Xviii WORCESTER. 



Doctor Freer's preliminary scientific training, begun in the 

 United States and completed in Europe, had been exceptionally 

 thorough and broad. He had displayed very distinguished abil- 

 ity as an original investigator and had always been most suc- 

 cessful in directing the investigations of others. He had placed 

 his own laboratory at the University of Michigan on a sound 

 basis and had made numerous helpful suggestions calculated to 

 promote efficiency and economy in the work of others of the uni- 

 versity laboratories. Incidentally he was the youngest man ever 

 appointed to a full professorship in the University of Michi- 

 gan. I, myself, had been a student there at the time of his 

 appointment. 



Later, when both of us were members of the University fac- 

 ulty, we had repeatedly discussed the possible reorganization 

 and centralization of the laboratory work of the university and 

 had agreed that greatly increased economy and efficiency might 

 readily be secured were some one competent person put in 

 charge with power to act. 



When the opportunity came to make a clean start in the 

 Philippines, I felt that Doctor Freer was just the man whom 

 I needed, and having first secured due authority, I offered to 

 him the newly created position of Superintendent of Govern- 

 ment Laboratories, at the same time outlining my plans for the 

 future. The opportunity for creative work appealed to Doctor 

 Freer, and to my very great satisfaction he accepted the posi- 

 tion. We have profited by his mature knowledge, amazing in 

 its breadth and accuracy. 



At the outset he had no thought of permanently abandoning 

 his university career, but requested and obtained a year's leave 

 of absence in order to help us get started. At the end of that 

 year his work was only begun. Mr. Taft, then Civil Governor, 

 secured an extension of his leave for another year, and at the 

 end of this second period successfully urged upon the university 

 regents the almost unprecedented act of granting to a member 

 of the faculty a third consecutive year's leave. 



Meanwhile things had been happening here. At the outset 

 Doctor Freer had found himself in the embarrassing situation of 



