Mat 21, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



759 



they spoke glowingly " of tlie opportunities in 

 a comparatively new institution in a rapidly 

 growing section of the country," and assured 

 me that "every facility will be given you to 

 continue your research work." My program 

 as outlined by mail was reasonably light; but 

 when I came to assume my duties I found 

 that I was expected to grade all the quiz and 

 examination papers. Consequently a great 

 part of my time during the first year was spent 

 with the blue pencU. In my correspondence 

 pertaining to the position this sentence ap- 

 pears : " Graduate or advanced student assist- 

 ance will doubtless be furnished," if I should 

 become unduly burdened with academic work. 

 I have made several requests for assistance, 

 but so far have been denied it. 



[Nevertheless I was determined to keep the 

 pot boiling, and I was, after a short delay, at 

 work upon a minor problem. My first re- 

 quisition for apparatus was granted imme- 

 diately. I was forced to wait three months 

 for my second; and when I made my third 

 request I was asked the startling question, 

 "Are you conducting personal research?" If 

 so, I should have to meet i)ersonally the ex- 

 penses of such work. I could not answer the 

 question at first, for I did not know what 

 personal research was, never having heard the 

 phrase before; but when I learned that work 

 which is self-initiated is personal, I realized 

 that my work belonged to that category. The 

 officer of administration with whom I had this 

 conversation tried to show me that it was an 

 imposition on my part to make this request. 

 Why! had he not done research in San Fran- 

 cisco, in Omaha, in Chicago, in New York, 

 yes, and in London and Paris too — ^the results 

 of which, he informed me, were published in 

 pamphlet form — and he did not request or 

 expect the university to pay his expenses. So 

 my third requisition was refused. This atti- 

 tude toward original work is characteristic, and 

 is not due entirely to ignorance of scholarly 

 work, but in part to the importance and em- 

 phasis that the university gives to its corre- 

 spondence and extension work. 



These departments receive very liberal sup- 

 port. Courses are given in nearly every sub- 

 ject, and nearly every member of the faculty 



gives some of his time to extension work ; some 

 men give their entire time to it. The exten- 

 sion department is probably the most impor- 

 tant in the university. This is due to the 

 fact that the popular lectures which are given 

 by the faculty upon their extension tours offer 

 the best means of gaining the people's good 

 will. Here, where the university and the agri- 

 cultural college exist as separate institutions, 

 there is much need of this. Public favor 

 means appropriations. Therefore it is not re- 

 search but extension work that the adminis- 

 tration desires. 



One's endeavors upon the extension platform 

 soon receive recognition and promotion, 

 whereas research work is disregarded. It is 

 not wanted; it is not encouraged, no matter 

 what may be said to the contrary. I have 

 talked the matter over with several members of 

 our faculty, with men who have been here for 

 eight and ten years, and they agree with me — 

 in fact I have advised with them in writing 

 this letter — that there is no future here for a 

 man with scholarly ambitions. And the pity 

 of it all is that there are many men who have 

 no desire to continue research after their 

 doctorate, and who would be supremely happy 

 in these positions, where the work is new, 

 where the people are eager for knowledge, and 

 where no one is critical; but the administra- 

 tion, by feigning to hold certain ideals, at- 

 tracts and elects men to the faculty who are 

 entirely out of sympathy with the conditions 

 of their work as soon as they discover them. 

 The man who comes imbued with the spirit of 

 research and who desires to continue his scien- 

 tific investigation wUl struggle hopelessly for 

 a year or two against the odds, and wiU then 

 resign; either resign his position and return 

 east, or resign his scholarly ambitions. If he 

 return east he must start again at the bottom ; 

 if he remain at his post he will be discontented 

 in the sacrifice of his ideals — a victim of dry 

 rot. 



I feel rather strongly in this matter because 

 I am myself at the parting of the ways. I too 

 must " resign." Which course I shall pursue 

 is a question that is giving me no little con- 

 cern. It is one, also, that I feel should never 



