Obituary notice of the Hon. Stephe7i Van Rensselaer. 159 



useful sciences, which had been locked up among the learned 

 few, are now the property of the farmer, and the mechanic, and 

 of the heads and members of families in domestic life. Facts 

 and principles drawn from chemistry, geology, botany, &c., are 

 now familiar to persons of every class, and fill up the laborer's 

 hours of leisure, as an exhilirating mental repast. 



It appears from Gen. Van Rensselaer's letter to the Rev. Dr. 

 Blatchford, dated Nov. 5, 1824, that he established the school, 

 afterwards called the Rensselaer Institute, in the city of Troy — 

 " for the purpose of instructing persons who may choose to 

 employ themselves in the application of scietice to the common 

 purposes of life. He states his principal objects to be to qualify 

 teachers, for instructing the sons and daughters of farmers and 

 mechanics, by lectures or otherwise, in the application of experi- 

 mental chemistry, philosophy, and natural history, to agriculture, 

 domestic economy, the arts, and manufactures. He remarks, 

 that every school district may have the be ie!it of such a coarse 

 of instruction, about once in two or three years, as soon as we 

 can furnish a sufficient number of teachers. I prefer this plan, 

 he observes, to the endowment of a single public institution, for 

 the resort of those only, whose parents are able and willing to 

 send their sons from home, or to enter them for several years 

 upon the Fellenberg plan. It seems to comport better with the 

 habits of our citizens, and the genius of our government, to place 

 the advantages of useful improvement, equally within the reach 

 of all. Whether my expectations will ever be realized or not, I 

 am willing to hazard the necessary expense of making the trial. 

 You will excuse me if I attach too much importance to the 

 undertaking." 



This school was incorporated by the Legislature of New York, 

 March 21, 1826, and has been in active and useful operation ever 

 since, under the zealous and efficient direction, and instruction of 

 Prof Amos Eaton, who was appointed senior professor, and Dr. 

 Lewis C. Beck, was named junior professor. It was a peculiar 

 feature of this school, that the pupils were required by the founder, 

 to exhibit their proficiency, not in the ordinary method of ex- 

 amination, but by themselves giving lectures and performing 

 experiments. 



Able instructors have been trained here, and among them are 

 several gentlemen now attached to the geological surveys of 

 several States. 



