1 8 2 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



filth from the dairy, to repair buildings and fences, 

 and to clean up things generally. And quite to my 

 surprise, things began to happen which made the 

 situation more tolerable. In the Register of 

 1873-4 Professor Caldwell's name had been 

 printed as " Instructor " and mine as "Assistant 

 Professor;" but in 1874-5 Professor Caldwell 

 was made full Professor of Agricultural Chem- 

 istry and I Professor of Agriculture. This pro- 

 motion showed that my efforts during that first 

 year were being appreciated. 



I think it was in the fall of that first year that 

 President A. S. Welch of the Iowa State College 

 of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, came to make 

 me a visit. Before leaving he said to me that 

 while I was at the Iowa College a degree mattered 

 little to me for there I was judged, as other men 

 were in the West, by their works ; but that in the 

 East, a title would be a help to me. He offered to 

 bring this matter to the attention of the Iowa 

 Faculty on the ground that I had had years of 

 study and experience, although I had not followed 

 the regular courses, and he was kind enough to 

 say that I had earned a degree. He thought it 

 possible that they would give me an honorary one. 



Shortly afterward, by a unanimous vote, the 

 Faculty of the Iowa College recommended to the 



