vii WORK AT MANCHESTER 175 



BERLIN, 24 June, 1881. 

 MY DEAR PROFESSOR ROSCOE, 



I have heard with much pleasure of the formation of the 

 Society of Chemical Industry under your auspices. I need not 

 tell you how much I sympathise with this movement. Having 

 had the privilege, in early life, of associating with many of the 

 leading representatives of chemical industry in Great Britain, 

 remembering as 1 do, with feelings of sincere gratitude, how 

 often and how effectually my scientific labours have been 

 furthered by their liberal assistance, deeply impressed, more- 

 over, with the conviction of the material advantages which are 

 likely to accrue from their alliance, not only to industry and 

 science, but to the progress of mankind, I consider it both a 

 duty and a pleasure to join the Society which you have just 

 started, and which, I have no doubt, will soon become a worthy 

 sister of our Chemical Society of London. 



Will you be so good as to insert my name in the list of 

 members, and to convey to the Fellows the expression of my 

 heartfelt wishes for the rapid success of the Association ? 

 I remain, 



My dear Professor Roscoe, 



Yours very sincerely, 



A. W. HOFMANN. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 



The history of the foundation of a new English 

 University is a matter of interest to all who have 

 the progress of the country at heart. And as I had 

 much to do with the creation of the Victoria University 

 of Manchester, I need not apologise for introducing 

 the subject, showing how, from a comparatively in- 

 significant local institution, Owens College rose to the 

 dignity of an important national University. But first 

 let me describe the incident which led to the proposal 

 to convert the college into a University. 



The Lme of the Manchester Penny Science Lectures 

 for the People reached what the Scots term " the 

 second city of the Empire," and I was invited to give 



