BENJAMIN THOMPSON, COUNT RUMFORD 43 



plans for an American Military Academy like the one he had 

 founded in Bavaria, and a model of a field-piece of his own inven- 

 tion. This resulted in an offer from the War Department, author- 

 ized by President John Adams, of appointment as Superintendent 

 of the American Military Academy about to be established, and 

 also as Inspector-General of the Artillery of the United States, 

 with suitable rank and emoluments. 



But at the time this offer was received Rumford was too much 

 engrossed with a new project in England to accept it. For two 

 years, except when he was sick, he worked night and day with all 

 his energy to found "a public institution for diffusing the knowl- 

 edge and facilitating the general introduction of useful mechanical 

 inventions and improvements, and for teaching, by courses of 

 philosophical lectures and experiments, the application of science 

 to the common purposes of life." 



The Royal Institution remains the chief monument to the mem- 

 ory of Rumford, for thanks to his excellent plan and organiza- 

 tion, and to the men of unusual ability who have occupied posi- 

 tions in it, there have emanated from it many of the most impor- 

 tant discoveries in science of the past century, and it has done 

 more for the advancement of knowledge than the old and richly 

 endowed universities of Oxford and Cambridge. 



Count Rumford succeeded in interesting all classes, from court- 

 iers to mechanics, in his project. He secured a very large number 

 of "proprietors" at fifty guineas or more, and annual subscribers 

 at three guineas, including many nobles, prelates, members of 

 Parliament, ladies and scientific men, and in 1800 the Institution 

 received the royal approval. 



A suitable building was constructed, containing a lecture 

 theater, a museum of models and inventions, a chemical laboratory, 

 a library and a conversation room, an experimental kitchen, a 

 printing plant for publishing the Journal, and workshops for 

 making apparatus. Board and lodging were to be provided for 

 some twenty young men to study mechanics, and apprentices 

 were to be admitted free to the gallery of the lecture room. 

 Rumford, always on his guard against "graft," made elaborate 



