COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES 319 



the ^\or]d over. We can avail ourselves of a scientific law discovered 

 in Germany as well as though it had been announced from Harvard, or 

 Columbia, or Johns Hopkins. But to utilize these laws and discoveries 

 in actual industries requires an applied scientist to be on the ground. 

 It is the engineer, or ai)plied scientist, therefore, to whom we must turn 

 in the progress of our industries, and hence we will now consider what 

 qualities and accomplishments he must possess, in contradistinction 

 from the pure scientist, in order to fully meet the requirements of the 

 position. 



To the applied scientist that only is food, or is prized, which can be 

 shown to be capable of serving useful ends. It is his business to select 

 from the pure scientist's store of universal truth such as he can use 

 for particular purposes. 



Our applied scientist must have free and intelligent access to the 

 great storehouse of established truth. He must not only follow the 

 progress of science in one field, but in every field in which he under- 

 takes to practice; he must therefore be a constant student. Our applied 

 scientist must know also how to do things. This is the knowledge the 

 mechanic has. In learning his trade he has learned the fruits of the 

 world's experience in doing things. 



Again he must know what needs to be done. To know this lie must 

 be a man of affairs. He must be acquainted with the ways of com- 

 merce and trade, both at home and abroad. He must foresee the needs 

 of the immediate future. He must know the difficulties and hindrances 

 of present methods before he can provide remedies. He must also be 

 an economist. He must know the cost of things and the wastefulness 

 of present methods before he can determine whether or not it is worth 

 his while to invent new ones. In fact he must know as much as pos- 

 sible about how the world now does its work if he is to facilitate 

 matters. This kind of knowledge also the pure scientist does not 

 possess. 



But what else must our applied scientist have and be? He must 

 have largely developed in him sine qua non in the profitable solution 

 of all new problems, — invention. This seems to be one of nature's gifts. 

 It can be cultivated, however. It is this faculty which suggests the 

 various possible ways of accomplishing a given thing. From this knowl- 

 edge of affairs our applied scientist sees what needs to be done. His 

 invention suggest s a hundred ways to do it. It unconsciously runs 

 to and fro throughout his mental storehouse of acquired facts, both of 

 science and method, and brings to his attention all the possible ways of 

 accomplishing the results. 



Thus we see our applied scientist is at once a student of science, a 

 mechanic, man of affairs, and an inventor combined in one. Nothing 

 short of this will fill the bill. Being a scientist only, he knows not what 

 to do or how to do it. licing a mechani(^ only, he knows particular 

 ways of doing a given series of things, and he is sure to give you of 

 his little store, whether it serves the purpose or not. Being an executive 

 man he sees what ought to be remedied, but he knows not what to 

 put in its place or how to accomplish any desired end. He probably 

 gets a "[(Tactical man" to come and do something but the chances are 

 very much against this something being the best thing, or the thing 



