- Henry Coppée
Henry Coppée (
13 October 1821 –22 March 1895 ), an American educationalist and author, was born inSavannah, Georgia , to a family of French extraction that had formerly settled inHaiti . He studied atYale University for two years, worked as acivil engineer , graduated at West Point in 1845, served in theMexican-American War as a lieutenant and was breveted captain for gallantry at the battles of Contreras and Churubusco during theMexican-American War .He was professor of English at West Point from 1850 to 1855 (when he resigned from the army), was professor of
English literature and history in theUniversity of Pennsylvania from 1855 to 1866.He was selected by
Asa Packer as the first president ofLehigh University , an office he filled from 1866 to 1875. He also served as the university's president "pro tem" from the death ofRobert A. Lamberton in September 1893 to his own death inBethlehem, Pennsylvania onMarch 22 ,1895 .Lehigh University's
Coppee Hall (built in 1883) was named for him; it was first a gymnasium, later the home of the Department of Arts and Science, and now is home to the Journalism and Communication program. During Coppee's tenure, much building was done on the new campus. A Moravian church on Packer Avenue was remodeled into Christmas Hall, a house for the president was erected, and Packer Hall, the university center, was built. Coppee lectured in history, logic, rhetoric, political economy and Shakespeare.He published elementary text-books of logic (1857), of rhetoric (1859), and of English literature (1872); various manuals of drill; "Grant, a Military Biography" (1866); "General Thomas" (1893), in the "
Great Commanders Series "; "History of the Conquest of Spain by the Arab-Moors" (1881); and in 1862 a translation of Marmonts "Esprit des institutions militaires", besides editing the Comte de Paris's "Civil War in America".References
*1911
External links
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* Lehigh University: [http://www3.lehigh.edu/about/lupastpresidents.asp]
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