602 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 722 



the state; Professor B. W. Jones for the col- 

 lege of law; and President C. E. Van Hise on 

 behalf of the university. 



After reviewing Colonel Vilas's almost con- 

 tinuous connection with the university in one 

 capacity or another from the time that he 

 entered as a preparatory student in 1852, until 

 his death fifty-sis years later, and after point- 

 ing out the great service which he rendered 

 his alma mater as a regent as well as a pro- 

 fessor of law, President Van Hise spoke of 

 the significance of the endowment of over $30,- 

 000,000, from the Vilas will. President Van 

 Hise said : 



The benefits of Colonel Vilas's will are likely 

 to influence the development of the university long 

 before financial advantages are received. Those 

 who are striving for the construction of the uni- 

 versity along the highest as well as the broadest 

 lines now have the powerful moral support of one 

 of the ablest and most distinguished citizens that 

 have ever lived in this state, of the man who by 

 long study of educational problems in the uni- 

 versity has the best right to speak as to its future. 

 The will of Colonel Vilas is not merely a deed of 

 gift to the university; it is a gift of his highest 

 thought, matured through years of consideration 

 of the educational problems of this state. It is, 

 indeed, possible that this gift of his mind may be 

 even greater in its influence on the development 

 of the university than the gift of his property. 

 Thus Colonel Vilas's will is not merely a financial 

 bequest; it is a profound state paper which is 

 certain to influence' perpetually the development 

 of higher education in this commonwealth. 



President Van Hise explained that the will 

 provides : first, for a theater, as a memorial to 

 the beloved son, Henry Vilas, who was gradu- 

 ated at the university in 1894, but who died at 

 an early age; second, after providing for this 

 memorial half of the income goes for scholar- 

 ships and fellowships, for the support of art 

 and music, and for the maintenance of ten re- 

 search professorships with adequate salaries 

 and assistants. He said: 



There can be no broader statement of endow- 

 ment for research than that of the Vilas will. 

 "These professorships," the will reads, "are de- 

 signed to promote the advancement of knowledge 

 rather than to give instruction; not more than 

 three hours a week, nor more than one hour in 



one day shall be exacted of the incumbent for 

 teaching, lecturing, or other instruction to stu- 

 dents or otherwise. Any branch of human learn- 

 ing may be selected as a subject for special study." 

 " The university may best be raised to the highest 

 excellence as a seat of learning and education," 

 the will continues, " by abundant support in 

 pushing the confines of knowledge: the special 

 object of this trust." 



As Dr. Van Hise points out : 



These research professorships, while not first in 

 order, are placed " first in importance among the 

 purposes of the trust." The provisions for their 

 support, including liberal salaries, assistants, 

 materials, a limited amount of instructional work, 

 and relations with students, are an epitome of the 

 situation in the best German universities, which 

 are admitted to stand first among the institutions 

 of the world in the advancement of knowledge. 

 The accumulated imiversity wisdom of the past 

 century Colonel Vilas has concentrated in this 

 great document for the advancement of knowledge. 



THE DARWIN ANNIVERSARY MEETINQ OP 

 THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



The program for the Darwin Anniversary 

 meeting of the American Association is now 

 practically complete. The following have ac- 

 cepted the committee's invitation to present 

 papers on the subjects given : 



T. C. Chamberlin: Introductory remarks as 

 president of the association. 



Edward B. Poulton : " History of the Theory 

 of Natural Selection since Darwin." 



J. M. Coulter: "The Theory of Natural Selec- 

 tion from the Standpoint of Botany." 



D. T. MacDougal: "The Direct Effect of En- 

 vironment." 



C. O. Whitman : " Determinate Variation." 



C. B. Davenport : " Mutation." 



W. E. Castle: "The Behavior of Unit Char- 

 acters in Heredity." 



D. S. Jordan: "The Isolation Factor." 

 C. H. Eigenmann: "Adaptation." 



E. B. Wilson: "The Cell in Relation to Hered- 

 ity and Evolution." 



G. Stanley Hall : " Evolution and Psychology." 

 H. F. Osborn : " Recent Paleontological Evi- 

 dence of Evolution." 



These papers, which will probably be pre- 

 sented on Friday, January 1, will be published 

 in a memorial volume. A dinner will be held 



