636 Life of Count Rumford. 



of persons having "sacred claims" upon him. As it 

 was his declared wish that his directions in this matter 

 should not be made public, I, of course, withhold 

 them. 



In a year after the Count's death, that is, in Septem- 

 ber, 1815, his executors communicated to the Corpora- 

 tion of Harvard College the generous provisions of 

 the testator. President Quincy, in his History of the 

 College, says : 



44 The Corporation took immediate measures to obtain the 

 property and provide for the annuities, in which they received 

 the most effective and earnest co-operation of the executors ; 

 and that board directed the President of the University to trans- 

 mit to them l an expression of their thanks, and of the full and 

 entire approbation of their conduct, particularly noticing the 

 promptitude with which the estate has been adjusted, the cor- 

 rectness of the principles adopted by the executors, and the 

 perspicuous and satisfactory manner in which the whole has 

 been explained. Accept, then, gentlemen,' the Corporation 

 add, l this acknowledgment of our sense of your services, and 

 of our gratification at perceiving that Count Rumford's sound 

 and enlightened mind extended beyond his life, in the selec- 

 tion of friends so able and willing to forward his honorable 

 purposes.' "* 



The Rumford Professorship was established in the 

 College by the Corporation in October, 1816, and 

 statutes provided for it were approved by the Over- 

 seers. Jacob Bigelow, M. D., a highly distinguished 

 physician of Boston, and a gentleman of large culture 

 in art and science, was elected and confirmed as the 

 first Rumford Professor, and was inaugurated on the 

 nth of the following December. On this occasion Dr. 

 Bigelow delivered a most appropriate, admirable, and 



* Vol. II. p. 3*1. 



