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Appointed Dean of Law
The Michigan Alumnus 19-21
HENRY MOORE BATES
By Joseph H. Drake '85, '02l
The important changes in the ad ministrative force of the University this year have been of especial signifi cance to the Law Department. It is a matter for congratulation that a new Dean has been chosen from the pres ent Faculty, thus assuring the continuation of the successful policy of the past without essential break. " Our Dean elect comes honestly by the New England conscience which is so prominent a characteristic of his mature life. Both parents were of old Puritan stock. His father, George C. Bates, a Vermonter by birth, spent his life in railroad administration with the exception of the four years of the Civil War, during which he served his country, first as lieutenant and later as quartermaster. His mother, Alice E. Moore, a native of Massachusetts, has spent most of her mature life in the South and West as a teacher and school administrator, acting as prin cipal of the Girls' High School, of New Orleans, and then of the Park Institute, in Chicago. To those who know them both, it is very evident that the intellectual and moral qualities of the mother have been repro duced in the oldest son.
Henry Moore Bates was born in Chicago, March 3, 1869. He spent his boyhood days in that city and gained his preparation for college in Park Institute and in the West Divis ion High School. He received the degree of Ph.B. from the University of Michigan, in 1890, and the degree of LL.B. from Northwestern University in 1892. Shortly after his graduation he was married to Clara Belfield, of the class of 1892 (Wellesley). They have one daughter, Helen. The high qualities possessed by Mrs. Bates have made her a worthy sharer in their joint success in life and under her guidance we may be sure that the high social ideals of their position will be properly realized.
Mr. Bates began his professional career in Chicago, in the offices of Williams, Holt and Wheeler, whose business is largely corporation law, the firm numbering among its clients the Santa Fe Ry. Co., The Illinois Steel Co., The Western Union Tele graph Co., and The Wells, Fargo Ex press Co. Later he was in the offices of Norton, Burley and Howell, Attorneys for the Northern Pacific Ry., who also did a large probate and ad ministration business. He served as Assistant Librarian of Chicago Law Institute from 1895 to 1898. During his term of office, he exercised prac tically entire control of this library; as the librarian is merely an honorary officer without active duties. The large knowledge of legal literature and bibliography gained during the in cumbency of this office has been util ized for the benefit of the library of the Law Department of the University of Michigan during his residence here as professor of law.
In 1898 he resigned his library position to enter the office of John Maynard Harlan as a quasi partner, a relation, which was soon changed to a full partnership in the firm of Harlan and Bates. During these years his Alma Mater had been making efforts to bring him back to her service, offering him successively an instructorship in European history, an instructorship in American history, and an assistant professorship in law. When the place left vacant by the withdrawal of Professor Mechem from the Law Faculty was offered to Mr. Bates, in 1903, he accepted it, and performed with great credit to himself the duties of this position un til February, 1910. At this time he offered his resignation to the Regents in order to enter into the partnership of Robson, Bates and George, of De troit. This resignation was tabled by , the Board of Regents until a new President should be appointed for the University.
When Dean Hutchins was, finally persuaded to accept the Presidency, the Regents turned to Mr. Bates as his most suitable successor as Dean of the Law Department, and in spite of the entangling business al liance made by Mr. Bates, who had already taken up the work of the new firm, the Regents unanimously elected him to the vacant deanship. Luckily for the Law Department, Messrs. Robson and George kindly yielded their claims in favor of the University and the new dean entered upon the discharge of his duties on August 23, of the present year.
The varied experience of Mr. Bates has made of him the rather rare com bination of a practical man of affairs and a teacher with high scholarly and educational ideals. He seems to be equally successful in dealing with bus iness men and with college boys. Dur ing his residence in Chicago he was actively interested in all projects for social betterment and intellectual up lift. He served as an officer of the Civic Federation and as a work in committeeman on the Municipal Vot ers' League. He was for a long time Secretary and later Vice-President, of the Chicago Alumni Association. His constant solicitude for the Univer sity and his staunch defense of her in terests, especially in our trouble some athletic relations, gave him the com monly applied appellation of Henry M[ichigan] Bates. Nor did he abate his interest in these more general con cerns of the University when he took up his professional duties here. He was for several years a member of the Board of Control of Athletics and has been more influential than any other one man in creating and directing the Michigan Union, which he has served as Treasurer and Director. It was also through his efforts that the mon ey was raised for the portrait by Chase of Dr. Angell.
He has found time during the sev en years of his professorship to con tribute frequently to the Michigan Law Review, and to acquaint himself with what was the best in the field of legal education, by constant attend ance on the meetings of the Associa tion of American Law Schools and by frequent visits to neighboring institutions. In the summer of 1908 he was invited to take charge of the course in Wills and Administration in the Summer Session of the Chicago Law School. He has served for two years on the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools and on the committee for the formulation of a course of university study for students who are planning to take up the study of law.
In his dealings with students in the Athletic Association, in the Michigan Union and in the various other student organizations, he has shown great aptitude in winning their confi dence and respect. That this high es teem by the "student body has not been due to any catering to the weaknesses of the college boy is evidenced by the fact that the courses in Sales and in Wills were generally considered by the students, as well as by his col leagues, among the most difficult and also the most valuable in the Depart ment. In addition to his connection with Alpha Delta Phi and many other student organizations he is a member of the American Bar Association, the Michigan State Bar As sociation, the American Political Sci ence Association, Phi Beta Kappa, the Scientific Club, the Chicago Lit erary Club, the University Club of Chicago and the University Club of Detroit.
All friends of the Law Department may feel sure that under the leadership of Dean Bates the fine traditions of the department will be preserved and that all improvements in the tech nical and scholarly phases of law school administration, coming from any source whatsoever, will be accept ed and used to advance the highest interests of legal education.