102 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 604. 



succeeded here, and the combination has 

 now taken the permanent form of an engi- 

 neering school of the first rank, peculiar in 

 this respect, in which we believe it to be 

 superior to all others, that the practise not 

 ■only illustrates the scientific principles 

 taught in the school, but also gives the 

 students considerable experience in the use 

 of tools and a practical knowledge of the 

 workings of a commercial shop. 



Since the founding of the institute, tech- 

 nical schools have been springing into ex- 

 istence with great rapidity in response to a 

 constantly increasing demand for trained 

 engineers. In speaking of this fact, Presi- 

 dent Eliot said in 1905 : 



It is also true that separate schools have been 

 set up in many parts of the country to train 

 young men for the technical and. scientific profes- 

 sions, but in time these schools are likely to be 

 transferred to neighboring universities or to con- 

 tent themselves with training men for the lower 

 grades of these professions, the universities all over 

 the country being sure to appropriate the training 

 of young men for the higher walks of the scientific 

 professions and of business. * * * It is obvious 

 that the policy of the American universities now 

 under consideration has had, and is going to have, 

 a strong effect to uplift the relatively new pro- 

 fessions, like those of engineering, applied chem- 

 istry, architecture, music, mining, forestry, the 

 public service and large scale manufacturing. 

 These are highly intellectual occupations not yet 

 universally recognized as on a level with divinity, 

 law and medicine. The American universities 

 will in a few generations put them all in their 

 higher grades absolutely on a level with the older 

 callings. 



This is an interesting prophecy, but so 

 far as it relates to the absorption of exist- 

 ing independent technical schools by the 

 universities is not likely to be immediately 

 fulfilled. 



That the Worcester Polytechnic should 

 have developed into an engineering school 

 is a cause of great satisfaction. Progress 

 and growth characterize all successful edu- 

 cational institutions. Listen to this state- 

 ment : 



After God had carried us safe to New England 

 and. we had builded our houses, provided neces- 

 saries for our livelihood, reared convenient places 

 for God's worship and settled, the civil govern- 

 ment, one of the next things we longed for and 

 looked after was to advance learning and perpetu- 

 ate it to posterity, dreading to leave an illiterate 

 ministry to the churches when the present min- 

 isters shall be in the dust. 



Such was the modest purpose of the 

 founders of Harvard College. If the 

 founders of this school should have the 

 power to see us, as perhaps they have, how 

 small their surprise compared with that of 

 the fathers who behold Harvard University 

 with an endowment of $18,000,000, and a 

 student body of 4,000 being trained for 

 most of the occupations, professional and 

 industrial, necessary to the progress and 

 prosperity of the nation. Contrast the first 

 graduating class of seven with the last 

 commencement, when 1,073 degrees were 

 conferred. Compare the sphere of useful- 

 ness of the first president of Harvard with 

 that of the distinguished educator who now 

 occupies that position and who is sought to 

 take part in the discussion of the rights of 

 capital and labor, the proper management 

 of corporations and kindred practical ques- 

 tions, to the great profit of his countrymen. 



During a period of thirty years there has 

 been a steady development in all of the de- 

 partments of the institute, and the enlarge- 

 ment and the enrichment of the various 

 courses has kept pace with rapidly in- 

 creasing demands. 



In the field of mechanical engineering 

 this development has usually been in re- 

 sponse to some special requirement. 



The demands for power for the genera- 

 tion of electricity and for marine work 

 have led to the present efficient and well- 

 developed high-pressure steam boilers and 

 engines, together with all the auxiliary 

 power-house apparatus. This has also re- 

 sulted in the perfecting of the steam tur- 

 bine for commercial purposes, while cheap- 



