﻿Report 
  of 
  the 
  President. 
  1 
  7 
  

  

  First, 
  his 
  desire 
  to 
  popularize 
  science 
  through 
  the 
  arrange- 
  

   ment 
  and 
  exhibition 
  of 
  collections 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  simple 
  and 
  attrac- 
  

   tive 
  manner 
  as 
  to 
  render 
  them 
  intelligible 
  to 
  all 
  visitors. 
  To 
  

   the 
  same 
  end 
  of 
  popular 
  education 
  he 
  favored 
  Sunday 
  opening 
  

   and 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  Museum 
  evenings 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  work- 
  

   ing 
  men 
  and 
  others 
  closely 
  occupied 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  might 
  

   attend. 
  The 
  establishment 
  of 
  the 
  public 
  lectures 
  under 
  Pro- 
  

   fessor 
  Albert 
  S. 
  Bickmore, 
  bringing 
  the 
  Museum 
  into 
  closer 
  

   connection 
  with 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Department 
  of 
  Public 
  

   Instruction, 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  features 
  of 
  his 
  administration, 
  

   and 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  general 
  institution 
  of 
  public 
  courses 
  of 
  lectures. 
  

   He 
  finally 
  favored 
  and 
  put 
  into 
  practice 
  the 
  free 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  

   Museum 
  on 
  every 
  day 
  of 
  the 
  week. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  great 
  feature 
  of 
  his 
  administration 
  was 
  his 
  

   recognition 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  foundation 
  of 
  popular 
  science 
  is 
  pure 
  

   science, 
  and 
  his 
  determination, 
  which 
  increased 
  with 
  advanc- 
  

   ing 
  years, 
  that 
  the 
  Museum 
  should 
  be 
  as 
  famous 
  for 
  its 
  scien- 
  

   tific 
  researches 
  and 
  explorations 
  as 
  for 
  its 
  popular 
  exhibitions 
  

   and 
  educational 
  work. 
  His 
  faith 
  in 
  the 
  beneficent 
  influence 
  of 
  

   science 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  scientific 
  men 
  was 
  most 
  remarkable 
  

   in 
  a 
  man 
  trained 
  and 
  educated 
  solely 
  for 
  business. 
  During 
  the 
  

   year 
  1907, 
  the 
  last 
  year 
  of 
  his 
  administration, 
  with 
  his 
  sanc- 
  

   tion 
  the 
  Museum 
  devoted 
  nearly 
  $80,000 
  to 
  the 
  development 
  

   of 
  natural 
  science 
  through 
  exploration, 
  research 
  and 
  publica- 
  

   tion. 
  

  

  More 
  than 
  a 
  quarter 
  of 
  a 
  century 
  ago, 
  with 
  prophetic 
  

   vision, 
  he 
  saw 
  that 
  this 
  Museum 
  under 
  proper 
  direction 
  would 
  

   develop 
  and 
  finally 
  become 
  a 
  center 
  for 
  scientific 
  work, 
  an 
  

   effective 
  agency 
  for 
  education, 
  an 
  instrument 
  for 
  the 
  improve- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  and 
  an 
  index 
  of 
  the 
  culture 
  of 
  the 
  com- 
  

   munity. 
  To 
  these 
  ends 
  he 
  strove; 
  and 
  his 
  simple 
  statement 
  

   announced 
  at 
  the 
  conclusion 
  of 
  his 
  labors, 
  " 
  I 
  believe 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  

   to-day 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  effective 
  agencies 
  which 
  exist 
  in 
  the 
  City 
  

   of 
  New 
  York 
  for 
  furnishing 
  education, 
  innocent 
  amusement 
  and 
  

   instruction 
  to 
  the 
  people," 
  was 
  an 
  expression 
  of 
  personal 
  con- 
  

   viction 
  in 
  which 
  we 
  most 
  heartily 
  concur. 
  

  

  While 
  we 
  are 
  mindful 
  that 
  his 
  leadership 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  

   establishment 
  of 
  this 
  splendid 
  institution, 
  and 
  that 
  his 
  noble 
  

   bequest 
  provides 
  for 
  the 
  continuation 
  of 
  work 
  already 
  begun, 
  

   we 
  do 
  not 
  forget 
  the 
  responsibilities 
  that 
  his 
  administration 
  

   has 
  imposed 
  upon 
  us. 
  It 
  is 
  with 
  regard 
  for 
  him, 
  and 
  with 
  

   respect 
  and 
  cordial 
  sympathy 
  for 
  the 
  measures 
  leading 
  to 
  

   public 
  betterment 
  which 
  were 
  clearly 
  and 
  wisely 
  expressed 
  in 
  

   the 
  terms 
  of 
  his 
  bequest, 
  that 
  we 
  are 
  encouraged 
  to 
  assume 
  

   the 
  important 
  obligations 
  thus 
  imposed. 
  

  

  