222 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



During the quarter of a century which has elapsed 

 since the date of my lecture on Indigo much has been 

 done in England to make up the leeway. Technical 

 schools, polytechnics, university colleges, and new 

 Universities have sprung up throughout the length 

 and breadth of the land, and are rapidly doing away 

 with the notions which were prevalent twenty years 

 ago, that a man must go to Germany to get his 

 scientific education. From my position at Owens 

 College I was often consulted as to the steps to be 

 taken in the foundation of such new institutions, and 

 frequently took part in their government. 



As an example of this I may mention the connection 

 I had with the foundation of the University College 

 in Dundee in 1881. A Dundee gentleman informed 

 me of the munificent bequest which had been made 

 by Miss Baxter for the endowment of a university 

 college in that town, and requested me to draw up 

 a scheme for the allotment of the income arising 

 from her gift of ,100,000. This I did, and my 

 suggestions were practically adopted by the Governing 

 Body. 



I proposed that the teaching of the physical 

 sciences and mathematics should form an important 

 part of the curriculum ; but, whilst arranged on a 

 scientific basis, the application of such science-teach- 

 ing to the wants of the district should be attended to. 

 I also pointed out that literature, especially the 

 modern languages, must on no account be excluded, 

 and therefore suggested the following chairs : 



(1) Professor of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics. 



(2) Professor of Chemistry. 



(3) Professor of Engineering and Drawing. 



(4) Professor of Classics and History. 



(5) Professor of English Literature and Language. 



(6) Professor of French and German. 



