92 HENRY HILL GOODELL 



refit, but also to make improvements and repairs, amount- 

 ing in all to fifty thousand dollars. This was a large sum 

 for those times and a great triumph when we consider the 

 feeling against the College, which was widespread and quite 

 strong. 



From that time Professor Goodell began to attract the 

 attention of men interested in industrial education. When 

 the presidency of the College became vacant, one of the 

 trustees, on his way to Amherst, happened to meet at Palmer 

 the Hon. Levi Stockbridge, a veteran agriculturist and ex- 

 perimenter, and asked him whom they should elect as 

 President? Mr. Stockbridge replied without a moment's 

 hesitation: "If you choose Professor Goodell you will make 

 no mistake." 



On the death of President Chadbourne in 1883, Professor 

 Goodell was chosen acting president, and served in that 

 capacity from February to September of that year. On the 

 retirement of President Greenough, three years later, in 

 1886, he was elected president. He was very reluctant to 

 accept the position, but finally yielded to the solicitation 

 of his friends and the friends of the College; but he looked 

 upon it as a temporary appointment and expected to be 

 relieved at the end of the year, if not before. He had a very 

 modest estimate of his own abilities and his success was 

 always a mystery to him. But his resources were greater 

 than he knew and were at once recognized by others. His 

 health was not firm, and after serving for about nine months 

 he sent the following letter to the trustees : — 



