Asa Packer approached the Bishop of Philadelphia William Bacon Stevens with an idea of creating a university – not only a technical school but also arts as an extension of industry. A rough plan of the organization of Lehigh was made by Packer, Bishop Stevens and the Board of Trustees in July 27, 1865. Henry Coppée was appointed Lehigh University's first president (1866-1875) by Asa Packer on November 4, 1865. Bishop Stevens asked Professor Theodore Russell Jencks of Harvard University to determine a workable plan for the establishment of Lehigh. Jencks was a professor of Political Literature, English Language and Literature, Ancient Languages and Literature. He was apparently well versed in the task that Bishop Stevens asked of him. His plan was to apply scientific teaching to purposes of common everyday industry with improvement of the useful arts as extension of industry. From Jencks' plan, Stevens drew up an outline sketch of an institution as he thought would give greatest result for the means used and submitted it for Packer's inspection. This plan was given to Coppée to transform this rough outline into the institution's organization of laws, course of studies, and buildings needed. The refinement of this plan would become a monument of Coppée administrative skill and educational sagacity. Coppée was born in Savannah, Georgia and studied civil engineering at Yale University. He worked for the Georgia Central Railroad. He entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1841 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the 2nd Artillery in 1845. As a Captain he served under Gen. Winfield Scott in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) returned to West Point as professor of English from 1850-1855. He resigned from the Army and became professor of English History and Literature at University of Pennsylvania from 1855-1866. With the advent of the American Civil War, knowing his obligations to the Union, in 1861 he stayed at UPenn. When Gen. Robert E. Lee threatened Pennsylvania, Coppée gave his services to the governor of Pennsylvania who appointed him his aide. Later in the war he served Gen. D. N. Couch as aide-de-camp and military secretary at Gettysburg. Lehigh University opened for classes September 1, 1866 with 37 students in the freshman class and four in the sophomore class and graduated its first class in June 1869. When Coppée resigned the presidency in 1875, he continued at Lehigh as professor emeritus teaching English History and Literature and served twice as president pro tem.