1884] Presidency of Indiana University 



up largely of alumni, found themselves very much 

 at a loss as to the choice of his successor. For the 

 time being, therefore, they recalled Elisha Ballan- 

 tine as acting president. Pending the election of a 

 permanent head, applications were received from 

 thirty-eight candidates. One of the more accept- 

 able having been asked to come to the University 

 to give an address and get acquainted, he spoke of 

 his travels in Europe and incidentally in Holland, 

 remarking that he had "visited Edam, Rotterdam, 

 Amsterdam, and other dam places." That bit of 

 humor chilled the audience, and his name was not 

 again mentioned. 



I was now asked to go over the list of applicants 

 and give my judgment as to each individual. But 

 not one seemed likely to prove a leader in educa- 

 tion, and I therefore urged that they consider my 

 associate, Dr. John M. Coulter of Wabash College, 

 to whom I shall again refer, or else look for a young 

 man of promise from one of the larger institutions 

 in the East or North. 



To my very great surprise the board then unani- An 

 mously offered the position to me an outcome as undesired 

 undesired as unexpected, for my ambition ran en- 

 tirely in the direction of Natural History and ex- 

 ploration, and I expected soon to be called to Wash- 

 ington in some permanent capacity. However, I 

 accepted the responsibility temporarily, at the same 

 time presenting a letter of resignation to take effect 

 the following August, at the end of the academic 

 year a document promptly " lost " by the secre- 

 tary of the board. 



I thus became president of Indiana University on 

 the first day of January, 1885. My inaugural ad- 



C 289: 



