88 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



English, 73 in the study of German, and 33 in the study of Fi'ench. 

 During the winter term the numbers were as follows: English, 953; 

 German, 193; and French, 23, and during the spring terra the num- 

 bers were as follows: English, 742; German. 129; and French, 15. 

 The total number in the fall term was 1,134, in the winter term 1,169 

 and in the spring term 88G. 



At the close of the year Mr. L, N. Cullom resigned his position to 

 go into work of another nature. Mr. Frank G. Tompkins also resigned. 

 He accepts a position in the English department of the State Uni- 

 versity. Mr. Tompkins came to us as a teacher of experience and as 

 a man thoroughly acquainted with his subject and in love with his 

 work. These qualities have made him one of the most valuable mem- 

 bers of the department. It seems to me that the policy of the college 

 should be to keep an instructor of this type, even in spite of the allure- 

 ments of teaching in his alma mater, of being associated Avith one of 

 the greatest universities in the land, and of receiving a decided increase 

 in salary-. This institution cannot afford to lose a man of this type, 

 no matter how much salary it takes to keep him. 



Mr. George L. i^tevens, who has been in the department for three 

 years, also resigned. He felt that it was unwise for him to risk further 

 winters in the climate of Michigan. Of the value of his services to the 

 department and to the college, too much cannot be said. No better 

 teacher has ever been a member of the department. No instructor 

 has had a more elevating and ennobling influence on the students who 

 came under his charse. His affability and constant good cheer have 

 been a marked characteristic of the social life of the younger people 

 of the community. No other plea than that of health would persuade 

 the department to permit him to leave. With him go the heartiest 

 wishes of his unnumbered friends among the people of the community 

 and among the students. 



In my last report I recommended the introduction of language phones 

 for the study of German. It has seemed impossible to introduce this 

 aid to our work because of a lack of room to install them. I hope 

 that the completion of the Agricultural building will render it possible 

 for us to favor our students with this opportunity, if we find it im- 

 possible to do so at an earlier date. Something of the laboratory work 

 suggested in my last re])ort for work in English literature has been 

 attempted. The results have been such as to assure me that it is ad- 

 visable to introduce still more of this kind of Avork. As I said a year 

 ago, however, such Avork is greatly hampered by the limitations of 

 the library building. 



The department has done away with the former custom of giving 

 credit for work done in German in high school. Students who have 

 had German are permitted to enter advanced classes, but are not given 

 credit toward graduation for earlier work. Their graduation from high 

 school was made possible by the credits received from this work. To 

 use the same credits, a second time, toward graduation from college 

 seems to me entirely unwarranted. 



I am glad to report tliat the intercollegiate debate with Ypsilanti 

 State Normal College, which for seven years has been under the general 

 direction of this department, was won both last year and this year 

 by this college. I wish to express my appreciation of the help given 



