TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1965
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE THREE
President unctions as
By MICHAEL BADAMO
TUESAY, UGUT.24w196.TH MICHIG AN DAILYi\/ Plii THREE
0
Leader,
Teacher, Emissary
The position of University Presi-
dent is both time-consuming and
complex at a place as large and
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-
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 sciences from its
purely liberal arts orientation and
sought to increase the number of
professors, buildings and courses.
In 1850 the post of president
called for leadership and innova-
tion. The situation is the same
today.
Big Problems
Today, University President
Harlan Hatcher is faced with
problems President Tappan would
... .....
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
duties 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
informal action taken by the chief
executive.
The President is authorized by
the Regents to exercise "such
general powers as are inherent
in the chief executive for the
protection of the interests and
the wise government of the Uni-
versity, the improvements of its
standards and functions." Regents
Bylaw 2.01 states that he "shall
cooperate with the Board by con-
sulting it in advance, except upon
emergency and in making tem-
porary appointments, when he
shall exercise his sound discretion,
subject to confirmation of his
acts by the Board."
Frie
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
den,
Valuable
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
ihstitute 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
the students' path to graduation
looked too much like 'Henry Ford's
assembly line-it didn't adapt it-
self to the individual needs of
each student.
One day a reporter asked Presi-
dent Little how he thought the
modern generation could best be
"whipped into line."
Birth Control
"I don't know," he retorted.
"Birth control, I guess."
Unfortunately, President Little's
hasty comment had rather disa-
trous results.
In their inimicable fashion, the
newspapers got the statement,
twisted and distorted it, present-
ing President Little as an ad-
vocate of birth control. The public
was up in arms. The incident was
apparently "the straw which broke
the camel's back," for later that
year, in 1929, President Little re-
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,"
Piesident Ruthven, now 81 and
living on his farm just outside
Ann Arbor, notes that President
Little's proposal is "largely what
we have today," minus the stiff
exams proposed for the transition
between sophomore and junior
years.
A new dimension was added to
the Presidents duties and respon-
sibilities when President Hatcher
broke previous tradition and held
two student convocations in the
past year. Both provided a chance
for students to hear President
Hatcher's own views on a number
of subjects and to question him
about issues considered vital to
the University community.
The first convocation concerned
the role of the undergraduate stu-
dent in the University, which
many claim places too much em-
phasis on graduate training and
research. President Hatcher re-
assured undergraduates that they
Legacy
World War II brought another
change to the University-military
training programs were established
to aid the war effort. After the
war enrollment boomed, increas-
ing to 22,000, as returning service-
men took advantage of the G.I.
Bill.
As the century passed the half
way mark, President Ruthven an-
nounced his plans for retirement.
The Regents found his replace-
ment in vice-president of Ohio
State University, novelist and pro-
fessor of English, Harlan Hen-
thorne Hatcher.
Today the buildings, from the
majestic Angell Hall to the old
Tappan Hall, mark the face of the
changing University. They are re-
minders of the past presidents who
have worked to make the Univer-
sity what it is in 1965.
remain the core of an institution
seeking to stimulate them through
its diversity, not frustrate them
with its impersonality.
Second Convocation
The second convocation center-
ed on the series of student pro-I
tests last year at Berkeley and
elsewhere, and also dealt with a1
one day teaching moratorium7
planned by a large segment of the1
faculty to protest U.S. Vietnameses
policies.
President Hatcher asserted that
the faculty should concern itself
more with practical consequences '
when planning "an expression of
outraged conscience" such as a
moratorium. Eventually the fac-
ulty protestors changed their plan
and, instead of staging a "teach-
in" during the day and calling
off classes as previously planned,
held the "teach-in" at night and
continue regularly scheduled
classes.
The President and the Regents
work closely together. The Presi-
dent chairs the monthly Regents
meetings, where he reports on
the state of the University and
leads discussion on policy-making
decisions.
Senate Chairman
He is an ex-officio chairman of
the University Senate and a mem-
ber 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-
lature can do a great deal to
smooth the University's way at
appropriations time.
President Hatcher has consis-
tently worked towards plans for
putting the University in opera-
tion on a year-round basis.
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 has traveled
constantly during his tenure in
office. He has renewed acquaint-
treatment at Kye r's.
are washed in nylon nets .
ironed carefully on the lat-
est equipment...packaged
in plio-film for protection
ances with past University gradu- research demands were among the
ates in all corners of the world problems discussed.
and he has brought friendship The delegates then visited West
and warmth back to Ann Arbor Berlin and Munich as well as the
from many lands. campuses of various other West
In the summer of 1964, Presi- German universities.
dent Hatcher visited West Ger- Besides his regularly scheduled
many to attend a series of con- duties, conferences and meetings
ferences on higher education prob- pop up suddenly anywhere from
lems of that country. Along with San Francisco to Chicago. All of
11 other delegates of the American these must be attended.
Association of Universities, he met Cooperation
with educators representing the One of the more interesting
AAU's German counterpart at Bad extra-curricular activities Presi-
Godesberg. Problems of expanding dent Hatcher takes part in is the
graduate schools and increased Council for Institutional Coopera-
Your shirts really get gentle
tion which includes the 13ig Ten
universities and the Univ ersity 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.
SHIRTS ...
handled with Loving, Care. .
they're done at KYER'S0I
They
,r' '
14 f
-~
' :+w~rb&
until ready
to wea r.
Call NO 3-4185 Today !
'' .
" i. M.
t;
i
r
' .
3 -'r
.;;rrrrr;yr,".w
I- .
__
___ ... ,. Y . ...
I
4'
model laundry
and cleaners
601 E. William
1100 Broadway
Phone NO 3-4185
627 South Main St
:i
uI
I 'Ii' _______________________
I I
a4bld,
'I
EVERYONE
IN
ANN
ARBOR
SHOPS
AT
FRESHMEN!
After Preregistering
Drop in and reserve your
books for fall courses.
AVOID THE RUSH
Books guaranteed to be official text
L
,. -