BASIC RESEARCH AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY 



I should explain that Dr. Chamberlin had been president 

 of The University of Wisconsin from 1887 until 1892, when 

 he went to Chicago in order to devote his full energies to 

 research in geology. He returned to make the Commencement 

 address in 1904. And he spoke in these words: 



. . . the fundamental promotion of education lies in increase of 

 the intellectual possessions of a people, and in the mental activities 

 and attitudes that grow out of the getting, the testing, and the 

 using of these possessions. 



He continued: 

 The education of the individual does not necessarilv lift the 



J 



education of the aggregate, for if we convey to the rising genera- 

 tion only such ideas as we have inherited, the summit-level of 

 education is not raised. 



He further added: 



If we are agreed upon this, let us turn to the question: How is 

 real educational advancement to be secured? 



Some progress may be made in a live people by voluntary re- 

 search and by the incidental accretions of common experience, 

 but if our intellectual estate be left to such sporadic and unsys- 

 tematic agencies, growth is a creature of uncertaintv. If perchance 

 there be laudable growth, it is scant credit to the state. If the 

 enrichment of our intellectual world be left to spontaneous indi- 

 vidual action, it cannot be hoped that it will be continuous or 

 systematically directed. It will follow the diverse lines that chance 

 to be inviting to individuals. Inquiries will be taken up and 

 dropped at pleasure, and will be limited by scant resources. There 

 is as good chance of finding a rich man in heaven as in a labora- 

 tory. 



Dr. Chamberlin concluded: 



Research in every realm of a people's legitimate interest is an 

 appropriate function of the people's organized self, the state, and 

 of the people's organized instrument of research, the state uni- 

 versity. 



89 



