Henry Coppée

Biography

Henry Coppée (1821-1895) was a respected educator whose career began at the United States Military Academy, where he taught modern languages before turning to broader scholarship. He later became the first president of Lehigh University and devoted himself to shaping liberal arts education with a discipline rooted in moral earnestness and practical knowledge.

He was equally noted as an author, producing widely read histories and guides that helped citizens and students grapple with issues of national character and military service; his work continued to inform classrooms and readers long after his burial at Nisky Hill Cemetery.