The Charlotte Wood Slocum Lectures.

The Charlotte Wood Slocum lectureship on "Christian Evidences" was endowed in 1890 by the lamented lady whose name it bears, the wife of Elliott T. Slocum, Esq., of Detroit, in grateful memory of the life and labours of the Right. Rev. Samuel Smith Harris, D.D., LL.D., the second Bishop of Michigan. Mrs. Slocum departed this life in Dresden, 6th June, 1891. Bishop Harris—to quote his own words—"moved by the importance of bringing all practical Christian influences to bear upon the great body of students annually assembled at the University of Michigan, undertook to promote and set in operation a plan of Christian work at said University, and collected contributions for that purpose, of which plan the following outline is here given, that is to say:

To erect a building or hall near the University in which there should be cheerful parlours, a well–equipped reading–room, and a lecture–room, where the lectures hereinafter mentioned might be given;

To endow a Lectureship similar to the Bampton Lectureship in England, for the establishment and defense of Christian truth, the lectures on such foundation to be delivered at Ann Arbor by a learned clergyman or other communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church;

The endow two other Lectureships: one on Biblical Literature and Learning, and the other on Christian Evidences, the object of such Lectureships to be to provide for all the students who may be willing to avail themselves of a complete course of instruction in sacred learning and in the philosophy of right thinking and right living, without which no education can justly be called complete.

The first of the Lectureships projected by Bishop Harris, that for the establishment and defence of Christian truth, was endowed in 1886 by the Hon. Henry P. Baldwin and wife. The second to be founded is that on Christian Evidences, and it is in fulfillment of the earnest wish of the founder that the first course is given by the Rev. John Fulton, D.D., LL.D. The lecturer is appointed upon the nomination of the Bishop of Michigan.

As Mrs. Slocum executed no deed of trust when she placed in my hands ten thousand dollars for the object above named, I have thought it advisable to appoint as Trustees of this fund those gentleman who are charged with the trust of the foundation for the Baldwin Lectureship, viz.: Messrs. Henry P. Baldwin, Henry A. Hayden, Sidney D. Miller, Henry P. Baldwin, 2nd, Hervy C. Parke, with the addition of Mr. Elliott T. Slocum.

Thomas F. Davies,

Detroit, November, 1891. Bishop of Michigan.