PREFACE ARLY in 1899 Professor Hinsdale undertook to prepare a History of the University for the series known as "Universities and their Sons," published by the R. Herndon Company, of Boston. In September of that year at the insistence of Mr. Herndon and the expressed desire of Professor Hinsdale I engaged, somewhat reluctantly, to edit the biographical sketches to accompany the History. At that time my leisure was wholly taken up with the labor of bringing out the General Catalogue of Officers and Students of the University, which included over thirty thousand names and which did not reach completion till three years later. Professor Hinsdale proceeded with his task in his systematic way and turned over his manuscript to the publishers in August, 1900. This was practically the last work he did. His health was already shattered, and the few remaining weeks were taken up with a heroic fight with death. In almost the last conversation I had with him he expressed the hope that he might be able to see this work through the press. He evidently felt that some parts had been done under stress and needed his finishing touch. But this was never to be given. Some time after his death the Herndon Company proceeded with the printing of the History, and the labor of verifying and proof-reading fell upon me. President Angell kindly went over the proofs, both in galley and in page, and gave valuable suggestions. No material changes were made in the substance of the text. An attempt was made to verify all statements of fact as the author himself would have done, and the quotations and statistical tables were checked through with the original documents from which they were drawn. By the end of the year 1901 the plates of the History were cast. But this further interruption to the preparation of the biographies delayed publication. A number of the early biographies had been written under Professor Hinsdale's direction, and others were done by some apprentice hand in Boston. Most of these, however, demanded extensive verification and revision before they could be 85674 used. Thus the matter stood when the sudden death of Mr. Richard Herndon, early in 1903, threw the affairs of the company into confusion, and the directors finally decided to abandon the Michigan enterprise. They offered the plates of the History and other material for sale, and the property was likely to pass into the hands of a subscription company in Chicago, publishers chiefly of County Histories. At this juncture the situation was brought to the notice of the Regents of the University, and they decided to rescue the work and bring it out under their own auspices. Negotiations for the purchase were opened, and in due time a satisfactory arrangement with the Herndon Company was made. The work of editing was committed to me in conjunction with Professor Pettee. Unhappily, Professor Pettee's other duties lay so heavily upon him at the time that he was never able to render me any aid, though very willing to do so; and in May, 1904, he too was cut off by death. The work had been originally planned to include, in addition to the History, biographical sketches of leading members of the Board of Regents, the Faculties, and the Alumni, selected chiefly from the living. After conference with the President it was decided to change the plan and to confine the Biographical Sketches to the Regents and the members of the The University Senate and to endeavor to make an official record of these. This would include nearly four hundred names, and would present in detail the character and training of the men who had been chiefly instrumental in guiding the affairs of the University from the beginning. This change in plan greatly increased the difficulties of the editor; and I may add that the task has proved an unexpectedly stubborn one, for reasons that will presently appear. Reference has been made to the fact that a considerable body of the sketches were originally done by other hands. These have all been gone over carefully, and have been given such uniformity as seemed feasible; but some unevenness is still apparent, and in a number of instances a clear impression of patchwork remains. The sense of disproportion, however, is not wholly or chiefly due to differences in original authorship, but has arisen mainly from the character of the materials available in each instance. In the case of the living, the materials furnished by the persons themselves, in answer to specific inquiries, varied greatly in scope and character, and a few persons neglected to give any information at all. In the case of the deceased still greater difficulties were experienced. The early Regents and Professors are all in this class, and here it became necessary frequently to traverse ground entirely unexplored. The early catalogues and other records of the University contained no hint of the post-office addresses of the Regents, and in several cases much ingenuity was necessary in discovering where information concerning them might be found. Some of them lived in the State but a short time and left no relatives or acquaintances that were discoverable. For example, the first Chief Justice of the State, who lived and died in Ann Arbor, and who was prominent in the early councils of the Regents, lay in an unknown grave for many years, and details of his life are utterly wanting. He left no relatives here, and there is not even a record in the Probate Court. These statements will suffice to indicate the nature of the problem and may serve to excuse the meagreness of some of the sketches. In the preparation of the sketches, the practice throughout has been to check all statements of fact, dates, titles, et cetera, with official documents; and a great deal of labor has been expended in this way, often with substantial results. In dealing with such a mass of detail there is, of course, a limit to human vigilance; and some errors, no doubt, still remain that could have been eliminated by further research had time and strength permitted. It is also proper to state by way of caution that some portions of the sketches may be found to have appeared in print already. In several cases during the progress of the work typewritten copies have been loaned to other persons who have used more or less matter from them for publication. Again, the materials for some of the early sketches were drawn in part from "Representative Men of Michigan" (Cincinnati, 1878), and from other like sources; and it is possible that the phrasing may be found sometimes to follow the originals too closely. But it is hoped that no copyright material has been infringed upon. It should further be stated that in the selection and disposition of the Illustrations for the History, I was not originally consulted. I made a few transfers and substitutions in the plates before the book went to press, the chief of which were a better view of the University Hospital on page 96 and the insertion of the Barbour Gymnasium on page 160. As to the portraits accompanying the sketches, I regret that the earlier men are not better represented. The difficulties here were very great; but had I realized the extent of the defect sooner, it could, no doubt, have been corrected in some instances. A few paragraphs drawing attention to the most important building improvements and to the principal changes in internal policy and administration since 1900, have been added by way of Appendix to the History, pages 363–370. The work of the Editor is now submitted, with many misgivings, to the charitable judgment of all who may be inquisitive about the personnel of the University during the various stages of its growth, - both in the members of its Governing Board, who have devoted their time and energies so unselfishly to its management, and in the Officers of Instruction, who, with no less public spirit and devotion, from the day of small things till now, have given their lives to the promotion of the higher learning in this great Commonwealth. ANN ARBOR, July 4, 1906. ISAAC N. DEMMON. |