568 TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 



he came west; and in this regard I wish to say that you people are 

 exceedingly fortunate tonight — it just occurred to me as the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture was talking to us that tonight we have two men 

 as honored guests of this banquet who have been in the Department 

 of Agriculture, one as the Secretary of Agriculture, to whom you 

 have listened, and the other who has been Assistant Secretary of 

 Agriculture during the period of the war. Aside from this, this 

 man is at the head of the greatest agricultural college in the United 

 States. (Applause.) And it is with pleasure that at this time I 

 have the opportunity to introduce to you Dr. R. A. Pearson, presi- 

 dent of our State Agricultural College. Dr. Pearson. (Applause.) 



ADDRESS OF R. A. PEARSON, 



President Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. 



Mr. Toastmaster, Friends: Everyone here knows very well that I can 

 not fill the place of our good governor — we are very sorry that he can 

 not be here, but I might occupy a few minutes that were allotted to him. 



We have heard a most wonderful talk this evening by our old chum 

 and still our good, friend, Henry C. Wallace. I don't suppose there is a 

 person in the room but realizes that he is in charge of a tremendous job, 

 and I don't suppose that I could express our good wishes for him any 

 better than to say that we are confident that he will do this tremendous 

 job just as well as he used to tell us that barrel story. (Laughter and 

 applause.) 



Do you know, friends, that he has more power than any other man in 

 this country, with the exception of a few that you could count on the 

 fingers of your two hands? He has more power than the governors of 

 states, than the rulers of some mighty kingdoms in this world today, and 

 we are glad and proud that our old friend has been given the opportu- 

 nity that is his. Now, being a college man, I am going to suggest that 

 we give him a yell before he gets out of the building. 



(Three cheers given for Secretary Wallace as he retired from the 

 room.) 



Well, I might say a good deal about the work he is doing. He didn't 

 tell us some of the personal things about it, but I happen to be acquainted 

 with quite a number of men in the department and I know that our 

 friend Wallace gets down there at about 7 o'clock in the morning on a 

 good many mornings, and the old colored messenger who has been there 

 a number of years tells me that he sometimes stays so late in the eve- 

 ning that this colored messenger doesn't get home in time for his supper. 

 I don't know how it is that it agrees with him so well, except that he had 

 a hardy constitution that comes from living in this climate and living 

 with us so that he can stand those diplomats, salutes, hard work, long 

 hours, etc. I hope he v/ill not have to stand them all the rest of his life, 

 but I hope he continues down there for a number of years, and then re- 

 turns to us to be one of us again. 



