46 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIV. No. 341. 



by Mr. Buf to establish a 



national univorsuiy ■ ,g before the Con- 



gress, and on the L y of any funds and 

 , bequests toward j establishment of a 

 national univer'^ , respectively ; one by 

 Mr. Harper,, - the steps taken by the 

 Association ci jigricultural Colleges and 

 Experiment Stations to secure provision 

 for further study in the government de- 

 partments at Washington by graduates of 

 those institutions; two by Mr. Eliot, on 

 the existing educational agencies at "Wash- 

 ington which might be affected by any 

 scheme for a national university, and on 

 the number, variety, extent and character 

 of the scientific or technical departments 

 of governmental work which might prop- 

 erly be included in any scheme for a na- 

 tional university, respectively ; one by Mr. 

 Angell, on the probable attitude of the 

 principal universities of the^ country to- 

 ward the project to establish a national 

 university; and one by Mr. Maxwell, on 

 existing organizations which are interested 

 in the establishment of a national univer- 

 sity. 



QUESTIONS STATED. 



With the information contained in these 

 reports before them, the committee pro- 

 ceeded to the consideration of the follow- 

 ing questions : 



1. Should there be established a statutory 

 university of the United States ? 



2. (a) If the first question be answered 

 in the affirmative, how should such uni- 

 versity be established and governed, and 

 what should be its scope and functions ? 



(b) If the first question be answered in 

 the negative, should the Congress be asked 

 to place the educational facilities of the 

 government departments at the disposal of 

 a non-governmental institution ? 



3. If the question 2 (6) be answered in 

 the affirmative, should a plan be devised by 

 which, through the cooperation of several 

 institutions, such a non-governmental in- 



stitution might be established and main- 

 tained at Washington, this to involve its 

 incorporation and governmental aid ? 



ARGUMENT FOR A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY. 



In considering the first question, the 

 committee took into careful consideration 

 the argument advanced in favor of a 

 statutory university of the United States, 

 which is usually presented in the following 

 form : 



1. Such a university is needed to com- 

 plete and to crown the educational system 

 of the United States. 



2. Such a university is needed to supple- 

 ment the resources of existing institutions 

 and to offer opportunities for more ad- 

 vanced investigation and research than 

 are now offered by the universities of the 

 country. 



3. Such a university was urged by 

 Washington, and has been urged by many 

 eminent statesmen since the foundation of 

 the government, as desirable and necessary. 



4. Such a university is needed in order 

 to coordinate the scientific work now be- 

 ing carried on in the several government 

 departments at Washington, and to put 

 that work at the disposal of advanced and 

 adequately trained students. 



CRITICISM OF THIS ARGUMENT. 



Waiving all questions of the constitu- 

 tional power of the Congress to provide for 

 a university of the United States, which 

 power is held by Mr. James, in the report 

 above referred to, to be fully established, 

 the fourfold argument in favor of a national 

 university suggests the following considera- 

 tions and comments : 



1. There is no educational system of the 

 United States in the formal and legal sense 

 in which there is an educational system of 

 each of the several States, and therefore 

 the contention that there should be a 

 national university to serve the nation, as 

 each of the State universities serves its 



