SYNOPSIS OP PROCEEDINGS. 315 



In his introductory remarks, Mr. Ficke congratulated the Academy, 

 the citizens of Davenport, and of the- State of Iowa as well, on the 

 establishment of Science Hall. 



President MacLean said he brought to the Academy and the citi- 

 zens of Davenport congratulations, not only on behalf of the State 

 University with its faculty of 130 and its 1,500 students, but also on 

 behalf of all the public schools, academies and colleges of the state. 

 The Davenport High School, he said, led all others in the state in 

 sending students to the University and to other higher institutions of 

 learning. He regarded the Academy of Sciences as a valuable addi- 

 tion to the educational facilities of the city and state. Science, he 

 said, was no longer looked upon as antagonistic to religion and poetry, 

 but went hand in hand with all other educational and uplifting influ- 

 ences. He closed with a reference to the achievements of woman 

 and paid a tribute to Mrs. Putnam for what she has done for the 

 Academy. 



Professor Nutting, also of the State University, said, in substance : 



I represent the scientific department of the State University and we 

 are glad to meet our friends of science here. We feel it is due to the 

 Academy that we should come here this evening. I have often wondered 

 what the people of Davenport are to make of the Academy of Sciences. 

 For some years I have been in charge of a museum and I have been 

 interested in the way the public thinks of and values a museum. A 

 man once came to me and asked, " Will the amusement be open 

 to-day?" meaning the museum. 1 have often thought I would like 

 to prepare a lecture on " The Public in a Museum," for the reason 

 that this man's remark was significant, indicating the popular notion 

 that a museum is a place where one may go to see things and thereby 

 be amused. Among the objects for which museums are established, 

 the least important is amusement. It should be the aim of the people 

 to seek instruction in the highest sense of that word. A museum is a 

 place for research, for study and for work. I hope the school children 

 of this city will be led to consider this museum from that point of view, 

 and that they will be induced to use freely the valuable collections 

 that you have here. This Academy is unique in that nowhere in the 

 West has such a museum been sustained for so long a time in a city 

 the size of Davenport. I feel that you are to be congratulated on the 

 past as well as on the present achievements. 



The Professor closed with the following : 



