FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 41 



the other institutions of the vState the preparations for other callings 

 and professions. . 



After the address of President Snyder the University Glee Club 

 delighted the large audience by a song. 



HIGHER EDUCATION, AS IT APPEARS TO THE BOARDS OF 



CONTROL. 



THE UNIVERSITY. 



COL. H. S. DEAN, ANN ARBOR. 



Ladies and Gentlemen — Your genial and energetic Superintendent 

 ■of Farmers' Institutes, Prof. Clinton D. Smith, without consultation, put 

 me on the bills to speak upon the topic "Higher Education," and to tell 

 you how it appears to a member of the Board of Control of the Uni- 

 versity of Michigan, and but for the care of the proof reader he would 

 have conferred fame u])on me by getting my name wrong in the 

 despatches. I beg to assure him, however, that he is forgiven, and 

 to say to you that you are peculiarly fortunate in securing so amia- 

 ble and able a superintendent. 



As I contemiilate the school system of Michigan my heart swells with 

 pride. We all have a just pride in this great State of ours. We are 

 proud of her intelligent and thorough-going farmers, her rich and 

 diversified soil, her mines of iron and copper, her factories, charitable 

 institutions, but abqve all we are proud of her schools, the crowning- 

 glory of which are her institutions for higher education, where the 

 poorest boy or girl in the land can secure the inestimable blessings 

 which they confer. 



For these the people of IMichigan are indebted to the noble and 

 sturdy men who laid the foundation stones for this great State. While 

 it was a wilderness, and they were battling with the hardships and 

 privations incident to pioneer life, they made provision for the higher 

 education of their children. In the organic act of our commonwealth 

 they established and provided for the government of a State University. 



If any one should ask, Are the sons and daughters of Michigan 

 worthy of such sires? I would invite him to look at this great institu- 

 tion devoted to higher education, for which they have so generously 

 provided. If that did not satisfy such a doubting Thomas, I would 

 squelch him by asking him to take a look at the sons and daughters 

 themselves. 



Michigan stands before the world second to no state in tl^is glorious 

 LTnion of ours. That she occupies this proud position is due to the 

 fact that her people have always kept her educational institutions in 

 the front rank. That they have had the wisdom to do this is due to 

 that other fact, that our fathers provided means for the education of 

 their sons and daughters, and I ]»redict that as long as they walk in 

 the footste])s and follow the example of their forefathers, so long 

 TN'ill Michigan remain in the front rank of states and continue to occupy 



