Henry Augustus Rowland. 257 



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As a teacher, it is generally admitted that Rowland did not appeal 

 to the average student, who was incapable of appreciating the point of 

 view of the great experimentalist. A story is told by Prof, 

 Mendenhall of a visit which he paid to the Johns Hopkins Laboratory 

 to get some information on the method of work. Rowland seemed to 

 have no idea how many students were to work in the laboratory, and 

 when asked what he would do with them replied, " Do with them T 

 I shall neglect them." He taught by example rather than by precept. 

 " Even of the more advanced students only those .who were able to 

 brook severe and searching criticism reaped the full benefit of being 

 under him. His enthusiasm and the inspiration of his example were 

 always of the greatest help ; his suggestions were invaluable ; but his 

 critical powers, his deep insight into any physical problem, were the 

 qualities of greatest benefit." The perfect frankness of his criticism 

 was of great value/ though it sometimes unintentionally gave pain to 

 the author or student criticised. 



Like many other great investigators, his distinguishing character-' 

 is tics were simplicity and love of truth. He tried to live up to his ideal 

 of the man of science. What that ideal was may best be stated in his 

 own words quoted from one of his addresses at Johns Hopkins Univer- 

 sity : " But for myself, I value in a scientific mind most of all that 

 love of truth, that care in its pursuit, and that humility of mind which 

 makes the possibility of error always present, more than any other 

 quality. This is the mind which has built up modern science to its 

 present perfection, which has laid one stone upon another with such 

 care that it to-day offers to the world the most complete monument to- 

 human reason. This is the mind which is destined to govern the world 

 in the future, andto solve problems pertaining to politics and humanity 

 as well as to inanimate nature. It is the only mind which appreciates 

 the imperfections of the human reason and is thus careful to guard 

 against them. It is the only mind that values the truth as it should be 

 valued, and ignores all personal feeling in its pursuit. And this is the 

 mind the physical laboratory is built to cultivate." 



H. L. a 



