June, 1904.] Opening of the Lake Laboratory Building . 183 



Professor Bradford ; the contractor, Mr. George Feick ; to the 

 officers of the Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company, and espec- 

 ially to the Hon. John T. Mack, Trustee of the University, who 

 from the beginning has been its watchful and thoughtful guardian. 

 To Professor Osborn, whose quiet, earnest effort has largely 

 contributed to this better opportunity for scientific investigation, 

 thanks and congratulations are due for his part in the work. But 

 he and his able associates, Professors F. L,. Landacre and James S. 

 Hine are to be further congratulated that to them is entrusted 

 the present responsibility of seeing that this great laboratorj^ 

 shall be used with an &ye single to the advancement of science 

 and the public welfare in accordance with the aims of its founder, 

 and that the students who go forth from it shall be so inspired by 

 the spirit of truth that they shall be its devoted servants and loyal 

 to it all their lives. 



Remarks by Professor Herbert Osborn, Director. 



After what has been said alreadj^ I need not detain you with an 

 extended statement of our purposes and plans in the work of our 

 summer station. I would like, however, to mention some phases 

 of our work and if possible, emphasize our position in regard to 

 our relations to other institutions and to scientific workers in 

 general. 



Only about thirty years ago there was begun on a little island 

 off the coast of Ma,ssachusetts what has proved to be the pioneer 

 of the seaside and aquatic laboratories now so plentiful in differ- 

 ent parts of the world. When Agassiz opened up his summer 

 laboratory on Penikese he not only started a movement for the 

 closer stud}' of animal life under inspiring surroundings but he 

 really inaugurated a movement in American education which has 

 had a remarkable effect on the methods of teaching here and 

 abroad. A method that involves the inspiration of personal con- 

 tact with nature under the guidance of a lover of nature expert 

 in understanding her ways. 



I can myself remember the kindling of boyish ambition to go 

 to Agassiz" s school, for his name had then become a familiar one 

 throughout the land. To stud}- under his guidance was to my 

 youthful fancy the height of opportunity. I remember, too, most 

 distinctly, how bewildered and dazed I felt when I learned that 

 Agassiz was dead. It had never occurred to me that Agassiz 

 might die. I had never thought of him as a man who possibly 

 was old but only as the representaMve teacher. In the airy castles 

 of youth I had dreamed that possibly, .some day, I might be able 

 to come under his inspiring instruction. 



Of course we may say that the direct method of study must 

 have originated long before Agassiz' s time, in fact such method 

 can be referred readily to Aristotle and other early interpreters 



