CONCLUDING YEARS -1881-1885 431 



the graduates votes in the election of trustees, and to repre- 

 sentative aluinni seats in the governing board, the whole 

 student body had become, in a new sense, part of the in- 

 stitution, and were to be held, to a certain extent, respon- 

 sible for it. I think that all conversant with the history 

 of the university will agree that the results of thus tak- 

 ing the students into the confidence of the governing 

 board were happy. These results were shown largely 

 among the undergraduates, and even more strongly 

 among the alumni. In all parts of the country alumni 

 associations were organized, and here again I found a 

 source of strength. These associations held reunions dur- 

 ing every winter, and at least one banquet, at which the 

 president of the university was invited to be present. So 

 far as possible, I attended these meetings, and made use 

 of them to strengthen the connection of the graduates with 

 their alma mater. 



The administrative care of the university was very en- 

 grossing. With study of the various interests combined 

 within its organization ; with the attendance on meetings 

 of trustees, executive committee, and faculty, and dis- 

 cussion of important questions in each of these bodies; 

 with the general oversight of great numbers of students 

 in many departments and courses; with the constant ne- 

 cessity of keeping the legislature and the State informed 

 as to the reasons of every movement, of meeting hostile 

 forces pressing us on every side, of keeping in touch with 

 our graduates throughout the country, there was much 

 to be done. Trying also, at times, to a man never in 

 robust health was the duty of addressing various as- 

 semblies of most dissimilar purposes. Within the space 

 of two or three years I find mention in my diaries of a 

 large number of addresses which, as president of the uni- 

 versity, I could not refuse to give; among these, those 

 before the legislature of the State, on Technical Educa- 

 tion ; before committees of Congress, on Agriculture and 

 Technical Instruction ; before the Johns Hopkins Univer- 

 sity, on Education with Reference to Political Life ; before 



