FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 33 



EVENING SESSION. 



UNIVERSITY HALL. 



Dr. R. G. Kedzie, LL. D., of the Aoricultural College, who attended 

 the first Institute held in the State, presided. The mnsic for the even- 

 ing- was furnished by the University Glee Glub. The topic for the 

 evening was "Higher Education.'' 



AT THE UNIVERSITY. 



BY DK. JAMES B. ANGELL. 



An abstract of his address follows: 



I am glad to welcome this representative collection of Michigan 

 farmers to the halls of your State University. I trust that all of you 

 desire to inspect the grounds, buildings and laboratories. I hope that 

 all of you will have opportunity to visit all of them. Our doors are ever 

 open to Michigan guests. All of you are most welcome. I often wish 

 that we could move the University about the State to show it to the 

 people by whose taxes it is supported, but this cannot be done. There- 

 fore only a few who support the institution can visit it. I wish every 

 citizfen could come to Ann Arbor. Be assured that we desire to show 

 you all exactly wha't we are doing, explain to you our objects, desires 

 and methods, that you may fully realize that we are not working for 

 ourselves, but for you. We understand fully that these State schools 

 are yours. It is not our University as distinguished from yours. We 

 who are now serving you as members of the faculty to help carry on the 

 work are acting as your servants. We come and go. None remain here 

 long, but the institution we hope is to stay forever. 



Our connection is indeed transient. Of the more than 200 persons 

 now constituting the teaching force of this University only four were 

 here wlien I became its president. It is, however, the same University, 

 growing younger and stronger every year. 



We are glad again for every opportunity to welcome the business men 

 of the State. Those great men who planted these schools were far-see- 

 ing, and everyone who studies must feel within him growing the rever- 

 ence for the great men who framed the Michigan constitution in 1837. 

 ^Ve can never pay them sufficient honor. When you return home take 

 up that constitution and read the paragraph on education. 



There is nothing nobler in the history of this whole country than the 

 sublime thoughts ^of these great men in founding the school system of 

 Michigan, crowned with the University. These men came from New 

 York, Massachusetts and New England. They were poor; they had 

 nothing but land, brains and high resolves. They could not allow their 

 children to grow up in ignorance. That was to them unthinkable. 

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