MINORITY REPORT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON 



CHEMISTRY. 



To the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institution. 



Gentlemen : While approving the plan recommended in the 

 preceding report, I feel that it is only a partial remedy for the diffi- 

 culties which retard American research. To me the above-named 

 first method of increasing the efficiency of the men already engaged 

 in research seems a more important means, namely, the plan to 

 relieve university prof essors from a pari of the routine work which they 

 are now doing. 



It is true that in a few great universities some at least of the pro- 

 fessors are given time for research. These men are the chief 

 examples of the value of the univ^ersity atmosphere. But this free- 

 dom is the exception rather than the rule. Not only are most 

 American professors overburdened with routine work, but nearly 

 all are obliged, by the inadequacy of their salaries, to consume time 

 and energy in hack work, done merely to obtain a competency. 

 Neither money for assistants nor money for materials can penetrate 

 to the root of this trouble. Such money might, indeed, prov^e but 

 a temptation to overwork and consequent break-down. 



It seems to me that the difilculty ca7i be most satisfactorily overcome 

 by the establishment of Carnegie Research Professorships, to be awarded 

 to those whose past originality and persistence have shown that 

 they deser\'e such positions. These inen should be allowed to 

 retain some teaching work in the university of their choice, and 

 should be paid for such work by the university, but the bulk of 

 their salary should come from the Carnegie Institution. This 

 arrangement would cause each Foundation to pay for its appro- 

 priate work. 



The appointments to these professorships might be made for a 

 definite term of years, subject to reappointment in case the ap- 

 pointee has given evidence of due earnestness and success ; or they 

 might be terminated onl}' by death or proved inefficiency. The 

 total salary should be large enough to relieve the professor from 

 pecuniary worry, and he, on the other hand, should promise to 

 engage in no money making pursuit outside of the university. It 

 would be well to provide each professorship witli a Carnegie 

 Research ^\.ssistantship. 



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