2 34 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



vious to the passage of the founding act by the state legisdature hardly 

 any other name was use, and afterward for some years, the term agri- 

 cultural college was more commonly heard as applied to this institution, 

 as it then existed, than was the 1 egal title, the IlMnois IndustrialUnver- 

 sity, but they thought of it and popularly called it the agricultural col- 

 lege. It is certainly true that a few persons and those who were most 

 influential in determining the name and character of that which they in- 

 stituted took a wider outlook and a better vision of the development 

 which was sure to ensue. With t hem the name University was not a mis- 

 application and that which they understood by the modifying term "in- 

 dustrial" was in proper keeping with the best interpretation of the en- 

 tire movement — a movement which accounts in a considerable part for 

 the splendid achievements of the later years. But when the trustees first 

 met it was not strangeUhat man y, no doubt a majority of them, still 

 thought of the charge newly placed under their care as an agricultural 

 college. Here again the influence of a few dominating minds, and 

 among them that of the first rege nt or president, is to be perceived. The 

 minority, as determined by count, extended the plans for the new organ- 

 ization much beyond those which the majority would have adopted. Nn 

 one, however, thought of displacing from the head and front of the list 

 the agricultural interests. All w ere in hearty agreement in giving these 

 chief place in the new institution, to be followed by others as possibilities 

 permitted. In the first scheme of organization fifteen professorships 

 were recommended, and the first one in the list, as it was adopted, is that 

 of practical and theoretical agric ulture, f oUow^ed in order by those of 

 horticulture; analytical and practical mechanics, military tactics, and 

 engineering, civil engineering, etc. In this the professorship of ancient 

 languages takes the thirteenth p lace and that of mental and moral phil- 

 osophy the fifteenth place. When appointment came to be considered it 

 was natural, under the cirmumstances just mentioned, that some one 

 should be first looked for to fill the professorship of agriculture. That 

 this appointment, together with that of horticulture, were not made be- 

 fore others, was not the fault of t hose upon whom devolved the resiponsi- 



