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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



THE PEOGEESS OF SCIENCE. 



THE JOHNS HOP KIN 8 UNIVER- 

 SITY. 

 On February 21 and 22 the Johns 

 Hopkins University celebrated tlie 

 twenty-fifth anniversary of its found- 

 ing and the installation of its second 

 president. In Europe, where the life 

 of a university is measured by centu- 

 ries, it may be looked on as a sign of 

 crudeness for us to celebrate the tenth 

 or the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 

 establishment of a university. It is, 

 however, a notable fact that universi- 

 ties such as the Johns Hopkins or 

 Chicago should have surpassed so 

 quickly most of the great European 

 institutions not only in size and 

 wealth, but also in their real contribu- 

 tions to higher education and the ad- 

 vancement of knowledge. The Johns 

 Hopkins University will always occupy 

 an important place in the history of 

 the American university. The oppor- 

 tunity given by an endowment unham- 

 pered by restrictions or precedents 

 was fully grasped by President Gil- 

 man. He called together a small group 

 of professors — Sylvester, Rowland, 

 Remsen and Martin in the sciences — 

 unequaled as leaders in research. By 

 the establishment of a system of fel- 

 lowships, a group of students was 

 gathered together who have since rep- 

 resented the most advanced work of the 

 country. In the erection of cheap 

 buildings equipped with expensive 

 apparatus, in the creation of working 

 seminar libraries in place of a museum 

 of books, in the establishment of scien- 

 tific journals and in other ways, the 

 university set an excellent example. 

 But its chief claim to our honor is the 

 supreme place it gave to advanced work 

 and investigation by both teachers and 

 students. In the recent establishment 

 of a medical school the same methods 



have been followed, and the university 

 has again led in a great forward move- 

 ment. 



On the first day of the exercises at 

 Baltimore, Dr. D. C. Oilman, who 

 guided the university during its 

 twenty-five years and has now under- 

 taken an equally important office in the 

 presidency of the Carnegie Institution, 

 gave a commemoration address. On 

 the second day. Dr. Ira Remsen, who 

 has been professor of chemistry since 

 the opening of the university, was 

 formally installed as president, and 

 gave the inaugural address. Both ad- 

 dresses were of great interest not only 

 to those who have been connected with 

 the university, but also to all who are 

 interested in higher education. The 

 addresses will be found in the issue of 

 Science for February 28, and will 

 doubtless be published by the Univer- 

 sity. In addition to these two ad- 

 dresses, there was a reception, a lun- 

 cheon at the hospital, a dinner by the 

 alumni and other events. Degrees 

 were conferred on a number of univer- 

 sity presidents and others. Of the six 

 to whom the doctorate of laws was 

 awarded, on the ground of their asso- 

 ciation in carrying on the work of the 

 imiversity, five are men of science — Dr. 

 J. S. Billings, Dr. G. Stanley Hall, 

 Professor J. W. Mallet, Dr. C. D. Wal- 

 cott and Professor Simon Newcomb. 

 The same degree was given to four 

 alumni, including Professor Josiah 

 Royce and Professor E. B. Wilson. 



THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 

 It is to be hoped that the urgent 

 recommendation for the enlargement 

 of the U. S. National Museum made to 

 congress by Secretary Langley will re- 

 ceive consideration. The present build- 

 ing is truly a scandal. Specimens of 



