224 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



For many years I had a seat on the Council of this 

 college, and advised them on many points with regard 

 to their Science curriculum. 



I was also present at the inauguration of the Mason 

 College, Birmingham, which has, thanks mainly to the 

 public spirit of Mr. Chamberlain, also received its 

 Charter of incorporation as the University of Birming- 

 ham, and has been fortunate enough to secure the 

 services of my friend Sir Oliver Lodge as its first 

 Principal and Vice-Chancellor. 



It was perhaps natural in those early days that the 

 munificent founders of such institutions as Firth and 

 Mason College should have failed to appreciate the 

 full significance of the work which they initiated. 

 Thus, I remember that, after the foundation of his 

 college, Mr. Mark Firth visited the chemical labora- 

 tories which I had built in Manchester, and he at once 

 confessed that if he had been aware of the extent and 

 completeness of my department he would have erected 

 very different buildings at Sheffield. Josiah Mason at 

 Birmingham also had restricted views with regard to his 

 foundation, as his notions did not rise above the idea 

 of a technical school to be made useful for the advance- 

 ment of Birmingham industries. 



A fourth institution with which I was in some 

 degree connected was the Nottingham University 

 College, to which I have already referred. Though 

 it has not attained University proportions it also is 

 doing excellent work for the higher education of its 

 district, the chemical department being highly suc- 

 cessful under the direction of my former pupil Professor 

 Kipping, F.R.S. 



In May, 1888, I received a letter from the late Lord 

 Lothian, then Secretary for Scotland, inviting me to 



