120 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Much could be written in detail iu this report, but I doubt the ad- 

 visability of so doing. As a consequence, I have confined myself to a few 

 important suggestions which, to my mind, mark out the course of pro- 

 cedure for us in the future efiforts to build up the work of the Summer 

 Session. I have faith that the cooperation of our faculty can make the 

 Session a much larger enterprise if we can direct our efforts Avith con- 

 tinued and increased vigor in these lines. 



In closing I want to testify to the splendid spirit with which the 

 teaching staff has handled the work of the Session. I say again that 

 T believe the best classroom and laboratorj^ work of the year is done 

 a1 this period. 



E. H. RYDER, 

 Director of Summer Session. 

 East Lansing, Mich., June 30, 1920. 



REPORT OF THE MILITARY DEl'ARTMENT. 



The President, 



Michigan Agricultural College. 



Dear Sir:^ — The Military department, in handing in its annual report, 

 wishes to invite attention to the post Avar contlitious which have ren- 

 dered its work of considerable difficulty this past year. I refer to the 

 necessarily liberal policy toward students Avho liave served the govern- 

 ment during the late emergency. Hitherto, little if any, attention has 

 been granted to pleas for exemption from our course in military training 

 unless the claimant has been able to convince the Commandant that his 

 work elsewhere has equalled that of our department — therein following 

 strictly the actions of other academic departments. But with a large 

 number of young men desiring to enter college and who had training 

 in our war camps and abroad, I felt that, even tlntugh their training 

 did not follow our lines, j^et we should grant at least equal time credits. 

 Doing this resulted in a greatly diminished attendance in the Military 

 department. The War Department's annual jihysical examination in 

 February also cost us some 16% of young men who could not come up 

 to the high standard set for officer material. AVe trust that the War 

 Department will show a more liberal interpretation of the requirements 

 this next year. 



For the first time in tlie history of the College, units other than in- 

 fantry have been organized. A coast artillery unit under Capt. J. J. 

 Teter started about Nov. 1st. The material furnished by the War De- 

 ])artment is quite extensive, consisting of a 155 mm gun, an 8 inch 

 howitzer, an artillery ]ei)air truck, a 5 ton tractor an<l a 3 ton Liberty 

 truck. All needful i)araphernalia for range finding, radio, telephonic com- 

 munication, etc. is here and installed. It is a very po]»ular course, espec- 

 ially Avitli tlie engineer studenls as ii fits in well Avith their professional 

 Avork and studies. Enrollment was limited this year as we desired to 

 try out selected young men Avith a vieAV to their acting as officers iu 

 the unit next vear. 



