32 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXIV, 1917 
mately one-fiftieth of the entire population of our nation, there 
should arise real leaders in scientific thought. Our responsibility 
is not the remodeling of our educational systems in order to 
catch these leaders, but is the creation of a cordial attitude to- 
ward and interest in science that shall make the awakening of 
these young minds possible. We should be conscious not only 
of the obvious functions of the Academy in contributing to scien- 
tific knowledge, but also of the equally important activity in 
creating an atmosphere in all our institutions of learning that 
will foster the development of scientific leadership. We can 
go forward in our labors with peculiar confidence for there is 
no branch of learning that more certainly contributes to the 
knowledge of truth, that more definitely points out, by its own 
methods, the way in which the progress in civilization must be 
made if we the most rapidly attain happiness, justice and free- 
dom. Our Academy exists not merely for Iowa but for the 
world, serving as a means of assisting Iowa to make generous 
contributions to the welfare of this nation and of the entire 
world. 
Department of Physics, 
State University. 
