ALMA MATER. 237 



scarcely sufficient to erect buildings, and the annual donation has long 

 since been withdrawn, in consequence of the pecuniary embarrassments 

 of the State. With no endowed professorships, with no munificent pa- 

 trons, without any revenue except that derived from the tuition fees, her 

 wants must be pressing. Her debt should be liquidated, her Cabinet en- 

 larged, her Scientific Department extended and furnished with additional 

 philosophical apparatus, the shelves of her Library should be filled with 

 thousands of volumes, and the number of hei students quadrupled. 

 To whom can Pennsylvania College look with so strong a claim as to 

 her own sons ? To whom can she appeal with so much confidence as 

 to those who arc proud to acknowledge her as their literary parent ? 

 Will they not come to her relief and render her some aid, or will J-hey 

 repudiate this debt of gratitude and permit her to suffer .'' Much has 

 been done by the Alumni of other Colleges, for the Seminaries of learn- 

 ing in which they were trained. Yale, Harvard, Amherst, and other in- 

 stitutions of the East have been nobly sustained, greatly enriched and 

 amply endowed by their sons. And shall we be less mindful of our 

 obligations — less willing to perform our duty .' Can we not, at the ap- 

 proaching meeting of our Association, adopt some plan for securing the 

 object proposed ^ Allow us to oiler some suggestions for the consider- 

 ation of our friends : 



1st. That every Alumnus atmually pay into the Treasury of the Col- 

 lege five dollars. This at present would amount to about five hundred 

 dollars a year, which would be quite a handsome sum to appropriate to 

 the Library. The next year we might purchase a telescope^ which has 

 long been a desideratum in the Institution — a gift, which would be a 

 valuable acquisition to the astronomical department, and would no doubt 

 highly gratify the Professor of Natural Science. 



2ndly. That we solicit subscriptions from our friends and acquaint- 

 ances. In almost every neighborhood are some wealthy individuals, 

 who might be induced, if the subject were properly presented, to give 

 a valuable donation, or unite with some others in establishing a profes- 

 sorship, or at their decease, if without heirs, to make the College their 

 legatee. The reception of fifty volumes of books, or a legacy of one 

 hundred dollars would be most gratefully received, and would be re- 

 garded as a strong evidence of our friendly feeling and attachment to 

 the College. 



3dly. That we make effort^! to procure specimens in the various de- 

 partments of Natural Science for her Cabinet. Minerols, shells, fossils, 

 quadrupeds, birds, insects, coialo, coins, medals, paintings, engravings, 



