—_ =f. ee lS Ue. UL Oe i I sh en i i ee ee ee 
P 5 ¥ Se eat sia a See ——e sa capi 
Biographical Sketch of Prof. Olmsted. 111 
a view to entering the ministry. In about a year, however, his 
revered instructor was removed by death, and Mr. Olm ‘sted 
evinced his affection for his memory by an appreciative memoir, 
which was published in the Port Folio for November, 1817. 
Meanwhile his experience and observation as a teacher, not only 
in college and in New London, but in Farmington also, where, 
at the age of seventeen, he taught a district school, appear to 
have awakened in his mind a deep interest in the subject of 
education, and a desire to make some effort for the improvement 
of the schools of his native state. In an oration “on the state 
of education in Connecticut,” which he delivered in 1816 on 
taking his Master’s degree, he sketched the outlines of a ~~ 
original with himself, of what he termed a “seminary for se 
masters,” to be supported by the State ;—an idea since so hap- 
pily realized in our Normal Schools. 
But his aims in this direction were terminated, as well as his 
theological studies, by his appointment in 1817 to the chair of 
Chemistry in the University of North Carolina, upon the duties 
of which he entered after a year spent at New Haven in special 
prek eparation under the private instruction of Prof. Silliman. At 
1 Hill he not aoe discharged successfully the duties ie - 
professorship, (which, besides chemistry, then included, a 
most other colleges, mineralogy and g geology.) but, rue ten iis 
residence there, he was also employed by the State to make a 
survey of its geology and mineral resources ;—a circumstance 
the more worthy of notice, as this was the first enterprize of the 
sort accomplished under the auspices and at ‘aie Prot Chaat of wd 
of the States. The project 0 first laid b 
1821, before the Board of Internal ieopivenentl Sideyhe a the offer 
to perform the entire work himself ee and _ modest 
suggestion of an appropriation by the Board o: e hundred 
dollars, to be rien posta or not at the pc of the 
” to o defray his necessary expenses in traveling. This 
eres however, aes Board declined, and the survey was 
made under the cee ‘of the State Board of mo 
riculture, To this Board ms sted 
in ihe coun t the time, must certainly be Goked upon as 
—— in the > highest aes yor to the enterprise and the 
