author
Henry Philip Tappan
1805–1881
A philosopher and educator who helped shape the modern American university, he became the first president of the University of Michigan and pushed for a broader, more research-focused education. His ideas about higher learning were influential well beyond his own campus.
1 Audiobook
A Review of Edwards's "Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will"
by Henry Philip Tappan
About the author
Born in Rhinebeck, New York, in 1805, Henry Philip Tappan studied at Union College and Auburn Theological Seminary before building a career as a minister, professor, and writer. He was known for his interest in philosophy and for arguing that universities should do more than teach established lessons—they should also create new knowledge.
In 1852, he became the first president of the University of Michigan under its reorganized structure. During his years there, he promoted stronger academic standards, encouraged the growth of the sciences and libraries, and looked to European, especially German, models of higher education as examples for American universities.
Tappan’s time at Michigan ended in conflict with the Board of Regents, and he left the presidency in 1863. He spent his later years in Switzerland, where he died in 1881, but he is still remembered as an early and important voice for the modern research university in the United States.