BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 

 Vol. 31, pp. 339-350 September 3o, 1920 



THE TEACHING OF HISTORICAL GEOLOGY AS A FACTOR 

 CONDITIONING RESEARCH ^ 



BY JOHN C. MERRIAM 



(Presented before the Society December 31, 1919) 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Function of the educational institution in development of research 339 



Functions of teaching 346 



Special significance of geology in teaching idea of continuity in research . . 348 



Function of the educational Institution in Development 



OF Research 



Discussion of the teaching of any research subject involves preliminary 

 consideration of the position of the educational institution in relation to 

 that of other agencies concerned with the advancement of research. 

 Viewed from the standpoint of one surveying the work of investigation 

 as now expressed in this country, we may divide our greater research .. _^ 



agencies tentatively into five groups. ^^^^vt)»s»^ *^ ^*-'-r^ 



Without assuming to present a complete or exact classification, thejsepp 1 v: IQOO 

 are: (1) research of practical application in engineering laboratories;"" 

 (2) governmental bureaus and laboratories; (3) research foundations^i,^ 1 isus®^ ' 

 (4) museums and allied institutions; (5) educational institutions. To 

 these five a complete statement would add several of lesser magnitude, 

 among which a very potent force is found in effort of individuals work- 

 ing privately, as has been done to the great advantage of science by many 

 pioneers in investigation. 



In order to make clear the position of educational institutions with 

 relation to the other four kinds of research agencies, it is necessary to 

 give an approximate definition of each type. 



1 Manuscript received by the Secretary of the Society August 12, 1920. 

 This paper is one of a series composing a symposium on the teaching of geology and 

 paleontology. 



XXIV— Bull. Geol. See. Am., Vol. 31, 1919 (339) 



