SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 125 



A generation since, scarcely anything had been done toward 

 systematizing engineering instruction, but during this time 

 curricula have been perfected, texts written, laboratory experi- 

 ments devised, and the entire plan of teaching brought to a high 

 degree of efficiency. 



These facts indicate that the work of the engineering schools 

 of the land-grant colleges has been quite as extensive, valuable, 

 and useful in its way as has ever been accomplished in any 

 educational field in a like time. Indeed, in view of their rapid 

 development and the extraordinary contemporary interest in 

 technical affairs, probably no other schools have exerted so 

 great an influence in so short a time. 



WHAT IS TO BE THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR 

 ENGINEERING SCHOOLS? 



Up to this time, engineering instruction as an organized force 

 of education has been occupied with laying foundations; with 

 systematizing and developing its teaching; with preparing texts 

 and lectures; and with the adaptation into teachable form of an 

 enormous mass of material. It has been burdened with the 

 demands for practical men. It has been called upon to solve 

 problems; to supply men; and to meet the exacting demands 

 of an unparalleled commercial and material development. 

 Much of this work has been, of necessity, of an elementary 

 character because of the absence of any other agency to perform 

 it. The requirements growing out of these conditions are now 

 being fairly well met in the various engineering colleges. We 

 shall probably next see a differentiation of this instructional 

 work by which the elements of engineering and industrial train- 

 ing will be administered in industrial, trade, and manual-training 

 schools. In this way, the opportunities for this kind of training 

 will be greatly multiplied and made available to far greater num- 

 bers of students than at present, and the general effect of this 

 upon the public will be vastly beneficial. The engineering schools 



