362 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIX. No. 479. 



well known in tliat city as professor of 

 applied mathematics at Washington Uni- 

 versity, and as the originator of the St. 

 Louis Manual Training School. Through- 

 out the country he is equally well known 

 as 'the apostle of manual training' and as 

 one of the leading educators of the world; 

 his reputation and position in' the com- 

 munity enabled him to be a most efficient 

 vice-president. 



Professor J. Burkitt Webb, of Stevens 

 Institute, at Hoboken, N. J., was elected 

 as councilor, and Professor George W. 

 Bissell, of Iowa State College of Agricul- 

 ture and Mechanic Arts, Ames, Iowa, was 

 elected a member of the general committee. 

 Professor William Kent, of Syracuse Uni- 

 versity, Syracuse, N. T., was elected mem- 

 ber of the sectional committee for five 

 years. The sectional committee consisted 

 of Professor Clarence A. Waldo, Purdue 

 University, Lafayette, Ind., vice-president 

 1903; Mr. Elwood Mead, Department of 

 Agriculture, Washington, D. C, secretary, 

 1903 ; Professor Calvin M. Woodward, 

 Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., 

 vice-president, 1904; Professor W. T. Ma- 

 gruder, Ohio State University, Columbus, 

 Ohio, secretary, 1904^8; Professor Mans- 

 field Merriman, Lehigh University, South 

 Bethlehem, Pa. ; Professor J. Burkitt 

 Webb, Stevens Institute, Hoboken, N. J. ; 

 Professor H. S. Jaeoby, Cornell University, 

 Ithaca, N. Y. ; Professor H. T. Eddy, Uni- 

 versity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., 

 and Professor William Kent, Syracuse 

 University, Syracuse, N. Y. 



VICE-PRESIDENT 's ADDRESS. 



The vice-president's address was deliv- 

 ered by Professor Clarence A. Waldo, pro- 

 fessor of mathematics at Purdue Univer- 

 sity, Lafayette, Ind., on the subject of 

 'Engineering and Mathematics.' It was a 

 statement of the great influence of the 

 engineering colleges upon the teaching of 



mathematics, and was a strong plea for the 

 rationalization of mathematics and espe- 

 cially for engineering students, and also 

 for illustrating the reality of mathematical 

 formulae and expressions by examples drawn 

 from engineering practise. By this means 

 it will be found that the student will per- 

 ceive the utility of mathematical applica- 

 tions earlier in his course, and will not be 

 studying the subject for reasons of either 

 blind faith or stolid obedience. As the 

 paper has already been published in the 

 columns of Science, we gladly refer the 

 reader to the address itself. 



EXCURSIONS. 



The section met for the presentation and 

 discussion of papers on Tuesday, Wednes- 

 day and Thursday mornings and on 

 Wednesday evening. Tuesday afternoon 

 was spent in an excursion under the aus- 

 pices of the St. Louis Engineers' Club, to 

 the Eads Bridge, and by special train to 

 the Union Station to inspect the changes 

 now being made in its terminal facilities. 

 The members of the section availed them- 

 selves of the kind invitation of the man- 

 agers of the Louisiana Purchase Exposi- 

 tion, and visited the exposition grounds on 

 Thursday afternoon, where, after luncheon, 

 they inspected the extensive buildings and 

 grounds, and the machinery which was be- 

 ing installed. 



PAPERS. 



Professor A. S. Langsdorf, of Washing- 

 ton University, presented a paper giving 

 'Graphic Methods for Determining the 

 Equations of Experimental Curves' and 

 giving means for fixing upon the type of 

 equation to be used and of evaluating the 

 constants of an equation which represents 

 a curve found experimentally. Parabolic, 

 , hyperbolic, logarithmic and periodic curves 

 are treated by his method. The paper will 

 probably be published in the Journal of the 

 Association of Engineering Societies. 



