July 2, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



13 



fireproof building. The laying of the corner- 

 stone took place with appropriate ceremonies 

 on June 14, 1859. The formal establishment of 

 the museum took place in October of the same 

 year, by the presentation of Professor Agassiz's 

 collections to the trustees. 



The foundation was placed at first in the 

 hands of a body of trustees appointed by the 

 state, and it was not until 1875 that the 

 museum was turned over and placed perma- 

 nently in charge of the corporation of the 

 university. 



A small and lonely looking brick block 

 which was erected at this time, with its four 

 rooms to the floor, has grown nearly continu- 

 ously around three sides of the great square 

 originally laid out for it. A second section of 

 the museum was soon added to the first, in 

 1871-2, and further additions were made in 

 1877, and again in 1880-2, and it was not until 

 1888-9 and 1901-2 that the last portions of 

 the museum were finally added. The depart- 

 ments of botany and mineralogy and geology 

 which have been added from time to time, 

 and the Peabody Museum of Archeology and 

 Ethnology — the building of which was begun 

 in 1876 — form portions of the present struc- 

 ture now known as the university museum, of 

 which the Museum for Comparative Zoology 

 forms the major part. 



The university museum contains thirty-two 

 rooms in its ground plan, and is by far the 

 largest building of the university. Nor is it 

 an empty shell — it barely serves to house its 

 treasures and the students thereof. 



A glance at the plans of this building shows 

 what grand results have been accomplished 

 in a half-century's work, and what has fol- 

 lowed from the inspiration of a great teacher. 

 Intellectually, the institution has grown from 

 the daring experiment of a great enthusiast to 

 an important position among the leaders of 

 the world's museums and laboratories. It is 

 doubtful if any department of the university 

 has brought home to it from the old world 

 more fame, or if any department has done 

 more enduring work for time to come. 



It is well to recall these historical memoirs 

 on this occasion, and it must never be for- 



gotten that such progress and development 

 would have been impossible without the life- 

 time devotion of two very remarkable men — 

 father and son. One is gone ; in his life and 

 death he has had great praise. He deserved 

 it, and the university should ever commemo- 

 rate him. One is with us; we should not wait 

 until he is gone to give praise to him. He is- 

 a major benefactor to the university, and a 

 great figure in her history. To him the uni- 

 versity owes not only a lavish fortune spent 

 in her service, but much more than this — ^the 

 lifework of a great administrator, and a great 

 scientific man. 



Tour committee, therefore, are unanimously 

 of the opinion that this fiftieth anniversary of 

 the Museum of Comparative Zoology should 

 be fittingly celebrated by the whole university, 

 and, further, that no celebration could be so 

 fitting as one which would evince the univer- 

 sity's admiration of the scholar and the man 

 — Alexander Agassiz. It strongly recom- 

 mends, therefore, to your board timely and 

 positive steps in this direction, and tenders its' 

 services if desired for more concrete sugges- 

 tions or consultation. 



J. Collins Warren, 

 Chairman 



May 12, 1909 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



Colgate University has conferred its doc- 

 torate of laws on Dr. E. E. Nichols, president- 

 elect of Dartmouth College. Dr. Nichols was 

 professor of physics at Colgate University 

 from 1892 to 1898. 



Williams College has conferred its doc- 

 torate of laws on Professor H. B. Fine, pro- 

 fessor of mathematics at Princeton Univer- 

 sity. 



The degree of LL.D. has been conferred by 

 the University of North Carolina on Dr. E. H. 

 Whitehead, the new dean of the medical de- 

 partment of the University of Virginia. 



On the occasion of the Health Congress to 

 be held at Leeds in July the honorary degree 

 of LL.D. will be conferred by the university on 

 the president of the congress. Col. T. W. Hard- 

 ing, and the honorary degree of D.S<;> on Siir 



