REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE OVER- 

 SEERS TO VISIT THE CHEMICAL LABORATORY 

 OF HARVARD COLLEGE 



To THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS OF HARVARD COLLEGE: 

 Your Committee beg leave to report that they visited 

 the Chemical Laboratory on Tuesday, March 9th, 1909, 

 and were received by Professors Jackson, Sanger, Richards, 

 Torrey, and Baxter, and Dr. Henderson. At the opening of 

 the meeting an expression of deep regret at the recent death 

 of Dr. Wolcott Gibbs, Professor Emeritus and distinguished 

 chemist, was recorded. After the reading of reports on the 

 present condition of the building, and some discussion, the 

 Committee were shown over the laboratories. 



The condition of the laboratories in Boylston Hall has been 

 so fully set forth in previous reports that it seems now hardly 

 worth while to repeat in full the criticisms as to their condi- 

 tion, which have been so repeatedly made. It may be, how- 

 ever, of advantage on this occasion to refer to one or two 

 points of pressing importance. The needs of those desiring to 

 study chemistry at this University may be divided into two 

 classes: first, the needs of the undergraduates, and, second, 

 the needs of those conducting research. 



So far as the undergraduates may be concerned, the most 

 pressing necessity at the present time is for the better accom- 

 modation of students in qualitative analysis. The space as- 

 signed to this work has been so inadequate that additional 

 accommodations have been found for the students in the 

 west wing and basement of Dane Hall. For those who are 

 working in what is now termed Chemistry 1, there is such 



