The Faculty History Project documents faculty members who have been associated with the University of Michigan since 1837. Key in this effort is to celebrate the intellectual life of the University. This Faculty History Website is intended as a component of the effort to document the extraordinary academic achievements of Michigan’s faculty in building and sustaining one of the world’s great universities. It provides access to a comprehensive database of information concerning the thousands of faculty members who have served the University of Michigan.
Find out more.
The Bentley Historical Library serves as the official archives for the University.
Bio
The Michigan Alumnus 10-17
The Tappan professorship of law has been filled by the appointment and acceptance of Henry Moore Bates, Ph.B., '90, LL.B. (Northwestern), '92, of the Chicago bar.
During his law course, Mr. Bates was a student, and afterwards was a clerk, in the office of Williams, Holt & Wheeler. The firm's business was largely corporation work, and among their reg ular clients were the Sante Fe, the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern, and the Gardner, Waukesha & Southwestern railroads, the Illinois Steel Company, the Western Union Telegraph Com pany, and the Wells-Fargo Express Company. Thus he early got an in- sight into corporation and railroad work.
After leaving the firm named above, he was for a year with Norton, Burley & Howell, who represented the Northern Pacific R. R., and who had also a large business in pro bating and administering estates. The following year he was assistant librarian of the Chicago Law Institute, in charge of the actual work, the libra rian being an honorary officer who had supervision. From 1895 to 1898 he practiced on his own account, but with a quasi-partnership arrangement with John Maynard Harlan.
In the latter year the two entered into a full partnership, which was dissolved by the acceptance of the professorship. The firm had a general practice with more corporation and probate work than anything else. They represented the Southern Pacific R. R. and other corporations. Mr. Bates has never been in politics as an office holder or candidate, but has been active at primary elections and at party caucuses as a supporter of clean men and methods.
For some years he was an officer in the Civic Feder ation and has been a working commit tee man in the Municipal Voters' League. His other interests are shown by memberships in the Chicago University Club, various legal societies, and the American Historical Associa tion. He is secretary and a director of the Homewood Country Club, treasurer of the Western Golf Association, and vice-president of the Chicago University of Michigan Association.
His interest in athletics, which has made him always a force in our athletic policy, has in no way dimmed his greater interest in the more serious work of the University. It is only fair ness to the alumni, who have a right to know fully of the sort of men who from year to year take up the work laid down by other teachers, that allows the statement that even in these days of specialists the new professor of law was earlier asked to enter the faculty of another department of the Univer sity. Professor Bates is thirty-four years old.
He was married in 1892 to Clara A. Belfield, '92 (Wellesley). They have one child.