302 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIV. No. 1131 



THE SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND PUB- 

 LIC HEALTH AT THE JOHNS 

 HOPKINS UNIVERSITY i 



Our president, with a self-denial which I 

 might appreciate, has intrusted to me the 

 agreeable function of announcing upon this 

 occasion one of the most important and grati- 

 fying gifts ever bestowed upon this university, 

 a benefaction likewise of national interest. 

 This is the provision of funds by the Rocke- 

 feller Foundation for the purpose of establish- 

 ing in connection with the Johns Hopkins Uni- 

 versity a school of hygiene and public health. 

 This action of the foundation was communi- 

 cated to the trustees of the university only to- 

 day shortly before these exercises. It is hardly 

 necessary to add that the trustees have acted 

 promptly in accepting this generous gift and 

 have already taken the first steps toward 

 organization of the new school in selecting Dr. 

 Howell as the head of the physiological divi- 

 sion of the institute of hygiene and to co- 

 operate in the work of organization and devel- 

 opment, and in appointing me as director. 



It is expected that the school will be opened 

 in October, 1917, as it is estimated that a year 

 will be required for the planning, construction 

 and equipment of the building and the gather- 

 ing together of the staff of teachers. The nec- 

 essary funds for construction, equipment, 

 maintenance and expenses of the school will be 

 provided by the Rockefeller Foundation. 



When we consider the revolutionary discov- 

 eries of the last forty years in our knowledge of 

 the causes and means of prevention of dis- 

 eases, the great progress in the science and art 

 of public health and the incalculable benefits 

 to the community in the application of this 

 knowledge, we can all realize the beneficent 

 service rendered to this great cause by this 

 latest gift of the Rockefeller Foundation, 

 which has already contributed so largely to 

 the advancement of medical science and edu- 

 cation. Nfot only this university, but also this 

 city and state and the whole country owe a 

 great debt of gratitude to the foundation for 



i Remarks by Dr. Wm. H. Welch at the com- 

 mencement exercises of the Johns Hopkins Uni- 

 versity, as reported in the University Circular. 



the provision thus made of improved oppor- 

 tunities for training in preventive medicine 

 and public health work and for cultivation of 

 the sciences which find application in public 

 and personal hygiene. 



It is naturally most gratifying to us that 

 Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins University 

 have been selected for the location of the new 

 school of hygiene and public health. Our city, 

 in its situation, its relations to the south and 

 other parts of the country, its proximity to the 

 national capital, and its opportunities for study 

 and work in the field of preventable diseases, 

 is favorably located for such a school. I think 

 that I may say that determining considerations 

 have been the advantages arising from close as- 

 sociation of the school with the medical school, 

 the hospital, the school of engineering and other 

 departments of the Johns Hopkins University, 

 and it is for these reasons especially that the 

 decision reached by the foundation after pro- 

 longed and careful study of the situation in 

 different parts of the country is so gratifying 

 to us. The wider extension of the influence 

 and usefulness of the university, the possibil- 

 ities of greater service to this city and state 

 and to the country at large about to be opened 

 by the new school, should materially strengthen 

 the position of the Johns Hopkins University 

 and aid in securing much-needed support in 

 the development of other departments. 



"While the detailed plans of organization of 

 the school of hygiene and public health will be 

 worked out and announced later, a few points 

 may here be touched upon. 



Inasmuch as the profession of the sanitarian 

 and worker in public health, although closely 

 connected, is not identical with that of the 

 practitioner of medicine, the school of hygiene 

 and public health, while working in coopera- 

 tion with the medical school, as well as with 

 the school of engineering, will have an inde- 

 pendent existence under the university co- 

 ordinate with these schools. Opportunities in 

 each will be available to students of the other 

 schools. 



The central and principal feature of the 

 school will be an institute of hygiene housed 

 in its own building, provided with the requisite 



