196 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 502. 



A distinctive feature of Chamberlin 's 

 administration was the recognition of the 

 importance of applied science. The pro- 

 found necessity for raising the ancient art 

 of agriculture to a science, in order that 

 the land shall yield its fullest return, and 

 that the occupation shall be dignified and 

 ennobled, was fully appreciated. It was 

 also seen that in this age, in which the 

 world is for the first time being taken pos- 

 session of by man, advance is largely in 

 the hands of the engineer. 



But, perhaps, of even greater significance 

 than the development of applied science 

 was the emphasis placed by Chamberlin 

 upon scholarship and research — a definite 

 attempt on his part to make the institution 

 of which he was the head justify the name 

 of university. To this end the system of 

 university fellowships was established, 

 scholars and investigators were added to 

 the faculty, and the small beginnings of 

 what, during the present year, became a 

 graduate school appeared. The pro- 

 found infiuence of this movement was not 

 limited to the advancement of knowledge. 

 It was equally important in the diffusion of 

 knowledge. The man who is so full of 

 enthusiasm for his chosen subject that he 

 will burn liis brains for its advancement is 

 an inspiring teacher. He is the man who 

 illuminates the knowledge of a thousand 

 years ago with the discovery of to-day. 



Following Chamberlin 's administration 

 came that of Adams from 1892 to 1901. 

 On account of the ill-health of Dr. Adams, 

 for the last two years of his administration, 

 the charge of affairs was largely in the 

 hands of Dr. Birge, and, after Dr. Adams 's 

 resignation in 1902, Dr. Birge was acting 

 president until 1904. During these twelve 

 years the gymnasium was finished, the 

 large group of agricultural buildings, in- 

 cluding , Hiram Smith Hall, the Horticul- 

 ture-Physics building and Agricultural 

 Hall, were constructed. And, crowning 



all, by the joint efforts of the Historical 

 Society and the university, the superb state 

 library building arose, little short of the 

 perfection of the structures of the ancient 

 models. This building stands as a perma- 

 nent and powerful influence for the promo- 

 tion of the beautiful and appropriate in 

 architecture. 



During the twelve years' administration 

 of Drs. Adams and Birge the instructional 

 force increased from 68 to 180, the number 

 of students from 1,092 to 2,877, and the 

 graduate students from 22 to 115. 



The applied sciences of engineering and 

 agriculture rapidly developed during those 

 years toward their true proportionate posi- 

 tion in the university. The course in com- 

 merce, which may be called a course in 

 applied arts, was organized. This course 

 was at once a conspicuous success. 



The rapid rise of applied education in 

 the university during the administrations 

 of Chamberlin and Adams alarmed some 

 persons, who feared that the infiuence of 

 the liberal arts was thereby endangered. 

 As a matter of fact, during Chamberlin 's 

 administration the number of regular un- 

 dergraduates in the College of Letters and 

 Science increased from 217 to 711, and 

 during the following twelve years to 1903, 

 excluding those in commerce and phar- 

 macy, from 711 to 1,232. During these 

 same seventeen years the number of grad- 

 uate students increased from 3 to 119. 



In education, as in industry, when a, 

 fortunate development takes place which 

 meets a need, it finds students adapted to 

 it. Were it not for the courses of applied 

 education in the university, it is safe to 

 say that about 1,000 students now here 

 would be somewhere else, and it is also 

 certain that if technical education had no- 

 where developed in this country, a large 

 proportion of this 1,000 students would 

 never have entered a university. If one 

 but compares the very slow increase in 



