THREE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1965
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1965 THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGI THREE
President Functions as
Leader,
Teacher, Emissary
I
By MICHAEL BADAMO
The position of University Presi-
dent is both time-consuming and
complex at a place as large andt
diversified as the University.
The office of President was
created in 1850 when the Regents
gave in to the demands of the
faculty and created a special post.
to handle the myriad of jobs
which until that time the faculty
had been forced to assume in ad-
dition to teaching.
The first University President
was Henry Philip Tappan, who
held his position from 1850 to
1863.
Church-Oriented
In the days when President
Tappan first came to Ann Arbor,
the University was a church-
oriented school deeply' concerned
with providing its students with
the best classical education pos-
V sible.
President Tappan kept the Uni-
versity's affairs well ordered but
his strength lay in his ability to
disrupt the calmness of the Uni-
versity community and introduce
vigorous and thoughtful discussion
of the goals the University should
be-seeking.
He pushed his school out into
the fields of the s'ciences from its
purely liberal arts orientation and
sought to increase the number of
professors, buildings and courses.
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emain the core of an institution ances with past University gradu- research demands v
eeking to stimulate them through ates in all corners of the world problems discussed.
is diversity, not frustrate them and he has brought friendship The delegates th
ith its impersonality, and warmth back to Ann Arbor Berlin and Munich
from many lands. campuses of vario
Second Convocation In the summer of 1964, Presi- German universitie
The second convocation center- dent Hatcher visited West Ger- Besides his regul
dton the series of student pro- many to attend a series of con- duties, conferences
ests last year at Berkeley and ferences on higher education prob- pop up suddenly
dsewhere, and also dealt with a lems of that country. Along with Sari Francisco tot
ne day teaching moratorium 11 other delegates of the American these must be attei
lanned by a large segment of the Association of Universities, he met Coopera
aculty to protest U.S. Vietnamese with educators representing the One of the m
policies. AAU's German counterpart at Bad extra-curricular a
President Hatcher asserted that Godesberg. Problems of expanding dent Hatcher takeE
the faculty should concern itself graduate schools and increased Council for Institui
more with practical consequences-_____ .
when planning "an expression of
utraged conscience" such as a - - --
moratorium. Eventually the fac-
lty protestors changed their plan
and, instead of staging a "teach-
n" during the day and calling
off classes as previously planned,
held the "teach-in" at night and
ontinue regularly scheduled
lasses. 3 IR TS.0.
The President and the Regents
work closely together. The Presi-
dent chairs the monthly Regents
meetings, where he reports on O n eW
the state of the University and
eads discussion on policy-making
decisions.
Senate Chairman
He is an ex-officio chairman of
the University Senate and a mem- t
her of each of the governing fac-
ulties of the University.
He also testifies before the Leg-
islature in support of the Univer-
sity's annual budget request. An
understanding relationship be-
tween the President and the Legis- Your sh Ifrts reQ 1 ly get g en tle
lature can do a great deal to
smooth the University's way at
appropriations time. treatment at Kye r s. They
President Hatcher has consis-
tently worked towards plans for
putting the University in opera- are washed in nylon nets ...
tion on a year-round basis.
were among the
en visited West
as well as the
us other West
's.
larly scheduled
and meetings
anywhere from
Chicago. All of
nded.
tion
ore interesting
xtivities Presi-
part in is the
tonal Coopera-
tion which includes the Big Ten
universities and the University of
Chicago. The CIC is working on a
plan to pool each of the member
university faculties and create a
"common vehicle" of available
programs and faculty members.
President Hatcher is due to re-
tire in 1967. His successor's name
is yet to be announced but debate
is already active on campus. The
major questions seems to be
whether the Regents will choose
a man already in the University's
hierarchy, or will they choose
someone from another school.
I
The President Dedicates a New 'U' Research Center
have been unable to visualize.
The world of automation and
mass production cannot help but
have an influence on all aspects
of modern life. One of the chief
jobs of the president is to keep
the University from feeling too
keenly the sharp edge of deper-
sonalized education.
The role of University President
is a double one. There are specific
dufties which the office entails and
there are many more tasks which
can be learned only through a
knowledge and interpretation of
the office's scope. The specific
duties may in some cases rank
second to the ultimate effect of
In 1850 the post
called for leadership
tion. The situation
today.
of president
and innova-
is the same
Big Problems
Today, University President
Harlan Hatcher is faced with
problems President Tappan would
Nine,
Men,
Va
alumni support of the University.
Hill Auditorium stands today, a
gift to the University in the will of
Arthur Hill, as one result of
Hutchins' efforts.
Yost Field House
Hutchins saw Yost Field House
built in 1912 and 1,000 students
leave the University to enlist in
World War I in 1917.
At the age of, 73, Henry Burns
Hutchins, who had ascended to
the presidency with only a bache-
lor's degree,. stepped down with
four doctorates of law from the
University of Wisconsin, the Uni-
versity of California, Wesleyan
University and Notre Dame Uni-
versity. Somewhat belatedly due
to World War I the University
added its own doctorate to his list
of honors.
Martin LeRoy Burton took office
as president in 1920 after serving
' as president of the University of
Minnesota. Burton was regarded
as a specialist in expansion which
became his task at the University.
Construction
He presented a program of con-
struction that included additions
to Waterman Gym, and the con-
struction of Randall Laboratory,
East Medical and East Engineer-
ing'buildings.
University Hospital was only
partially finished with $2.9 million
still needed to complete the build-
ing. Therefore, Burton traveled to
Lansing to ask the Legislature
for $19 million for a long range
program and $5 million imme-
diately.
The Legislature voted President
Burton the money. With it, he
built Randall Laboratory, new
steam tunnels, completed the hos-
pital and constructed University
High School.
Angell Hall
Finally in 1924, he wrested an
appropriation from the Legislature
for his prudent accomplishment,
and set about the construction of
Angell Hall, the beautiful memor-
ial to President Angell.
As Burton became more of an
invalid, his good friend, Regent
William L. Clements, negotiated
with several fraternities and ob-
tained a plot across the street
from the president's house on
Which to build the Cook Law
Quadrangle and Hutchins Hall, as
a memorial to the last president.
Burton Towers
Burton's efforts on behalf of the
University are symbolized by the
carillon in the tower dedicated to
his memory.
Clarence Cook Little, president
of the University of Maine and
researcher in cancer cures, ac-
cepted the leadership of the Uni-
versity as an opportunity to test
his theories of education.
The New Englander planned to
institute a free-lance period dur-
ing the first two years of under-
graduate work, during which the
student could sample various
courses of learning. He felt that
informal action taken by the chief A new dimension was added to I
executive. the Presidents duties and respon- t
The President is authorized by sibilities when President Hatcher l
the Regents to exercise "such broke previous tradition and held d
general powers as are inherent two student convocations in the
in the chief executive for the past year. Both provided a chance
protection of the interests and for students to hear Presidentt
the wipe government of the Uni- Hatefier's own views on a number b
versity, the improvements of its of subjects and to question him u
standards and functions." Regents about issues considered vital to
Bylaw 2.01 states that he "shall the University community.
cooperate with the Board by con- The first convocation concerneds
sulting it'in advance, except .upon the role of the undergraduate stu-u
emergency and in making tem- dent in the University, which t
porary appointments, when he many claim places too much em-1
shall exercise his sound discretion, phasis on graduate training ands
subject to confirmation of his research. President Hatcher re-a
acts by the Board." assured undergraduates that they
Ua .gacy
the students' path to graduation World War II brought anothert
looked too much like Henry Ford's change to the University-militaryf
assembly line-it didn't adapt it- training programs were establishedv
self to the individual needs of to aid the war effort. After thev
each student. war enrollment boomed, increas-t
One day a reporter asked Presi- ing to 22,000, as returning service-e
dent Little how he thought the men took advantage of the G.I.
modern generation could best be Bill.t
"whipped into line."'a
Birth Control As the century passed the half
"I don't know," he retorted. way mark, President Ruthven an-
"I dn't now, he etored.pounced his plans for retirement.
"Birth control, I guess." The Regents found his replace-
Unfortunately, President Little's ment in vice-president of OhioS
hasty comment had rather disa- State University, novelist and pro-
trous results. fessor of English, Harlan Hen-
In their inimicable fashion, the thorne Hatcher.t
newspapers got the statement,t
twisted and distorted it, present- Today the buildings, from thes
ing President Little as an ad- majestic Angell Hall to the oldi
vocate of birth control. The public Tappan Hall, mark the face ofthe
was up in arms. The incident was changing University. They are re-
apparently "the straw which broke minders of the past presidents who
the camel's back," for later that 'have worked to make the Univer-e
year, in 1929, President Little re- sity what it is in 1965.t
signed.
On October 4, 1929, the Regents
unanimously selected Alexander
Grant Ruthven, a man who was
to serve as the University Presi-
dent for 22 years.
Looking Back
Looking back over the "univer-
sity versus college controversy,"
President Ruthven, now 81 and
living on his farm just outside
Ann Arbor, notes that President
Little's proposal is "largely whatj
we have today," minus the stiff -
exams proposed for the transition
between sophomore and junior
years.
h KYERS.1
m
Trimester
It was only last year that the
University began operating on the
trimester system. The system
functions on a year round basis
with fall and winter terms of 15
weeks each and a spring-summer
term of 15 weeks divided into two
equal segments.
The Regents also specify that
the President must deliver an
annual state of the University
address, detailing the progress the
University has made in all areas
of its concern during the previous
year.
Although not outlined officially
anywhere, an important part of
the job of governing an educa-
tional institution of the Univer-
sity's size is to be aware of trends
in other parts of the country as
well as other parts of the world.
Traveller
President Hatcher hasetraveled
constantly during his tenurein
office. He has renewed acquaint-
N~;I t..,
Sr
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