336 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 739 



Dr. James Buerell Angell submitted his 

 resignation of the presidency of the Univer- 

 sity of Michigan on February 17, to take effect 

 at the close of the academic year, and the 

 board of regents created the office of chan- 

 cellor and offered it to him at a salai-y of 

 $4,000 a year with the continued use of the 

 president's house. Dr. Angell, who on Jan- 

 uary 1 last celebrated his eightieth birthday, 

 has been head of the university since 1871, 

 when he came from the presidency of the 

 University of Vermont. 



The methods by which even our best daily 

 papers are edited are illustrated by the fact 

 that the New York Sun, on February 18, con- 

 tained an article, the headlines of which an- 

 nounced that the presidency of the University 

 of Michigan had been offered to Professor 

 Jenks, of Cornell University, whereas in the 

 article itself it was stated that no selection 

 had been made. The New York Times, of 

 February 20, contained an editorial article 

 congratulating Professor Finley on his call 

 to the presidency of the University of Michi- 

 gan, and expressing hope that he would not 

 go, especially on account of his admirable 

 after-dinner speeches, whereas the news 

 columns contained the statement that Presi- 

 dent Finley had denied that such a call had 

 been made. 



It is announced that Miss Agnes Irwin will 

 resign the deanship of Eadcliffe College at 

 the close of the present academic year. 



At Yale University, Professor L. P. Breck- 

 enridge, of the University of Illinois, has been 

 appointed professor of mechanical engineer- 

 ing and Dr. W. E. Coe has been promoted to 

 a full professorship of biology. 



The council of New York University an- 

 nounces the appointment of J. Edmund Wood- 

 man as professor of geology and director of 

 the geological museum, to fill the vacancy 

 caused by the retirement of Professor John 

 J. Stevenson; and of Holmes Condict Jackson 

 to be professor of physiology and director of 

 the laboratory of physiology in the University 

 and Bellevue Hospital Medical College, to fill 

 the vacancy caused by the resignation of Pro- 



fessor Graham Lusk. Professor Woodman 

 received the degree of doctor of science from 

 Harvard in 1904 and is now professor of geol- 

 ogy at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Can- 

 ada. Professor Jackson received the degree 

 of doctor of philosophy from Yale University 

 in 1899, and was instructor in physiological 

 chemistry in the Sheffield Scientific School 

 for three years. After study abroad he re- 

 ceived an appointment as instructor in physio- 

 logical chemistry in New York University, 

 and became assistant professor in 1903. In 

 1905 he resigned to accept a position as ad- 

 junct professor in experimental physiology and 

 physiological chemistry and director of the 

 laboratories in the Albany Medical College, 

 which position he now holds. 



E. H. Whitbeck, of Adelphi College, Tren- 

 ton, N. J., has been appointed associate pro- 

 fessor of geography and physiography at the 

 University of Wisconsin, beginning with the 

 nest academic year. 



Sir T. H. Holland, F.E.S., director of the 

 Geological Survey of India, has accepted the 

 offer of the chair of geology at Manchester 

 University vacated by Professor Boyd Daw- 

 kins, F.E.S. Dr. W. H. Lang has been ap- 

 pointed Barker professor in cryptogamic bot- 

 any and Dr. Marie C. Stopes special lecturer 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 

 APPOINTMENTS IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 



To the Editor of Science : It has for sev- 

 eral years been a question of absorbing inter- 

 est to me whether our American methods of 

 making university appointments might not be 

 much improved, especially in view of the fact 

 that much better methods are in operation in 

 other countries. It was a pleasant surprise 

 to me to notice that others were agitating 

 the same question, as is made evident by the 

 discussion .begun by Professor Wenley and 

 continued by Professor Miller in Science 

 of August 21 and October 23, respectively. 

 It seemed to me that the time was ripe for 

 some action on this matter. I therefore 

 seized the opportunity of presenting my views 



