PROGRESS IN ENGINEERING 309 



centage of those taking these courses to graduate is about 

 39. This figure would be somewhat reduced were the first 

 year men considered, as the proportion to drop out during 

 the first year is greater than during succeeding years. 



It is hardly necessary to emphasize the fact that during 

 this most healthy growth the standards of the various in- 

 stitutions have been constantly raised. This condition 

 would naturall}^ follow the general progress of the country as 

 a whole, as well as the progress in engineering education. 



Passing through the period when text books were few, 

 instructors poorly trained, illustrative apparatus and oppor- 

 tunities for research almost unknown, the engineering in- 

 stitutions awoke to find themselves among the leaders, with 

 books of reference and text books prepared by the best au- 

 thorities; their instructors men of culture, experience and 

 technical education; apparatus of the best, and, finally, 

 engineering laboratories equipped for research work and 

 practical illustration of the important principles and facts 

 of engineering. 



Of recent developments in connection with the advance 

 of engineering education, the engineering laboratory is prob- 

 ably the most important. Such laboratories were proposed 

 by Prof. W. B. Rogers about 1861, and in 1874 a steam engi- 

 neering laboratory was estabhshed at the Massachusetts 

 institute of technology. Prof. Channing Whitaker was 

 placed in charge of this laboratory, which was probably the 

 first ever established. The influence of such laboratories has 

 been very great, until to-day no institution of recognized 

 standing in engineering can maintain a high position with- 

 out well equipped laboratories, as they are of the greatest 

 importance as factors in instruction and training. 



The development of some institutions to-day is such 

 that they not only carry on their regular courses of instruction 

 during the college year, but summer courses in the field, 

 shop or mine are conducted, to give the student what prac- 

 tical experience is possible during his course of training. 

 The regular recitations, lectures and laboratory work are 

 supplemented by addresses by active men of experience and 

 reputation, and by visits to manufacturing establishments 



