774 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIV. No. 884 



ings were favored by the gentle and refined 

 presence of Matthew H. Buekham, who 

 through a long life of activity as an edu- 

 cator exhibited the qualities of a scholar 

 and a gentleman. May many rise up with 

 a similar type of mind and character to 

 mold the intellect and purposes of coming 

 generations! We shall not forget the 

 kindly spirit, the manly attributes, the 

 singleness of purpose and the efficient serv- 

 ice of Edward B. Voorhees, whose life and 

 activities were on a plane so high that they 

 presented an inspiring example of useful 

 living. The number remaining of those 

 who aided in founding and building these 

 new educational agencies and who are still 

 in active service is small, and these pio- 

 neers in an undeveloped field can but feel 

 that they are transferring to "other men 

 and other minds" the abundant fruit of 

 their labors. 



Again, this association has been an active 

 and most influential agency in augmenting 

 the resources of the institutions from which 

 you come, and in developing and unifying 

 their administrative and pedagogical meth- 

 ods. Through your accredited representa- 

 tives an influence, national in scope, has 

 been focused upon legislation. The en- 

 larged financial support of the colleges and 

 stations by the federal government could 

 hardly have been secured without your 

 united effort, directed along an authorized 

 channel. Ton must also recognize very 

 clearly that your annual discussions have 

 been helpful, even essential, to the wise 

 solution of administrative and educational 

 problems. Probably no other influence has 

 been more potent in hastening and shaping 

 the far-reaching readjustment that has 

 been effected during the past few decades 

 in the aims and methods of education, even 

 in our secondary schools, than has the ex- 

 ample and propaganda of the institutions 



arising from the first Morrill act, an in- 

 fluence to which your deliberations have 

 served to give form and purpose. 



But the main reason for extending con- 

 gratulations to you at this time is the status 

 and beneficent results of the activities here 

 represented. It would be easy to show the 

 marvelous growth of the equipment and 

 work of the land-grant colleges and agri- 

 cultural experiment stations by the use of 

 statistics that are almost startling in their 

 proportions. I shall not resort to this 

 method, however, for you know the facts, 

 and besides, the prominent display of such 

 large figures savors of showy parade or of 

 vainglorious pride. It is enough to ^ay 

 that as a whole these wards of the nation 

 and states are liberally equipped as to 

 buildings, apparatus and funds, with a dis- 

 position on the part of the state govern- 

 ments to provide for increasing demands in 

 these directions ; students are not lacking, 

 practise both in agriculture and engineer- 

 ing is giving respectful attention to your 

 utterances; all this indeed because after 

 nearly five decades of strenuous and almost 

 heart-breaking struggle, whatever have 

 been your mistakes, you have demonstrated 

 your right to exist and thereby have won 

 public confidence. The colleges and sta- 

 tions for whose upbuilding you have la- 

 bored hard and loyally are now public 

 utilities of great importance. They are an 

 intelligent and directive force in the con- 

 servation of our resources, both social and 

 material. In brief, these institutions have 

 come to be a national asset of great and 

 permanent value. 



But now that the hardships and discour- 

 agements incident to the establishment of 

 the new and the untried are past and pub- 

 lic confidence is won, now that you are 

 reasonably well equipped and have the 

 plastic minds of thousands of young men 



