354 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



agricultural life of the institution began with the 

 appointment in 1874 of E. W. Hilgard as Professor of 

 Agriculture and he continued his active leadership 

 until 1905, and his honorary interest until his death 

 in January 1916. Dr. Hilgard was not only the 

 founder but the architect and builder of scientific 

 achievement for agriculture in California and was 

 one of the small group of men who were really origi- 

 nal and influential in conceiving and determining 

 institutional effort for agricultural advancement in 

 the United States. His contention for the recog- 

 nition of agricultural studies as entitled to the dig- 

 nity of higher learning and possessed of pedagogic 

 value; his success in commanding respect and sup- 

 port for agricultural science when the very existence 

 and usefulness of it in relation to farming were 

 doubted or denied by those whom he sought to serve; 

 his demonstration of the indispensability of illumina- 

 tion by science to all the practical arts of food pro- 

 duction all these and services like them were funda- 

 mental in the development of California and influ- 

 ential everywhere. 



During the fifteen years which have followed Dr. 

 Hilgard's retirement, activities both in agricultural 

 instruction and research have attained notable expan- 

 sion under the direction of his successors and Cali- 

 fornia has thus maintained a position among leading 

 states in the advancement of institutional effort 

 and provision for agriculture. 



At the University of California in Berkeley (which 

 is ten miles eastward and across the bay from San 



