1 HiK 



Ruschenberger.] J.tJ\J [April 1, 



liuman knowledge which may be profitably taught), a school of natural 

 history was devised and instituted under the modern style of Department 

 of Biology, and Dr. Leidy was appointed, for the current academic year, 

 Professor of Biology (Zoology) in the Faculty of Philosophy. 



In 1884 the department was organized by the appointment of a Faculty 

 of seven professors, including Dr. Leidy as Professor of Zoology and 

 Comparative Anatomy, and he was elected. May 6, Director of the 

 Biological Department.* 



It w^as proposed, March 16, 1885, that his salary should be $6000, on 

 condition that he should resign his position in Swarthmore College, which 

 lie did, and give his time exclusively to the University. 



A laboratory, an herbarium and an appropriate museum were started. 

 To the latter Dr. Leidy contributed many of his skillfully made prepara- 

 tions, and bequeathed to it an herbarium of about 1400 species of plants, 

 collected by himself. 



In this connection the University Marine Biological Association has 

 been founded, with laboratories and aquaria located at Sea Isle City, N. J. 



The Geological Society — Burlington House, London, January 5, 1884 — 

 awarded to Dr. Leidy the Lyell Medal, with its accompanying purse of 

 £25, in recognition of his important services to paleontology. 



About the close of the year 1883 the attention of Dr. Leidy was invited 

 to a subject which he had not previously considered. 



Mr. Henry Seybert, a firm believer in modern spiritualism, who died 

 March 3, 1883, aged eighty-two years, not long before his death gave to the 

 University of Pennsylvania a sum of money sufficient to found a Professor- 

 ship of Philosophy, on condition that the University should appoint a com- 

 mission to investigate "all systems of morals, religion or philosophy, which 

 assume to represent the truth, and particularly of modern spiritualism." 



Ten gentlemen, most of them members of Faculties or of the Board of 

 Trustees of the Universit}^ were constituted a commission to investigate 

 modern spiritualism. Dr. Leidy, with one or more members of the com- 

 mission, attended twelve sittings with reputed spiritualist mediums, from 

 March, 1884, to April, 1887. The commission submitted a preliminary 

 report of its proceedings May, 1887. f 



The Trustees of the Wagner Free Institute of Science elected him, July 

 27, 1885, President of tlie Faculty and Professor of Biology, at an annual 

 salary of $500. From that date the Trustees obtained his views before 

 deciding any question relating to the scientific policy of the Institute, and 

 appointed members of the Faculty subject to his approval. He lectured 

 two or three times every season, and always attracted a large audience. 

 In the spring of 1890, lectureships superseded the Faculty system, and 



* University of Penusylvauia. Handbook of Informatiou, concerning the School of 

 Biology, Philadelphia, 1889. 



t Preliminary Report of the Commission appointed by the Universil y of Pennsylvania 

 to Investigate Modern Spiritualism, in accordance with the Request of the late Henry 

 Seybert, 12nio, pp. IdO. J. B. Lippiucott Company, Philadelphia, 1887. 



