MINUTEIS XXlll 



Secretary Hay, to be by him sent to Mr. Carnegie, with a letter 

 expressing the views of the Trustees on the gift. 



Mr. Hay subsequently transmitted the resolution and with it the 

 following letter : 



Department of State, 



Washington, March 7, i<)02. 



Hon. Andrew Carnegie, 



5 West §ist Street, New York City. 



Sir : The Trustees of the Carnegie Institution, which you have 

 recently founded in the city of Washington, formally accepted your 

 gift, by the adoption of the appended Resolution. 



At the same time they requested me, as the presiding officer at 

 the first meeting of the Board, to convey to you by a letter an ex- 

 pression of their hearty appreciation of your munificence, and also 

 their admiration of the noble purpose and the liberal spirit which 

 distinguish your foundation. 



For the advancement of knowledge and the education of youth, 

 there are already in this country many strong institutions, learned 

 societies, universities, government bureaus, libraries and museums. 

 With all of them the Carnegie Institution can cooperate, while it 

 has a field of its own, carefully indicated in your deed of gift, and 

 more fully explained by the remarks which you addressed to the 

 Board. 



Every one of those whom you have chosen as Trustees will regard 

 it as a sacred duty and a pleasure, to uphold the lofty ideal that you 

 have set before them, and to impart to those who come afterwards 

 the spirit of confidence and enthusiasm with which the work has 

 begun. 



I am, Sir, 



Very respectfully yours, John Hay. 



Dr. Oilman, the elected President, then addressed the Board, ex- 

 plaining, so far as they were known to him, the circumstances 

 which preceded the incorporation of the Carnegie Institution. His 

 remarks were extemporaneous and intended to acquaint the Board 

 with his attitude and that of the gentlemen with whom, at Mr. Car- 

 negie's request, he had been associated in these arrangements which 

 preceded the meeting of the Board. He expressed his apprecia- 

 tion of the honor conferred upon him by his selection as President 

 of the Institution, and he indicated in broad outlines the probable 

 methods of procedure. At an early day experts in many branches 

 of science will be selected by the Executive Committee to whom all 

 applications for encouragement and aid will be referred. These 

 experts will be requested to add their own suggestions, and pre- 



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