53 



sphere of usefulnes.s till it reaelies every jiart of the state and has the sym- 

 pathy and active support of a wide constituency. 



Our own state in 1869 organized a Department of Geology and Nat- 

 lu'al History and much good work has been accomplished. The energies 

 of the department have been largely confined to investigations in the 

 geological field, however, and its oflicial title has been changed to The 

 Department of Geology and Natural Resources. Little has been done in 

 other fields and practically nothing in an educational way to gain the inter- 

 est and support of the people of the state as a whole. It has been unable, 

 therefore, to obtain adequate financial support from the state or to enlist 

 the cooperation of other departments and organizations which should assist 

 in building up an institution of which we might be proud and which would 

 take a large place in the educational system of the state. Indiana now has 

 a number of state departments or boards for the control or prosecution of 

 work in various fields of pure or applied science, l»ut for the most part 

 they are independent in organization and work and there is lacking that 

 cooperation and solidarity we should expect and without which the highest 

 efifectiveness cannot be attained. Let me say again that this statement of 

 fact is not made in the spirit of criticism of the officers or persojinel of any 

 department; the purpose is siniply to i all attention to the situation as it 

 exists and to point out the desirability of a change In the organization to 

 bring about a condition more fitting to present conditions and therefore 

 more advantageous to all departments and to their work for the state. I 

 believe It would be wise and proper for the Academy, to'j;ether with the 

 different scientific departments and boards of the state, to consider some 

 plan for the consolidation of the scientific agencies of the state which 

 would render their W(n-k more effective and more extensive and thus gain 

 the s.vmpathy of the people and the necessary increased financial and other 

 material support from the leglslatvire. What Is everybody's business Is 

 nobody's Ijuslness, Init some liody or some organization should make It Its 

 business at least to consider some method of encouraging and forwarding 

 the organized scientific activities of the stae, and by reason of Its character 

 and standing the Academy of ^>cience might well lead the way. For such 

 action the third purpose of the organization as laid down in the constitu- 

 tion provides altundant warrant, and it Is the l)ellef of the speaker that 

 through such action the Academy would render large and lasting service 

 \ to the state. 



