University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Henrv Carter Adams. j ENRY CARTER ADAMS was born in Davenport, Iowa, December tTj 31st, 1852 He received his bachelor ' s degree at Iowa College, and after teaching a year, spent some time at Andover Theological Seminary. Having always had an inclination for newspaper work, he was considering a change from preparation for a theological to prepara- tion for a journalistic career by accepting a position as reporter on the New York Timea, when he was honored by the offer of a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. He finally decided to accept the fellowship, upon the advice, it is said, of Mr. E. L. Godkin, then of the Nation. If this be true, economists owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Godkin, for once at the University, the young student was so filled with its spirit that he gave up all thoughts of a journalistic career. This enthusiasm for aca- demic work was due to many influences, among which was the contact with so many brilliant young minds afforded by the university, some of whom had studied in Germany and brought back the German university spirit; but chief of all the influences was that of two men who were lec- turing at Johns Hopkins at that time, Judge Thomas M. Cooley and the late President Walker. In 1878, the doctor ' s degree was conferred upon him, his examiners being the Historian Bancroft and President Walker. Appointed by courtesy Fellow in Political Science, he spent a year and a half in Germany, studying at Heidelberg under Knies and Bluntschli, and at Berlin under Wagner and Engel. After his return, he lectured in quick succession at Cornell, the University of Michigan and Johns Hop kins, and in 1887 was appointed Professor of Political Economy and Finance at the University of Michigan. In this brief outline, two things have probably suggested them- selves to the reader. Here was a young man evidently endowed with great natural ability, and here were names in Political Science and Polit- ical Economy, that represent the highest achievments of scholarship. The contact between such a student and such masters could not but be productive of interesting results. It is our honor to be assigned the task of reviewing these results.