Henry Philip Tappan

Henry Philip Tappan was born on April 18, 1805, in the village of Rhinebeck, New York. His father was of Prussian descent and Dutch descent, and his mother of Dutch descent. He was the great-grandson of Revolutionary war patriot Major Christopher Tappen. Tappan attended Union College and studied under its president, Eliphalet Nott, graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1825. He graduated from Auburn Theological Seminary two years later and planned a career in ministry. He married Julia Livingston on April 7, 1828. == Early career ==

He became associate pastor at the Dutch Reformed church in Schenectady, New York for one year, and was then pastor at the Congregational church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. A throat affliction prompted him to leave for a trip to the West Indies, and upon his return he joined the faculty of the University of the City of New York as a professor of philosophy. In 1845, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity (honorary) degree from Union College, followed by a Doctor of Laws (honorary) degree from Columbia College in 1854; both degrees were granted honoris causa. At a later date he was elected a corresponding member of the Institute of France. == Philosophical writings ==

, whom Tappan respected and whose precepts he followed, favorably commented on Tappan's works on free will Tappan embarked on writing a series of philosophical treatises that began to influence thinking in Europe. He had already made a name for himself by his writings on the freedom of the will, including such works as ''Review of Edwards' Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will, The Doctrine of the Will Determined by an Appeal to Consciousness, The Doctrine of the Will Applied to Moral Agency and Responsibility, and The Elements of Logic''. These works had called forth favorable comment from both European and American scholars, including Victor Cousin, whom Tappan respected and whose precepts he followed. Isaac E. Crary and John Davis Pierce, the architects of Michigan's educational system, drew inspiration from the Prussian model of public instruction as detailed in Cousin's report. The Prussian system significantly influenced Michigan's educational plan before Tappan's administration, as evidenced by Francis W. Shearman's 1852 official state publication System of Public Instruction and Primary School Law of Michigan. Tappan shared Pierce's vision of a coordinated system of instruction, with a university at the apex and primary grades at the base. Through his observations of educational progress, Tappan concluded that the most effective approach to constructing such a system was to first establish the higher institution. He believed that as erudite administrators from this university gradually extended their influence, it would naturally lead to the creation and reinforcement of schools at lower levels, ultimately benefiting a broader population. == President of the University of Michigan ==

{{quote box | align = right | width = 24em | salign = right In 1850, the state of Michigan adopted a new state constitution that created the office of President of the University of Michigan and directed the newly elected Board of Regents to select someone for the office. They sent a representative to the East to solicit recommendations, and George Bancroft recommended Henry Tappan. Despite this recommendation, the regents first elected Henry Barnard of Connecticut, who declined the offer. Although John Hiram Lathrop was also considered for the job following Barnard's refusal, Tappan was unanimously elected on August 12, 1852. Previously, when the university lacked a president, the Board of Regents aimed to maintain a balance among different Protestant denominations when appointing faculty members. To address vacancies that arose suddenly, Tappan chose young men, mainly university alumni, for assistant professorships. This approach allowed for postponing the appointment of full professors until suitable candidates were found. Before his appointment, the legislature arranged for the creation of a course or courses of study for students who prefer not to pursue the usual collegiate course embracing the ancient languages. Additional courses were introduced, including a new scientific course and a partial course for those interested in classical or scientific studies without pursuing a degree. Options in analytical and agricultural chemistry and civil engineering were available through the partial course. These changes allowed students to choose between a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or a degree in civil engineering. Tappan also established a so-called "university course" for graduate work, once the undergraduate curriculum was more fully developed. Tappan sought to establish an agricultural course in the university, but, although some teaching was done, his efforts in this direction were not successful. In 1854, Reverend Charles Fox was appointed as Professor of Agriculture, but his sudden death later that year halted progress. Attempts to establish an agricultural farm in 1858 and 1859 also failed. He immediately left Michigan and moved his family to Europe, residing in Berlin, Paris, Bonn, Frankfurt, Basel, and Geneva. Tappan's firing was unpopular with students and the broader community, as it came with no warning, at a time when the university was more successful than ever, for no wrongdoing other than personal friction with the regents, and from a board whose terms in office were all expiring (save one) in just a few months and who were due to be replaced with new regents (already elected) who had expressed a desire to form a better working relationship with Tappan. Henry Barnard, by then the editor of The American Journal of Education, called the dismissal an "act of savage, unmitigated barbarism" in light of Tappan's work being "without a precedent in the educational history of the country." At the suggestion of his supporters, Tappan himself wrote a lengthy response to his dismissal, generally praising the first Board of Regents and excoriating the second as incompetent, and also singling out certain faculty members for criticism. When the new Board of Regents took office in 1864, the flood of support for Tappan led them to consider re-hiring him, but in the end they felt it would be disruptive to the university, in light of Tappan's subsequent response. == Later years ==

In 1874 and 1875 the Board of Regents passed resolutions commending Tappan's service to the university and inviting him to return to Ann Arbor to be honored; the latter expressly withdrew "any censure express or implied in the resolutions which severed his connection" to the university. Tappan, who had moved to Europe after his firing, expressed a desire to return, but twice deferred accepting the invitation, citing first his age and then the health of his daughter. He never returned to Michigan and died in his villa in Vevey, Switzerland on November 15, 1881, where he is buried overlooking Lake Geneva. == Commemoration ==

• The Tappan Professorship of Law was created in 1879, with former Michigan governor Alpheus Felch the first to hold it. • Tappan Hall, the oldest extant classroom building on the University of Michigan campus, was finished in 1894. It houses the History of Art Department and the Fine Art Library. It also houses a bas relief of Tappan by Karl Bitter. • Tappan Elementary School was built on East University Avenue, Ann Arbor, in 1885. It was sold to the University of Michigan in the 1920s and renamed East Hall. • Tappan Junior High School was first opened in 1925 in the Burns Park area of Ann Arbor. The building was renamed Burns Park Elementary School after a new and larger junior Tappan Junior High School opened nearby in 1951. The new school is now known as Tappan Middle School and is located in East Stadium Boulevard, Ann Arbor. • In 2024, the University of Michigan Board of Regents created the Henry Philip Tappan Collegiate Professorship in 2024, and named Ivo D. Dinov as Tappan Professor. == Works ==

• • • • • • (Inaugural speech) • • • • • • == Notes ==