MEMORIAL EXERCISES 419 



a member of the State Board of Education. From 1863 to 1866 he was 

 postmaster of Monroe. He was a member of the constitutional commis- 

 sion of 1873, and from 1876 to 1880 was a member of congress. In 1883 

 he was made principal of the State Normal School at Ypsilanti, and he 

 remained in that position until called in 1885 to the presidency of the 

 Agricultural College of Michigan. In 1889 he was called from the Col- 

 lege to the position of first assistant secretary of agriculture at Washing- 

 ton. In 1894 he was removed from this position by Secretary Morton^ 

 whereupon he opened a law office in Washington. He died there Octo- 

 ber 23, 1896. 



EXERCISES IN THE COLLEGE CHAPEL. 



Thursday afternoon College duties were suspended, and at the ap- 

 pointed hour the Board of Agriculture, faculty, students and visiting 

 friends of the deceased assembled in the chapel to pay a last tribute to 

 his memory. 



President Snyder presided over the exercises, and, after an opening 

 hymn and prayer by the Kev. Dr. Jordan, he introduced Hon. Franklin 

 Wells, president of the Board of Agriculture, who made a very brief 

 address on behalf of the Board. Governor Eich was unable to be pres- 

 ent, and Prof. Babcock read his paper. This was followed by an address 

 by Prof. Daniel Putnam of the State Normal Shool, who spoke of his 

 eminent services for that institution. 



It was expected that H. B. Cannon, '88, who was Mr. Willits' private 

 secretary while the latter was assistant secretary of agriculture, would 

 be present to speak of Mr. Willits from the students' standpoint, but a 

 summons on the grand jury prevented, and his paper was read by Prof. 

 Hedrick. President Snyder then read a letter from ex-Governor Luce, 

 after which he introduced the last speaker for the afternoon, Dr. Kedzie, 

 who has been for many years an intimate friend of Mr. Willits. 



Among the visitors present were Dr. Boone, principal of the Normal 

 School; F. E. Skeels, '78, of Grand Eapids; Charles B. Collingwood, '85, 

 Lansing; and Jason E. Hammond, '86, Lansing. 



Following are the addresses as given: 



ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT WELLS. 



We are assembled here today to pay our last tribute of affection and 

 regard to the memory of a good man. 



It was my good fortune to have known Edwin Willits for nearly a 

 quarter of a century. I first became acquainted with him in the city of 

 Lansing in 1873, at which time he was attending the constitutional com- 

 mission of that year. During the session of congress of which he was 

 a member, I met him occasionally, but our acquaintance became moi'e 

 intimate and close after he came to the College as its president, and it 

 was kept up by personal interview and by correspondence until the day of 

 his death. 



When Dr. Abbot, on account of failing health, desired to be relieved 

 of the responsibility and burden of the presidency pf the College, the 

 Board of Agriculture seemed instinctively to look to Mr. Willits as his 



