Feature Section Y LiAt tU 41v att Feature Section VOL. XXXV. Ao. 53 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, NOVEMRER 23, 1921 EIC TIT PAGES Ni IT AOWj F.L,14kwom i HE ijLA. JN q. ...., _ __ Philip Leonard Continues History Of Michigan From The Organic Act Of 1837 To 1841 When Actual Op aerations Of The Institution Were Begun The First Board Of Regents And Their Activities Mason Hall, The First Campus Building TAYew _______. .... _ ._______.... _.. S - -. - -- - -. -- - -- -- - -. 0 By 1Pil) Leonard Fex peele jiked would recognize the present arti * ily boniiled University .campus in the half- wild tact of land selected in 1837. Even the bound- arvs of the for°,y a:es given to the state by the An Arbor land cnTp ny were somewhat indefinite. in te jouirai c3 tht first meeting of the coard of Re;ents 1e find them defined as "on the north by the road leading to Judge Fletchers, the width of the Rumisey farm, (0 called) west by State street; east by lands of Judge Fletcher, on the old east line, of sai Rumsey airm; and south for quantity. North Uniersiy avenue has taken the place 'of the "road I ,adg to Judge Fletchers", a road which if we my believe the painsakiing personal memoirs c (rt1. in Ann Arbor pioneers was little better ban a miuiiy 1il, praetu'ally impassable in wet or wintry weather. State street still remains as orig- iiially laid out in the village plan of Ann Arbor and forme: Ithe wostoirn boundary of the campus from its gory formation. The westerly property line of the '"nds ef .1Judge leicher" evolved into East Uni- vj.:y aveiue and Sooth University avenue soon formed the fourth ide of the campus square. The tunmey fai iproperty of the first settlers who came to Anh' Arbor, w o vi(tently just the width of the Preent (aipus ind extending quite a distance soUI hwarl. Records show it to have been a par- tially clearc]d tract of almost barren ground un- soitable for farmin . In consiering the elaborate plans made for the University in 1837 there is liable to be a tendency to visualize it as rising among strictly modern sur- rtundings and in a highly developed social organi- zat.ion. 'uch w.:s far from being the case. Michi- gan was still a pioneer state and the United States wOO a pioneer nation, still to make its name among world powers. The Mexican and Civil wars were yet to I e o ut; he slavery issue had just risen full b a the horzan of national interest. The searcbing steel arms of the railrcad were ever reach- ing out but had not as yet joined a majority of the pioneer settlements with the more developed see- tions of the (co1itry. It was two years after the foundation of the Uni- versity before the railroad reached Ann Arbor. From 1837 to 1839 the regents journeying to Ann Arbor for their metings were compelled to rely on stage coaches for tranisportation. Some of the more agile, probably among them, General Isaac Crary, are even recorded to have covered the forty miles from De- troit on horseback. The journey by coach would be enough to diiourage anyone accustomed to mod- ern traasportaton comforts. Two days were re- quired to make the trip from Detroit, except under very favorable conditions, the stop over being made at a tavern in Dearborn. The roads were the crud- est of paths cut through comparative wilderness and kept in conditIon nly by the labor of settlers whose land bordered on them or very occasionally improve- ments by the coach companies. Until even a much lter to :rod agents operated on Michigan high- vd mA tha sta-e drivers always traveled armed. Tire ra1d Iron. Detroit to Lansing was particularly rotorious icaure of the mny highway robberies. Tolegraph had net yet been put into use and all couiiniTUnicaiiO Was by pony Post or stage mail service. A Detroit paper at about this time an- nonced ie dea of mail from the East due to the drowning of the dispatch rider while crossing a VIV:Cr beveen Toledo and Detroit. (. i ll I w1s O onditmions it is small won- 444 _________________________________WI~~ visualize the beautiful buildings of the University on the barren waste of the Rumsey farm.,, Although the Organic Act of the University of Michigan was adopted in 1837 it was not until the latter part of September, 1841, that the institution was formally opened. The Intervening period was occupied with the problems of organization, the se- lecting of a faculty and preparation of the buildings. An examination of the organic law will give an idea of the structure and principles back of the University at the time of its founding. Section two of the law embodies the whole purpose of the found- ers by proclaiming that, "the objects of the Uni- versity shall be to provide the inhabitants of the state with means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the various branches of literature, science, and the arts." The following section vested the gov- ernment of the University in a board of regents, to consist of twelve members and a chancellor, who was to be the ex-officio president of the board. Pro- 'vision was also made for- the appointment of the re- gents by the governor, by and with the consent of the state senate. The power of this board of regents was made practically unlimited by the provisions of the law. In the first place they were awarded the power and duty to enact laws for the government of the Uni- versity, to appoint the prescribed number of pro- fessors and the requisite number of tutors and to determine the amount of their salaries. No new professorships could be established without the con- sent of the legislature, however. Power was given to the board to regulate the courses of instruction, although the immediate gov- ernment was intrusted to the respective faculties of the departments. The board might also recommend the affairs of the University to a hoard of visitors, consisting of five persons appointed annually by the superintendent of public instruction. In this exhibit they were to set forth the condition of the Univer- sity, the amount of the expenditures, the number of professors and tutors and the salaries of each, the number of students in the 'differenit departments and in different classes, the books of instruction used and such other information as th-e board might re- quire together with an estimate of expenses for the ensuing year. Provision was made so that the regents might proceed to the erection of necessary buildings for the University as soon as the State should provide the funds. In the final section of the act the board was authorized and required to procure the best and most appropriate plan for the University buildings before the first of the following year. The plan if approved byg the governor and the superintendent of public instruction was to be adopted by the regents. Cooperating with the superintendent of public in- struction the regents might also establish such branches of the University in the different parts of the state as should from time to time be authorized by the legislature and also to establish all needful rules and regulations for the government of such branches. None of the branches, however, might be given the right to confer degrees and only one such branch could be established in a single county. By an amendment of the organic law in June, 1837, the regents were given the power to elect and prescribe the duties of the chancellor of the Uni- versity. They were also given the right to establish the academic branches without the special sanction Upper Left: A vierp of the canpus before members of the administration became so enthusiastic about Building Programs. Upper Center: This is a view of the first fireproof engineering shop, erected in 1882, of which the beautiful and palatial new East Engineering building is a lineal descendent. Upper Right: Mason hall, in the back[ground, the first building erected on the campus and now the north wing of University hali. South Wing is shown in they foreground. Lower Left: The diagonal walk in winter, taken at a slightly later date. The gale was erected in order to keep rakish students from driving their bug- gies across the campus. Three departments were provided for: the de- partment of literature, science, and the arts; the department of law and the department of medicine. In the department of literature, science, and the arts alone, thirteen professorships were established. An idea of the comprehensive system planned may be obtained Ty an enumeration of them. They were: ancient languages, modern languages, rhetoric and oratory, philosophy of history and the logic and philosophy of the human mind, moral philosophy and natural theology including the history of all relig- ions, political economy,, mathematics, natural phl- osophy, chemistry and pharmacy, geology and min- eralogy, botany and zoology, fine arts and finally engineering and architecture. The other departments were equally as compre- hensive in their scope, the lepartment of law having three main subdivisions and that of medicine, six. It was these three departments and their num- erous professorships that. the regents were called upon to deal with when considering the admninistra- tion of the new institution. At this point a con-. sideration of the first board of regents itself seems necessary fora full understanding of the work which was carried on in the years between 183' and 1841. General Isaac Edwin Crary, chairman of the Com- mittee on Education, embodied in the convention which drew up Michigan's state constitution, was the only man among the first twelve who had had any experience in educational matters. A graduate of Trinity College, Connecticutt, he had made an ex- haustive study of continental educational systems and working with John D. Pierce, the state'superin- tendent of public instruction, had drawn up the ten- tative plans for the University before it was estab- and an authority on the American Indian. The other ten men on the board were Zina Pitcher, Lu- cius Lyon, Thomas Fitzgerald, John J. Adam, Rob- ert McClelland, Samuel W. Denton, John Norvell, Ross Wilkins, Michael Hoffman and Gideon 0. Whitemore. On March 21, 1837, this first board of regents, nominated by Mason, the boy governor, was appointed by the senate. Before the first meeting Thomas Fitzgerald resigned and John F. Porter was appointed to fill the vacancy. On June 5, 1837, the board met for it Ifirst ses- ;ion in Ann Arbor. Almost its first act after the routine of selecting officers was marked by a lack of foresight which was to be regretted many times in later years. This was the selection of the present University campus in preference to a much more de- sirable site on the banks of the huron river. The nucleus of the Univer'ity facu y was also formed at this 1i'st meeting of- the regents. Four professorships were established and a librarian, Dr. lHenry Colcdazer was appointed, Rev. Colcilazr did not ssue his position until four ]rs ler, how- ever, and the other appointments were even more premature. When the University was finally opened the re- ~Gan made bold to assert that it afforded "greater facilities and inducements for study in natural his- tory than can be found in any other institution in the country." They base:d this claim mainly on the fact that early in 1838 they had purchased thea Led- crer collect ion of minerals:, consisting of 2,i30Q speci- mens. The purchase price of the collection was $4,- 000, an immense surn considering the funds at the (lisposal for the purchase of a library. He sent back a valuable 'collection of specimens had also been obtained from the state geologist. Some time later Dr. Douglas Houghton was made professor of min- eralogy and geology. The first professor to be actually appointed was Dr. Asa Gray, selected in June, 1838, to head the botany and zoology department. The appointment was little more than nominal since his connection with the University was soon severed. At the time of his appoint'ent Professor Gray was about to visit Europe and a fund of $5,000 was placed at his disposal for the purchase of a lbirary. He sent back a collection of some 3,700 volumes and with this commission executed his connection with Michigan ended. At about this time the regents also°invested in a set of Audubon's "Birds of America". The out- rageous price, or at least it was then so considered, of $970, although the books are now valued at sev- eral times that sum. In.July, 1841, the Reverend G. P. Williams was appointed to the chair of Mathematics and the Rev- erend Joseph Whitney of Niles was made professor of languages. The salary of these men was fixed at $500 and they were allowed free use of residences on the campus. Professors Williams and Whitney con- stituted the first faculty of the University. The building plan adopted by the Board of Re- gents was characterized by simplicity and regard for the necessity .of utilizing completely the small fund at their disposal. An elaborate architectural plan was abandoned because of the determined op- position of the superintendent of public instruction. The first building, a dormitory, was completed in 1841 at a cost in the neighborhood of -$15,000. In the one building was combined all the departments of the University as well as the library, museum and of th' legislature andt the governor of the state was