36 brooks: applied geology 



m 



mines, and minerals, plants and animals, and everything useful for the 

 comfort, the convenience and elegance of life; and in the chief manufac- 

 tures of these things." 



This was half a century before the idea of scientific and tech- 

 nical instruction had taken root in European countries. In the 

 period extending from 1768 to 1811 chairs of chemistry were 

 established in eleven colleges of the United States. In 1824 the 

 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was founded — the first school 

 of applied science in any English-speaking country. The avowed 

 aim of this school was to apply " sciences to the common purposes 

 of life." Van Rensselaer, who founded it, was a patron of geo- 

 logic science, and Eaton, the geologist, its first president. 



Geology had, however, received recognition in several American 

 colleges long before the founding of the Rensselaer Institute. 

 According to Professor Hopkins there were 31 American colleges 

 which offered courses in geology previous to 1845. Of these, one 

 began teaching geology in 1804, one in 1807, one in 1819, and 

 one in each of the years from 1820 to 1845. The large number of 

 scientific societies founded at this time shows the widespread in- 

 terest of the people in science. Nearly every town had its lyceum 

 of natural history, while the larger cities boasted of academies of 

 science and similar associations, of which several have survived 

 to the present day. In 1819 the American Geological Society 

 was organized — only twelve years after the founding of the Geo- 

 logical Society of London and nearly thirty years before that of 

 the Deutsch Geologische Gesellschaft. 



Numerous journals devoted to science and art were established 

 during the period under discussion. While some of these were 

 only short lived they attest the interest in science of the American 

 people. Another example of this interest is found in the course 

 of lectures on natural history which, according to Dr. Merrill 

 were delivered before the New York State Legislature by Amos 

 Eaton in 1818. This is probably the only instance in our history 

 where a body of law makers have welcomed serious instruction 

 in scientific matters. 



Most of the collegiate instruction and the scientific societies 

 had for their purpose the promoting of knowledge in pure rather 



