlemen of the republican party of Michigau we present you your favorable consideratlon the nam of Hun. Byrou S. Walte, of Menomlnee.