228 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



practice was given up as the Station atmosphere 

 had become unfriendly. When it became evident 

 that Dr. Collier would have to give up his place 

 because of failing health, I was invited to succeed 

 him. The outlook at Cornell was very discourag- 

 ing at this time and I presume I had expressed my 

 dissatisfaction to someone in an unguarded 

 moment. At any rate two members of the Board 

 of Control at Geneva made me a visit and urged 

 me to accept the State Directorship, promising 

 everything that could reasonably be expected. I 

 confess I was greatly tempted to resign from Cor- 

 nell but I finally decided to decline the offer be- 

 cause I felt that I had started out to attain one 

 great object the laying of the foundations of a 

 great agricultural college and that to abandon 

 it because it was more difficult than I had antici- 

 pated, would be cowardly. 



Dr. William H. Jordan was then appointed 

 Director and a most fortunate selection it was. 

 On taking charge he found, hidden away in a 

 closet, copies of a little circular containing an at- 

 tack on the Federal Station and the College of 

 Agriculture at Cornell which, for some unex- 

 plained reason, had not been sent out. After this 

 I had but one serious contention with the Geneva 



