16 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



As in 1914-1915, important assistance to our research work was 

 given by the Sheldon Fund Committee, who appropriated $700. 

 to defray the expenses of Mr. D. H. McLaughlin, incurred during 

 the summer's field-study of mining districts in California, Mon- 

 tana, Arizona, and other western states. An unexpended balance 

 of $600., returned to the Shaler Fund by Prof. W. M. Davis, was 

 granted to Dr. W. G. Foye to defray expenses connected with the 

 completion of an important memoir resulting from his field-work 

 in the Fiji Islands, a study made possible also by the Sheldon Fund, 

 as noted in last year's report. 



The income of the Whitney Fund was divided between Mr. 

 R. F. Webb and Mr. Roderick Peattie, who pursued field-courses 

 during the summer. 



The Visiting Committee has given very great stimulus and 

 encouragement. One of its members, Dr. W. S. Bigelow, gave 

 $100. as the nucleus of a fund for defraying the travelling expenses 

 of geologists and geographers from other centres, who may be 

 invited to give special lectures to our students. The first was 

 given by Dr. N. L. Bowen of the Geophysical Laboratory at 

 Washington, with effect so good that this fund is manifestly one 

 of the most useful among those at the disposal of the Department. 

 Members of the Committee generously subscribed the sum of 

 $300. to cover the cost of much needed map cases and $130. 

 toward the salary of a Departmental secretary. Though working 

 on a half-time basis for a few months, the stenographer employed 

 has been of notable value. This experiment by the Committee 

 has proved, if proof were needed, that true economy of administra- 

 tion demands the appointment of a full-time Departmental 

 secretary by the Corporation. The Committee has also under- 

 written the deficit, about $300., incurred in connection with the 

 Summer course. 



Recognizing the importance of the final establishment of a full- 

 time professorship of economic geology, Mr. G. B. Leighton, 

 chairman of the Visiting Committee, at once laid before it the 

 need of additional equipment. A fund of $3,000. a year, to be 

 kept up for five years, was speedily raised by subscriptions from 

 Messrs. R. L. Agassiz, A. C. Burrage, W. H. Coolidge, W. E. C. 

 Eustis, H. Jennings, S. Jennings, G. B. Leighton, R. A. F. Penrose, 

 and Raphael Pumpelly, and from Profs. H. L. Smyth and J. E. 

 Wolff. These friends of Harvard have thus shown in a practical 

 way their conviction that economic geology should have a promi- 

 nent place in the scientific work of the University. 



