May 14, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



717 



versity. It would give me personal satisfaction 

 and pleasure to nominate you at tie maximum 

 salary. It would be a great disappointment to me 

 and I think also to your friends if you should per- 

 sist in your determination to leave the service in. 

 the university. 



Think this matter over deliberately and let me 

 have assurance of your wUlingnesa to remain. 

 "Very cordially, 



"W. O. Thompson 



April 21, 1915 



April 27, 1915 

 Pkesident W. O. Thompson, 



Campus. 



My dear President Thom/pson: Tour letter of 

 April 21 came to hand and I have delayed answer- 

 ing it until I had time to consult with some men, 

 both on the campus and off of it, who have the 

 welfare of the university at heart, and men in 

 whom I know you have confidence. 



I have thought the matter over carefully and 

 what I have to say is said deliberately and without 

 feeling. In answering your urgent appeal to re- 

 main in the university I can not refrain from re- 

 viewing some of the things that have happened in 

 the college of agriculture during the twelve years 

 that I have been dean. 



I came here twelve years ago to fiU the position 

 of dean. I had only been out of college six years, 

 most of my associates and colleagues had been my 

 teachers. The college was small, the enrollment 

 was only 243, about one seventh of the total en- 

 rollment of the university. The esteem in which 

 the college was held in university circles was not 

 high. Townshend Hall and the old horticultural 

 building represented the material equipment of 

 the college. No winter courses were given, no ex- 

 tension work was done, no farmers' week was 

 held, no three-year courses existed and combina- 

 tion courses with other colleges were unthought of. 

 This year the enrollment in the college is 1,478, 

 nearly one third of the total enrollment of the uni- 

 versity. The college of agriculture of Ohio State 

 University is surpassed in enrollment, as reported 

 in a recent number of Science, only by Cornell 

 and the University of Wisconsin. The standards 

 of the college of agriculture have been raised, five 

 buildings have been built, 250 acres of land have 

 been added to the university farm. Most cordial 

 relations exist with all the agricultural organiza- 

 tions of the state, and the work is held in high 

 esteem by the farmers. 



All of this progress and development has not 



been due to the work of any one man, but rather 

 to the faithful, conscientious work of every one 

 connected with the college, but I insist that in 

 this growth and development I have done my share. 



To be summarily demoted without assigning any 

 cause and without explanation, as was done by 

 the recent action of the board of trustees, I resent. 

 I believe that I, my associates and colleagues, and 

 the people of the state are entitled to know why 

 such action was taken. 



It is not that I am enamored with administra- 

 tive work, but one thing for which I have always 

 prided myself has been frank, open dealing with 

 every one and I do not feel that I have been ac- 

 corded such treatment by you and the board of 

 trustees. However, I could overlook all of that 

 and take up the work of a department if I thought 

 conditions justified it. But I believe that condi- 

 tions in the university are fundamentally wrong in 

 that the encroachment of the business administra- 

 tion upon the academic has brought about a con- 

 dition that is rapidly growing intolerable to mem- 

 bers of the faculty. Such action as the board has 

 recently taken in reference to me will intimidate 

 your faculty, but it wiU not give it a sense of 

 permanency that is conducive to constructive, effi- 

 cient work, neither does it develop the spirit of 

 loyalty. 



I appreciate the cordial request that you have 

 made of me to remain in the faculty. But under 

 conditions as they now exist I do not believe it 

 would be wise and very respectfully decline. 



It is not without regret and heartaches that I 

 lay down the work of the college in which I have 

 invested my very self for the past twelve years. 

 In retiring I do so without apologies for what has 

 been accomplished during my administration, and 

 I sincerely hope that my successor may have more 

 loyal support from the president and the board of 

 trustees than I have had. 



I am. Very truly yours. 



Homer C. Peice, 



Dean 



P. S. — As a matter of information I am refer- 

 ring copies of this correspondence to members of 

 the board of trustees and to the president of the 

 alumni association and am giving it to the press. 



TEE WASEINGTON VNIVESSITY MEDICAL 

 SCHOOL 



On the 29tli and SOtli of April the new 

 buildings of the Washington University Med- 



