458 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. UC. No. 1323 



With the marvelous expansion, of the industry 

 of tihis country and the growing necessity of science 

 to industry, the scientific bureaus have been utterly 

 unable to hold their assistants against the compe- 

 tition of industry which is taMng their highly 

 trained men ait salaries the government does not 

 pay or even approach. 



, I feel very deeply that there ought to be more 

 adequate compensation for the scientific and tech- 

 nical men in the government service so that none 

 of them may be compelled to accept positions on 

 the outside. 



Many of these scientific men are of fine type for 

 government work, caie little for the commercial 

 field, take an intense professional interest in their 

 tasks and ore of inestimable value to the govern- 

 ment. 



RESIGNATION OF PROFESSOR E. F. NICHOLS 

 FROM THE YALE UNIVERSITY FACULTY 



I Announcement is made from Yale Univer- 

 sity that the resignation of Ernest Fox Nichols, 

 3c.D., LL.D., professor of physics, has been 

 tendered and accepted. Professor Nichols has 

 accepted the post of director of pure science in 

 the Nela Eesearch Laboratories of the National 

 Lamp Works of the General Electric Company, 

 at Cleveland, Ohio. 



In ofFering his resigmation Dr. Nichols wrote 

 the following letter to the Yale corporation in 

 explanation of the conditions which had led to 

 his decision: 



Sloane Laboratory, 

 Yale Universitt, 

 New Haven, Connecticut, 

 ' April 21, 1920 



The Corporation of Yale University. 



Gentlemen: I have been offered the post of di- 

 rector of pure scence in the Nela Research Labor- 

 aJtories, National Lamp Works of the General 

 Electric Company, at Cleveland, Ohio. The posi- 

 tion offers complete freedom in the choice of re- 

 search problems, and places at my unhampered dis- 

 posal such human and material resources as no 

 university I know of can at present afford. 



I would like to accept this offer and therefore 

 respectfully ask you to release me at the close of 

 the present academic year from my post of pro- 

 fessor of physios in Yale University. 



The thought of leaving present colleagues and 

 university surroundings is to me, in many ways, a 

 source of deep regret, and I have hesitated long 

 over my decision; yet the heightened opportunities 



of the new position are in everything else so ad- 

 vantageous that the offer becomes finally irresist- 

 ible. 



With appreciation and sincere regard. 

 Yours very truly. 



Signed: Ernest Fox Nichols 



Dr. Nichols went to Yale University in the 

 fall of 1916 to occupy a new chair of physics, 

 Jiaving resigned the presidency of Dartmouth 

 College, in which capacity he had served since 

 1909, in order that he might have the desired 

 opportunity to continue his scientific work. 

 Professor Nichols is a graduate of the Kansas 

 Agricultural College in the class of 1888, and 

 Jias held professorships of physics in Colgate 

 .College, Dartmouth College and Columbia 

 University. During the war from 1917 to 

 1919 he was absent from Yale University, to 

 engage in research and development work for 

 the navy. 



THE ALLEGHENY OBSERVATORY 



The following minute was adopted by the 

 obsei'vatory committee and also by the ex- 

 ecutive committee of the board of trustees of 

 the University of Pittsburgh at its meeting 

 on Januai-y 14: 



In complying with the request of Dr. Frank 

 Schlesinger that he be relieved of his duties as di- 

 rector on April 1, 1920, to take Charge of the Yale 

 Observatory, the committee desire to express their 

 appreciation of his fifteen years of active and 

 fruitful service, during which the Allegheny Ob- 

 servatory has made many valuable conitributions 

 to astronomical science, and worthily upheld its 

 international reputation created by Langley and 

 Keeler. While we regret to lose the valuable co- 

 operation and friendly personal relationship which 

 our long association with Dr. Schlesinger has de- 

 veloped, we sincerely congratulate him on the en- 

 larged and attractive field of scientific usefulness 

 which his new position offers; and heartily wish 

 for himself and family, continued health, happi- 

 ness and success. Moreover, we look forward with 

 pleasure to our continued cooperation in the solu- 

 tion of the great astronomical problems which are 

 rapidly bringing into closer fellowship the astro- 

 physicists of the world. 



On the evening of March 22, a few days 

 before Dr. Schlesinger's departure for New 



