M. A. C. ALUMNI REUNION. 437 



name and leading- on to more or less ])roficienev along certain lines 

 of work, the completion of which would lead to no degree, but in 

 themselves be of such a nature the taking of which might diminish the 

 labor required to do the complete course, if the pupil wished to take it; 

 and in any case to lay a foundation for future study. The divisions 

 might be made to include an amount of time covering one or two years. 

 Into these divisions those having the minimum requirements could 

 enter and acquire some higher notions of agriculture. Now if these 

 do not work for a degree they go away with the spirit of the institution 

 implanted in them and become much stronger men than without this 

 contact with the institution. 



On the other hand, the course of study that leads to a degree should 

 be of a much higher type, embracing perhaps the others, but requiring 

 the maximum qualifications for entrance, and leading up to a well 

 rounded knowledge of scientific agriculture, ending with a diploma and 

 a degree. The same qualification for admission could be required for 

 all the other courses leading to a degree. Something like this has been 

 done by normal schools and it has worked well. I can see no reason 

 why it would not work well in an agricultural college. 



By some such arrangement, all classes of students could be accommo- 

 dated and benefited. The student taking the complete course would be a 

 much stronger man. 



What 1 have said has, perhaps, been too short, with too few illustra- 

 tions, and in too disconnected a manner, to make what I want to say 

 clear to those who have not given it much thought. The higher edu- 

 cation of farmers' sons and daughters is a subject to which I am par- 

 ticularly interested, and the method of getting at it I have tried to 

 outline. 



The Agricultural College is the institution that is to accomplish that 

 work, and we are the ones to support her. As for me, my influence 

 shall alwavs be directed to that end. 



HISTORY, FOK TRIENNIAL REUNION OF M. A. C. ALUMNI 



ASSOCIATION, 1900. 



LUTHEa H. BAKER, '93. 



The exact scope, both intensive and extensive, of a history of the 

 Alumni Association has been a quandary in my mind ever since the 

 misguided action of the last ''Triennial" in selecting a historian for 

 11)00. Dr. Keal's jiainstaking and accurate catalog of ollicers and 

 grailuates, giving the address and occu])ation of each alumnus up to 

 ISliT), renders the usual si)ecies of alumni history unnecessary. On the 

 <»lher hand, every loyal alumnus, — and only such are present today, — 

 is ])erfectly familiar with the facts in the history of the College. Con- 

 fronted thus by a hoj>eless dilemma, and not caring to take either horn, 

 I liaNe endeavored to adopt a course indei>endent of either. The educa- 

 tional trend of the (Jollege, as observed in the vai-ious periods of its 

 liistory, furnishes such a course, and has been adojited as the most 

 feasible and ju-ofitable. 



