14 Transactions of the Royal Canadian Institute 



knowledge. After years of study abroad these men returned to America 

 with a new outlook and new ideas.. They were imbued with the spirit 

 of research and brought it with them into the universities where they 

 received appointments. In the larger institutions thrre were develop- 

 ments along graduate and research lines. In universities both large and 

 small, the research spirit reacted on the undergraduate work and vital- 

 ized it. Bringing a sleepy old text-book routine institution into touch 

 with research has all the effect of connecting a stagnant pool with running 

 water. There are still some pools that would be the better for a little 

 more flow. 



The research workers just referred to organized scientific societies. 

 At the meetings of these societies, papers, containing the results of their 

 researches, were read and discussed. Journals were founded for the 

 publication of these papers. The scientific status of the United States 

 and the universities within its borders rose in the eyes of Europe. 



The American universities a generation ago were practically all high 

 schools with the exception of the Johns Hopkins University. They are 

 now a combination of university and high school, and in certain of them 

 the research side has been considerably emphasised. The Johns Hopkins 

 was a pioneer in research. It was founded primarily as a research in- 

 stitution. An important feature in its policy was the appointment of big 

 men to its professorships. Big men, however, were not always available. 

 Furthermore it was straitened financially. It did its best under the 

 circumstances and that meant much. Brick and mortar held a small 

 place in its programme and its buildings were less pretentious than those 

 of the larger American universities in general. It established scientific 

 journals and within a few years of its foundation, its prestige in Europe 

 eclipsed that of all other universities on this side of the Atlantic. Other 

 universities supplied with more ample funds have followed the example 

 of the Johns Hopkins and have made research a conspicuous feature of 

 their work. Most universities on this continent might take a lesson 

 from the Johns Hopkins University in regard to the relative emphasis 

 to be laid on men and buildings. 



The improvement in the scientific and academic status of American 

 universities during recent years I have attributed primarily to a number 

 of individuals who studied in Europe and brought back with them to 

 America the inspiration of research. To these are to be added scientific 

 graduates of the Johns Hopkins University distributed among the 

 educational institutions of the continent who had their share in leavening 

 the academic sentiment and spreading the research idea. Those who 

 now have charge of research work in American universities and those 

 who are engaged in industrial research on this side of the Atlantic are, 



