History of South Bethlehem, (Armstrong County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Henry Copp?e, educator, was born in Savannah, Ga., Oct. 13, 1821. His parents, natives of Santo Domingo, had been driven thence in their childhood by the negro insurrection. The son entered Yale college in the class of 1839, remained there about two years and then engaged as a civil engineer in railroad work in Georgia until 1841, when he was appointed a cadet in the U.S. military academy. He was graduated in 1845 and served in garrison at Fort Columbus, N.Y., until the outbreak of the war with Mexico in 1846, when he was promoted second lieutenant, 1st artillery. He engaged in most of the battles on General Scott's line of march from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico; and on Aug. 20, 1847, he was promoted 1st lieutenant and brevetted captain "for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churabusco." He was assistant professor of French at the U.S. military academy, 1848-49; in garrison at Fort McHenry, Md., 1849-50, and principal assistant professor of geography, history and ethics at the academy, 1850-55. He resigned his commission in the army, June 30, 1855, and held the chair of English literature and history in the University of Pennsylvania, 1855-66. In 1866 he accepted the presidency of Lehigh university, holding also the professorship of English literature, international and constitutional law, and the philosophy of history. He resigned the presidency in 1875, but retained his professorship until his death. He was lecturer on the philosophy of history at Hobart college, Geneva, N.Y., 1888-95. He was a member of the American philosophical society, an honorary member of the Pennsylvania historical society, and of several other scientific and historical organizations. He was appointed a regent of the Smithsonian institution in 1874 and was elected a regent by congress, in 1880 and 1886. He was U.S. commissioner on government assay of coin in 1874 and 1877. He received the degree of A.M. from the University of Georgia in 1848, and that of LL. D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and from Union college in 1866. He edited the United States Service Magazine (1864-66); a translation of Marmot's Spirit of Military Institutions (1862); and a translation of Comte de Paris's History of the Civil War in America (1877). He published Elements of Logic (1857); Gallery of Famous Poets (1858); Elements of Rhetoric (1859); Gallery of Distinguished Poetesses (1860); The Field Manual for Battalion Drill (1862); The Field Manual of Evolution of the Line (1862); A Manual of Courts Martial (1863); Songs of Praise in the Christian Centuries (1864); The Select Academic Speaker (1865); Grant and His Campaigns (1866); Life and Services of Gen. U. S. Grant (1868); English Literature Considered as an Interpreter to English History (1873); History of the Conquest of Spain by the Arab Moors (1881); The Classic and the Beautiful (1888-92); and General Thomas (1893). He died at South Bethlehem, Pa., March 22, 1895.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of South Bethlehem, (Armstrong County) Pennsylvania

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