Kirkham's Grammar, Whiting's Grammar. 6. Philosophies. First Lessons on Natural Philosophy, by Miss Swift, Olmsted's Rudiments of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, Mrs. Phelps' Lectures on Natural Philosophy, Wayland's Moral Science, abridged for Schools. Johnston's Agricultural Chemistry and Geology, Mrs. Phelps' Lectures on Che mistry. 8. Histories. Mrs. Willard's History of the United States, Mrs. Willard's Universal History, Frost's History of the United States, Robbins' Outlines of History. 9. Miscellaneous. Frost's Class Book of Nature, Wedgwood's Revised Statutes of the United States, Elements of Logic, by Chas. K. True, Wright's Analytical Orthography, Metrical Stories in Chemistry and Natural Philosophy, Winchester's Penmanship, in Four Books, Root's Penmanship, in Twelve Books, Mitchell's Outline Maps, one set for a school, Holbrook's Common School Apparatus, Town's Analysis of the English Language, Boyd's Elements of Rhetoric and Literary Criticism, 10. Books for Teachers. The School Teacher's Manual, by Henry Dunn, The School and The School Master, by A. Potter and G. B. Em erson, The Teacher's Manual, by Thos. H. Palmer, The Teacher, by J. Abbot, Peirce's Grammar, Arnott's Physics, Perkin's Higher Arithmetic, Emerson's Arithmetics, Olmsted's School Philosophy, All of the works mentioned under the head of Miscellaneous, (No. 9.] in the preceding list of books. 11. Periodicals for Teachers. Teachers' Advocate, a large octavo sheet, edited by a practical Teacher, and published weekly, by L. W. Hall, Syracuse N. Y. Price Two Dollars a year, The Common School Journal, an octavo sheet edited by Horace Mann, and published semi-monthly by Fowle & Capen, Boston. Price One Dollar a year. The District School Journal, a duodecimo sheet published monthly at Albany, under the patronage of the New York Legislature. Price, fifty cents a year. The Michigan School Library. The Massachusetts School Library, (each series.) American Constitutions. Dick's Works, in eight volumes. English and Grecian History, by Miss Robbins, Pinnock's Goldsmith's Rome. Pinnock's Goldsmith's England. Pinnock's Goldsmith's Greece. Cooper's Naval History. Wirt's Life of Patrick Henry, Spark's American Biography. Stephen's Travels. Bancroft's History, (three volumes.) Report of the Board of Visitors. To IRA MAYHEW, Esq., Superintendent of Public Instruction: The Board of Visitors appointed to examine into the state of the University of Michigan, under authority given in the Revised Statutes, sec. 15, chap. 2, title xi, beg leave to offer the following report. It is necessarily brief and general; a minority only of the Board having been present in pursuance of your suggestion, at the examination, ending on the 22d December instant, In general the affairs of the institution appear to be well managed, < and their immediate guidance in competent, safe and skilful hands. So far as could be judged, the instruction in the various branches is thorough and efficient. The Board were highly pleased with the portion of the examinations witnessed, and consider them very creditable to the students themselves, as well as to their instructors. In the conduct of the studies of the senior year, especially, the plan of instruction and examination to a considerable extent by means of essays written by members of the class, has been very successfully adopted, and is worthy of strong commendation. It is a subject of great satisfaction to be able to say that the University is generally and manifestly in a flourishing condition, the number of students annually increasing, and every department bearing evidence of competency, efficiency and fidelity in its management; yet, the Board of Visitors cannot close their report without once more calling the attention of the proper authorities to a portion of the very able report of the Visitors in the year 1842, as contained in the "joint documents" of the legislature for 1843, page 377, and following. The want of additional buildings for the University is much more strongly felt at this time than in 1842. It is only by great exertion, and by crowding the rooms to excess, that the faculty have been able to provide for the present number of students (about seventy) during the last term, and in the very probable, nay almost certain event of the increase of this number, at the beginning of the coming year, it will be necessary to refuse admittance (at least as residents of the college buildings) to new comers, an event greatly to be deprecated by all well-wishers to the institution. Another very serious evil resulting from the want of a proper edifice is the great danger of loss or irremediable injury to the very valuable specimens of zoology and botany of Michigan, collected and prepared at very great expense to the state, by the late and lamented State Geologist, Dr. Houghton. There being no room in which to place these valuable preparations in natural history, they remain in a state liable to destruction by vermin; and in which, even natural decay can hardly be averted. It is believed that more than 4,000 zoological specimens, and many thousand specimens of plants remain in this condition, the value of which may very fairly be set down as greater than the probable cost of a chapel, which should not only contain the rooms requisite for the reception, safe keeping and exhibition of this collection, and the library and cabinets belonging to the institution, but also contain the necessary recitation and lecture rooms for the University, thus restoring nearly one-half of the present building to the use for which it was intended, namely, dormitories; and rendering it capable of accommodating nearly double the present number of students. A chemical laboratory building detached from any other,should also be erected: its cost would be very small. The soundest economy would be consulted in the immediate erection of these buildings. An increase to a moderate extent of the philosophical and astronomical apparatus is greatly required; of the latter, particularly, there is hardly enough to deserve the name. The Professor of Languages recently appointed, had not arrived, and his duties were of necessity discharged, and his place, so far as possible, supplied by the other professors, whose duties, from the smallness of the number of the faculty of the institution, were already onerous and severe. If the resources of the University will justify an addition to the number of professorships, such increase is respectfully suggested-particularly in reference to greater attention to RHETORIC and ORATORY, to MODERN LANGUAGES, and to BELLES LETTRES: branches of education more necessary, perhaps, in this country than in any other country in the world. The system established in almost every collegiate institution in the United States, of graduating the merit of the senior class, and awarding collegiate honors at commencement, seems to have been abolish ed in the University of Michigan. The Board of Visitors cannot close this report, without respectfully suggesting a doubt, as to the good results from abandoning the well tried and time honored mode of exciting emulation amongst the students in an institution like ours. Perhaps the present system has not had a fair trial, but one class having as yet taken their diplomas without a special graduation; yet it is believed that in the end it will be found wise to restore the old order of things in this respect. December, 27, 1845. HENRY SMITH, Gh'n. The following gentlemen compose the Board, viz: HENRY SMITH, ANDREW HARVIE, JOHN K. FINLEY, GEO. W. W18 NER, F. J. LITTLEJOHN. |