PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. XXI 



the land-grant colleges, has flickered out. I know the importance of this meeting 

 and I am exceedingly desirous of hearing the college committee develop their plans 

 and wishes. 



The more I reflect on the question, in the light of my experience in Washington 

 and as a college officer, the less able I find myself to formulate any plan on a scale 

 such as doubtless these gentlemen desire. We are, I am sure, desirous tha,t the 

 Smithsonian Institution should meet their wishes as far as it can without swamping 

 the larger work of research and of the diffusion of knowledge among men, which it 

 was founded to do and which it has so well done. 



But our resources are small, and even if adequately increased I do not see clearly 

 how the work of research and of instruction can be made to go hand in hand. The 

 best endowed universities have not been able to unite the two, except in a small and 

 occasional way. The men who by scientific research have extended human knowl- 

 edge are generally compelled to work in such individual and even eccentric ways 

 that they can not carry learners with them, and they benefit the world by making 

 known their results and methods, not by carrying with them a company of specta- 

 tors, to whom every step must be explained and every process of reasoning made 

 clear in advance. 



Very sincerely, yours, Wm. L. Wilson. 



At a subsequent meeting of the joint committees, held in this city, at the residence 

 of Dr. Bell, on the 11th instant, in which President Harper, of the Chicago Univer- 

 sity, participated as a representative of the National Educational Association, other 

 proceedings of an interesting character were had. Reports of these proceeding were 

 promptly furnished by Dr. True to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and 

 also by this committee. 



At the possible risk of being tedious in the presentation of its report your committee 

 deems it advisable to preserve a full record of the papers and documents connected 

 with the propositions now submitted to the consideration of the Regents. 



The report of Mr. True is as follows: 



United States Department op Agriculture, 



Office of Experiment Stations, 

 Washington, I). C, Jannxrnj 13, 1900. 

 Mr. S. P. Lang LEY, 



Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 



Dear Sir: With a view to facilitating your consideration of the pending questions 

 regarding the opening of the Smithsonian Institution and the Government depart- 

 ments to graduate students, permit me to lay before you a series of papers relating 

 to this matter. 



Exhibit A. — Report of the Committee on Graduate Study of the American Associa- 

 tion of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, contained in Bulletin No. 65, 

 Office of Experiment Stations, Department ot Agriculture. ^ 



Exhibit B. — The Educational Review for December, 1899, containing an account of 

 the action taken by a committee of the National Educational Association regarding 

 the project for a National University at Washington.' 



Exhibit C. — A tentative plan for a bureau of graduate study in the Smithsonian 

 Institution, which was drawn up by the committee on graduate study of the Associa- 

 tion of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations and presented to the commit- 

 tee of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution appointed to consider this matter.* 



Exhibit D. — Copy of resolutions adopted by the George Washington Memorial 

 Association at its annual meeting in December, 1899. 



1 Being accessible in the publications mentioned, these exhibits are not printed here. 

 ''This is identical with the document given above, p. xviii. 



