EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. X]IL No. 6. 



The death of Dv. William LeRoy Broun, of Alabama, removes one 

 who has been a prominent figure in educational matters in the South 

 for nearly a half century. His splendid career as president of the 

 Alabama Poh^technic Institute for nearly twenty years stamps him as 

 a man of rare wisdom in educational affairs, marked executive ability, 

 and a strength of character which commanded the confidence and sup- 

 port of his colleagues and legislators alike. He maintained the indi- 

 viduality and integrity of the institution during a period which was 

 fraught with many disruptive and formative changes in other colleges, 

 guiding it along the lines of a well-conceived plan, and developing one 

 of the foremost institutions of its kind. 



A Virginian l)y birth and an honor graduate of the University of 

 that State, Dr. Broun's entire mature life was devoted to educational 

 work except during the period of the civil war. As an instructor he 

 occupied successively the chairs of mathematics and of physics in a 

 college in Mississippi, the University of Georgia, Vanderbilt Univer- 

 sitj^, and the Universit}^ of Texas. He founded Bloomfield Academy 

 in Virginia in 1856, which he conducted successfully until the outbreak 

 of the war; and was for three years (1872-1875) j^resident of the Agri- 

 cultural and Mechanical College of Georgia. His connection with the 

 Alabama Polytechnic Institute, formerly the Agricultural and Mechan- 

 ical College, dated from 1882, when he was elected president, but 

 remained only a j^ear. He was recalled in 1884 and continued as the 

 guiding hand of that institution up to the time of his death, retaining 

 the details of administration very largel}' in his own hands. He was 

 the executive officer of the experiment station from 1892 to 1807, and 

 was president of the station council at the time of his death. 



Although of kite Dr. Broun had not been active in educational 

 movements outside his State, there were man}^ evidences of his con- 

 tinued interest in the progress of education. He was one of the 

 pioneers in technical education, his interest being especially strong in 

 that branch relating to the mechanic arts. He established the first 

 manual trainiiig la})oratory in the South, and the first well-equipped 

 electrical engineering plant. He had a high appreciation of the study 



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