86 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



The yiomhiations to these professorships of chemistry might be 

 made by a disinterested foreign committee of experts, such as 

 J. H. van't Hoff, E. Fischer, W. Ostwald, M. Berthelot, and 

 W. Ramsay ; or else the candidates might be selected by the inde- 

 pendent voting of a large number of the leading American chemists. 

 Of course the appohittnejit would rest with the Trustees. 



This idea is not wholly new. The German Government has 

 already begun to establish somewhat similar professorships, and 

 unless America does likewise there is danger of our dropping 5'et 

 farther behind. 



It seems to me that the establishment of these professorships 

 would not only benefit science through the appointees, but would 

 also furnish an immense stimulus to the prosecution of research 

 among j^ounger men. At present an intelligent and far sighted 

 man perceives that he cannot hope to provide comfortably for a 

 family if he gives his chief energy to research. There is no pros- 

 pect in that direction. The able teacher or administrative ofl&cer 

 in a college may become president, the able inventor may secure a 

 competency through his patents, but the pure investigator is doomed 

 to poverty. There is no doubt that this lack of prospective ad- 

 vancement has driven many a brilliant American away from the 

 vastly important field of activity which it is the office of the Car- 

 negie Institution to foster. 



Most respectfully submitted. 



T. W. Richards. 



October 14, 1902. 



