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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIII. No. 851 



considers the institute's youth, is the fact 

 emphasized on an earlier anniversary by 

 Mr. Augustus Lowell and expressed by him 

 in the phrase, "The M. I. T. is pre- 

 eminently a leader in education. ' ' Its edu- 

 cational ideals and methods have been 

 studied and almost everywhere the trend 

 to-day is in the direction in which the insti- 

 tute has long been moving. 



To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of 

 the granting of the institute's charter a 

 congress of technology has been arranged. 

 At this congress, which opens to-day, and 

 will be in full activity to-morrow, promi- 

 nent alumni and members of the faculty 

 are to deal with problems raised in the field 

 of their own specialty. The guiding idea 

 throughout is the gain in efficiency that 

 comes from the application of scientific 

 methods to the treatment of the great prac- 

 tical problems of the day. The business 

 world must be weary of amateur sugges- 

 tions for the conduct of its affairs and there 

 is danger of damage to a great cause by 

 too much talk. The problem of increased 

 efficiency is no new problem to the man of 

 affairs, and there is much that is thrust 

 upon him in these days that he must have 

 known for years. On the other hand, a 

 sane and serious discussion by men who 

 know their subject and speak from experi- 

 ence must always be welcome, and doubt- 

 less in the proceedings of this congress 

 there will be much of interest to the busi- 

 ness men who are alive to the necessity of 

 advancement and who are on the alert for 

 suggestions that may be helpful in their 

 own affairs. 



A glance at the program will give some 

 idea of the variety of the interests repre- 

 sented, but more thorough study is needed 

 to realize in any adequate measure that the 

 work of this institute touches practical life 

 at a thousand points. What the institute 

 has achieved in half a century has fully 



justified Rogers's statements when making 

 his first appeal for public support. "I am 

 sure," he said, "that I speak from no 

 impulse of mere enthusiasm when I say 

 that this new undertaking presents an 

 opportunity of practical beneficence in 

 connection with education which is not only 

 peculiar, but without precedent in this 

 country. My experience as a teacher and 

 my reflections on the needs and means of 

 industrial instruction assure me that this 

 enterprise, when fully understood, must 

 command the liberal sympathy of those 

 who aim to make their generosity fruitful 

 in substantial and enduring public good." 



R. C. Maclauein 



BilNMY PICKERING BOWDITCH 

 Dr. Bowditch was one of the foremost lead- 

 ers in the scientific development of America, 

 In the establishment of university laboratories- 

 for research he was a pioneer and for forty 

 years he exerted a wide and profound influ- 

 ence upon the progress of physiology, of med- 

 ical science and of university education. It 

 was the man himself which counted, for upon 

 every one his sincerity, his absolute single- 

 mindedness, his intellectual power and his- 

 genial spirit made a lasting impression, and 

 created confidence in himself. 



Bowditch was born April 4, 1840, at Boston. 

 He descended from the best New England 

 stock. Nathaniel Bowditch, the mathema- 

 tician, well known to all navigators, was his- 

 grandfather. His father was a successful 

 business man, who bought a large estate at 

 Jamaica Plain, upon a beautiful hill, which 

 has a commanding view both of Boston and 

 of the country for many miles around. This- 

 hill is intimately associated with Dr. Bow- 

 ditch in the thought of all who knew him, for 

 he continued as one of a large family colony- 

 to dwell on it until his death. 



He entered Harvard College, graduated in 

 1861, and entered the Lawrence Scientific- 

 School, but in November of that year he vol- 

 unteered and became a second lieutenant ini 



