232 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



in silently endorsing the part they have taken in its 

 gradual development the Corporation has already 

 done us a great service. But we now stand, as you 

 know, in need of their more direct intervention, with- 

 out which the farther progress of the Annex is likely 

 to be checked, and indeed I hardly believe it could be 

 long maintained were its present conditions under- 

 stood by the public to be permanent. For this insta- 

 bility there are two causes, — first the uncertainty of 

 our instruction as long as it depends upon the cour- 

 tesy of the Professors and the consideration of the 

 Corporation, — second, the lack of any College de- 

 gree. With reference to the first we ask that our pres- 

 ent instruction should be continued to us as an edu- 

 cational department of the College, with the authority 

 of the governing boards, and second that under this 

 provision should be included the granting to our 

 students of the academic degrees. In asking for the 

 latter it should be understood that we think of them 

 only as credentials of scholarship, eliminating every- 

 thing that may concern rights and privileges of grad- 

 uates in the business affairs of the College, — as votes 

 for various offices, etc., etc. Within the last few months, 

 we have been made to feel more than ever our want 

 of a secure foimdation. Our efforts to raise money 

 in order to come to the Corporation with a fitting 

 endowment have been met everywhere with the ob- 

 jection that we have no direct relation to the College, 

 and no one is willing to give us any considerable sum 

 without any assurance that the University will take 

 us under its protection. That doubt removed we are 



