'726 REPORT— 1897. 



4. Geogra'phy in the University. By Professor William Morris Davis. 



Geography is inherently of sufRcient interest, importance, and disciplinary 

 value to deserve a place in the university on an equal footing with history. 

 Without such recognition the scientific development of the subject must languish, 

 as -would that of any other subject not represented in higher education. A full 

 development of geography as a university study requires due attention to its two 

 parts — the physical environment of man on the one side and his way of responding- 

 to environment on the other side. After due preparation on these fundamental 

 subjects, the geography of continental or other areas may be taken up. 



Two advantageous results may be expected from the full recognition of 

 geography as a university subject. The first is an advance in the status of 

 geography in the lower schools, where it is now too often in an xmfortunately 

 degraded condition. The second is a more thorough and scientific record of 

 travellers' observations, which are now too often merely personal narratives of 

 adventure, with little of serious geographical matter. 



