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REPORTS

OF THE

VISITING COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
OF OVERSEERS

HARVARD COLLEGE

FEBRUARY 6, 1890, TO JANUARY 8, 1902
INCLUSIVE

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

publisbefc b£ tbe XKniversitp

1902

tlBRAtfl

1 W

iVCJU

TABLE OF CONTENTS

•

PAGES

Architecture, cix 653

Arnold Arboretum, vn 36

Botanic Garden, xiv, xxv, xxxvn, lxxix ... 71, 103, 189, 551
Bussey Institution, xxxiii, lx, lxxvii, lxxxviii, cm . . 181, 325, 545,

579, 635

Chapel, xxvi, lv, cviii 107, 305, 651

Chemical Laboratory, I, lvii, lix, xciv 3, 311, 321, 603

Composition and Rhetoric, xxviii, xlix, lxxi . . . . 117, 275, 401

Divinity School, xn, xxi, liii 59, 93, 301

English Literature, xxn, xliii, lxvii, lxxviii . . . 97, 211, 389, 547

Fine Arts, xxvn, li, xcii Ill, 291, 595

French, lxviii, xc 393, 585

Geography and Geology, xlii, lxxxii, xci 207, 559, 587

German, xxiv, xxxvi, xlvi, xovi 101, 187, 221, 609

Government, xi, xxiii, xxxv, xli 55, 99, 185, 203

Gray Herbarium, civ 637

Greek, xxxi 173

History, Ancient and Mediaeval, and Roman Law, xxix, lxxxvi 165, 573

History, Modern, and International Law, iv, ci 23, 627

Indo-Iranian Languages, vi, xix, lxxxv 29, 85, 571

Italian, lxvi, lxxxi 385, 557

Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Physics, m, xv, xxxiv, xlv, liv,

lviii, lxx, lxxiv, lxxx, lxxxix, c . .22, 73, 183, 217, 303, 319,

399, 523, 553, 581, 623
Lawrence Scientific School, ix, xxxviii, lxxii, xcv . 40, 191, 519, 607

Law School, lxxv 525

Mathematics, xlvii .269

Medical and Dental Schools, xxx, xlviii, lxxvi, lxxxvii . 167, 271,

533, 577

Mining and Metallurgy, cvi • 643

Museum of Comparative Zoology, xxxii, L, LXIV, cv 177, 289, 381, 639

IV CONTENTS.

Music, viii, xvi 38, 75

Observatory, xliv, lxxxiii 215, 561

Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, v, lxix, cvii . . 27,

397, 649

Philosophy, lxi 329

Physical Training, Athletic Sports, and Sanitary Condition of all

Buildings, x, lxiii, lxxiii, xcviii 43, 337, 521, 619

Political Economy, lii, xcix • 299, 621

Reports and Resolutions, en 631

Semitic Languages, xiii, xx, xxxix 63, 89, 193

Spanish, xvm 83

Veterinary School, n, xvn, lvi, lxii, xciii . . 21, 77, 307, 333, 599
Zoology, xl, lxv, lxxxiv, xcvn 195, 383, 569, 617

HARVARD UNIVERSITY.

REPORTS

OF THE

VISITING COMMITTEES OF THE
BOARD OF OVERSEERS.

In Board of Overseers,

December 17, 1890.
Voted, That the Secretary be instructed to cause the reports of the
several Visiting Committees read under Section 29 of the existing
By-Laws to be numbered and printed consecutively after they shall
have been acted on by this Board.
A true copy of record.
Attest: ALEXANDER McKENZIE.

Secretary.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE CHEMICAL
LABORATORY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Gentlemen : By the invitation of Professor J. P. Cooke, Erving
Professor of Chemistry ami Mineralogy and Director of the Chemical
Laboratory, the Committee appointed by you to visit the Chemical
Laboratoiy met in Boylston Hall in Cambridge on the afternoon of
January twenty third of the present year.

On that occasion Professor Cooke presented to your Committee the
report which is herewith submitted. This will be found to be a most
careful and interesting history of Professor Cooke's department from
the insignificant beginning, which he describes, to its present active
and efficient condition which has given the College its prominence in
the teaching of chemical science.

. It will be observed from the report of Professor Cooke that the
new method of teaching of elementary chemistry — in which the
students perform experiments in the Laboratory — has in two in-
stances led to accidents which might well have been serious, and
which in one case was followed by legal proceedings in which it was
sought to hold the College liable for injuries to a student. But when
it is remembered that only two cases of dangerous accidents have
occurred, while thousands of experiments have been successfully and
safely performed, it seems hardly necessary to limit this course to
such work as is absolutely safe, which would, as Professor Cooke
says, emasculate that system of instruction. Inasmuch, however,
as both the accidents referred to occurred to students who were
" making up work" out of course, and not therefore under the imme-
diate supervision of the Instructor, your Committee suggest that a
rule might well be introduced that would prevent any work in the
experimental course from being done without such supervision as
will secure safety.

Your Committee made a careful examination of Boylston Hall,
having in view the changes which the removal of the Mineralogical
Cabinet will make possible, and congratulate the instructors and
students upon the relief from the overcrowding from which they have
so long suffered and which has so seriously interfered with the satis-
factory prosecution of their work.

In conclusion, your Committee desire to congratulate the Director,
his Associate, and the College upon the publications of the Labora-
tory, which, permit it to be said, that ''no single university among
English-speaking people can show as good a record."

For the Committee :

FRANCIS BARTLETT, Chairman.

February 6, 1890.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR TO THE VISITING COMMITTEE OF
THE OVERSEERS.

Since 1876 the results of investigations in this Laboratory have
usually been published under the general title of kt Contributions from
the Chemical Laboratory of Harvard College " ; and under this name
our Laboratory is known wherever the science of chemistry is culti-
vated. The Chemical Laboratory was recognized as a distinct depart-
ment of the University by the appointment of a Director by the
Corporation, July 28, 1879 ; and it has also been so represented in
the University Catalogue since the issue of 1882-83. This year for
the first time a separate committee has been appointed b}' the Board
of Overseers to visit the Chemical Laboratory ; and the Director takes
the occasion to put on record a brief history of the rise and progress
of the department under his charge.

The writer was graduated with the Class of 1848 ; and, after pass-
ing a year in Europe, returned to the College as Tutor of Mathematics
in the autumn of 1849. Before that time there had not been, for many
years, any s}Tstematic instruction in chemistry given to the under-
graduates ; and with the increasing prominence of the stucty at other
colleges, the lack at Harvard was strongly felt. Thus it came to pass
that within a few weeks after he had entered on his duties as Tutor
of Mathematics, the writer was invited (November 28, 1849) to give,
in addition to his other work, instruction to the Freshman class in
the elements of chemistry; and on May 25, 1850, was appointed
Instructor in Chemistry and Mineralogy. His first course of lectures
was given during the second term of 1849-50 to the Class of 1853 ;
and the second course, nominally on mineralogy but essentially also
on chemistry, during the first term of 1850-51 to the Senior class of
that year. At the close of this term on December £0, 1850, he was
appointed Erving Professor, and was granted leave of absence for
the remainder of the year, which he spent in Europe visiting labora-
tories and collecting apparatus for instruction.

By the vote of the Corporation appointing the Instructor in Chem-
istry and Mineralogy, his pay was fixed at one thousand dollars, with

thi^proviso : " He providing at his own charge the consumable ma-
terials necessaiy in performing chemical experiments " ; and as the
College possessed no chemical apparatus worth mentioning, the first
two courses of lectures were illustrated almost wholly with the material
which the writer brought from a small private laboratory which had
been fitted up for him when a boy at his father's house in Boston ;
and it is from such insignificant beginnings that the present establish-
ment has grown.

At the opening of the new College year, 1851-52, the young and
inexperienced Professor returned from Europe with a very respectable
outfit for that time, purchased, however, almost wholly at his own
expense, in virtue of the general agreement among the members of
what was then called the Boylston Medical School, that each Profes-
sor should provide at his own expense all the apparatus and materials
required in his course of instruction ; and at the beginning the most
onerous — although, unfortunately, the most unsatisfactory — of the
duties of the new Professor were those connected with the Medical
School. At that time the instruction in this School was given almost
wholfy by lectures, which were so crowded into four months of the
3^ear that the same student constantly attended four lectures in as
many consecutive hours ; and since no adequate means were provided
to enforce the study of all the courses nominally required for the
medical degree, the result was that a subject like chemistry, not
directly bearing on medical practice, was systematically neglected,
and no amount of enthusiasm or striving on the part of the teacher
could secure attention from men whose faculties were already over-
fatigued.

As the Professor himself had learned the little chemistry he knew
b}T experimenting in his laboratory when a boy, he at once attempted
to introduce teaching by experiment into the Medical School, and
practical courses were soon established both in qualitative analysis
and in medical chemistry. But as such courses could not be adapted
to the existing system of the School, they were only tolerated as
extras ; yet a considerable number of students availed themselves of
the privilege, and the only satisfactory work done by the writer in the
School was in connection with these courses.

In organizing the chemical instruction in the College, quite as great
difficulties were encountered at first as in the Medical School. Here
also there was a hard and fast system to which it was necessary to
conform. The instruction at that time in the undergraduate depart-
ment was given almost wholly by recitations from more or less ele-
mentary text-books ; and besides one experimental lecture, the Erving
Professor was expected to hold two recitations each week, the class

being divided for the purpose into as many divisions as the numbers
demanded.

The chemical text-books of that date were simply epitomes crowded
with facts wholly unrelated to the previous knowledge of the students.
Recitations from such books were necessarily dreary enough ; and the
students who bore the infliction little suspected how their teacher
groaned under his task. But this was only the beginning of a long
struggle to establish the teaching of experimental science in spite of
regulations made wholly in the interest of literary studies. In this
struggle a great deal of time and energy was spent ; but not wholly
in vain, since the way was thus prepared for better things, although
the pioneer cannot but regret that he himself had so long to battle in
the wilderness.

In those early years every attempt was made to make the required
recitations profitable. A text-book (Stockhardt's Elements of Chem-
istry) written on an experimental basis was found in Germany and
translated by the late Miss C. Peirce expressly for this use. The
subject was made as real as possible by frequent demonstrations, and
some definiteness at least was gained b}T exercises on chemical reac-
tions and problems. A small book bearing this name was almost
the earliest publication of the writer, and it served its purpose in
making the study respected in a literary community ; but it did this
at the sacrifice of all that is distinctive and peculiarly valuable in
the stucty of an experimental science.

As at the Medical School so at the College an immediate attempt
was made to establish an experimental course of instruction. The
lecture-room at the north end of University Hall was assigned to the
department, together with a room on the opposite side of the entry,
in which, at the time, was stored the so-called Riimford apparatus ;
and this was put temporarily under the charge of the Erving Profes-
sor, and served a useful purpose in his lectures. The apparatus and
chemicals procured as above stated, primarily for use at the Medical
School, were made to do double duty ; and the frequent transportation
of this material between the School and College was a marked feature
of the situation. The Rumford apparatus-room served as a private
laboratory ; but in order to find a working-room for an experimental
class the cellar under the lecture-room was floored and fitted up with
tables. In this rude laboratory chemistry was first taught experi-
mentally to undergraduate students in this country, — at least so far
as the writer knows. The only branches taught were qualitative and
quantitative analysis, chiefly the former. Indeed, these were the
only branches of which the methods had been worked up into a suit-
able form for elementary teaching at that time. This practical

course, however, was not recognized by the College Faculty until
1858, after it had been in successful operation for seven years; but
a large number of students availed themselves of the opportunities
thus offered, although the study was wholly voluntary and received
no credit whatever in the College course ; and not a few of the gradu-
ates of that day will remember that old cellar laboratory, where good
work was done and good men educated.

Early in the year 1856 a movement to obtain suitable accommo-
dations for experimental work took definite shape, and plans were
drawn by Mr. W. R. Ware for building a small brick laborato^ at a
cost of about ten thousand dollars ; and on July 26 of that year the
plans were submitted to the Corporation who gave to the writer an
informal consent to solicit subscriptions in behalf of this modest enter-
prise. He early sought the aid and counsel of the late John E.
Thayer, to whose attention the project was warmly recommended by
President Walker. Mr. Thayer at once entered into the plan with
his usual public-spirited zeal, and promised to give one tenth of the
amount required. But at the same time he called attention to the
fact that the Corporation then held a fund bequeathed b}r the late
Ward Nicholas Boylston for the erection of an anatomical museum
and a chemical laboratory, and suggested that it would be better for
the College to increase b}' subscription the Boylston fund to forty
thousand dollars and erect at once the handsome stone building which
Mr. Boylston contemplated and which would be an ornament to the
College Yard. The wisdom of Mr. Thayer's suggestion was obvious ;
and in this changed form the subject was again brought before the
Corporation at their meeting of August 30 following, and after all
the details had been examined by a committee it was decided in favor
of Mr. Thayer's suggestion. The subscription was at once opened
and seventeen thousand dollars were finally collected, though not
without difficulty even with Mr. Thayer's efficient aid. For a finan-
cial crisis came on soon after, and the civil war rapidly following, the
project must have been indefinitely postponed had it been delaj^ecl
even for six months. Mr. Tha}Ter himself contributed three thousand
dollars, and to his influence the final success was greatly owing.

The contracts were finally signed on January 27, 1857, and the
building occupied early in March of the following year. The total
cost, including the furnishing, was fifty thousand dollars, obtained
as follows : —

Boylston Fund $24,000

Subscriptions 17,000

General Fund of the College 9,000

$50,000

It was a sad circumstance, however, connected with the opening of
the new building that neither Mr. Thayer nor Mrs. Wigglesworth, the
two persons who showed the most interest in the undertaking, lived
to see its completion.

The greatly increased duties which the growth of the undergraduate
department involved, besides circumstances which it is not important
to recall, led the Erving Professor, as soon as the subscription was
secured, to ask to be relieved from all the duties at the Medical School ;
and this relief having been freely granted by the Corporation the
material belonging to the Professor at the Medical School was for the
last time transferred to Cambridge, and furnished the chief chemical
outfit of the new laboratory.

As first built, Boylston Hall was admirably adapted to the purposes
for which it was intended. It was never anticipated that the whole
building would become one large chemical laboratory, comprising
every department of the science ; indeed a far larger and more com
prehensive laboratory than any that existed even in Germany at that
time. The laboratory of the Lawrence Scientific School then pro-
vided for all graduate or advanced students ; and the one general
laboratory room in the new building was designed solely for the under-
graduates with the single object of making the elementary teaching of
chemistry more effective by means of experimental work. The year
Boylston Hall was opened there were less than four hundred under-
graduates in attendance ; and a lecture-room with two hundred seats
and a laboratory with forty-eight working places was thought an
ample provision not onl}' for the present but for all future needs ; so
little could the later rapid growth be then foreseen.

From the time the new laboratory was opened qualitative analysis
was allowed as an elective stud}T in the Junior }Tear ; but it was not
until 1868-69 that a second elective (in determinative mineralogy)
was secured. A revolution in the general methods of the College was
then impending, and the year 1870-71 marked an important change.
Up to this time, the whole instruction in chemistry, chemical physics,
and mineralogy had been given by the Erving Professor with the aid
of one assistant, wholly unpaid or paid only in part by the College.
The old recitation and lecture system had continued unchanged ; and
although quantitative analysis, organic chemistry and even electrical
measurements had been taught at times to a few enthusiastic students
who would give extra time to laboratory work ; yet the only experi-
mental courses recognized by the Faculty were the two above-men-
tioned and the last only within two years.

But in 1870-71 a reorganization of the whole department in con-
nection with the rest of the College took place under the influence of

President Eliot. The essential courses of a chemical education were
systematically laid out ; and all placed on an experimental basis.
The teaching of molecular physics which had so long burdened the
department was transferred to the department of physics. The stu-
dents in chemistry of the Lawrence Scientific School were transferred
to Boylston Hall. A third story was added to this hall which largely
increased the laboratory accommodations. An additional assistant was
provided ; and Mr. C. L. Jackson who had served several years as
assistant was appointed Assistant Professor. In 1874 Mr. H. B. Hill,
the second assistant referred to above, was appointed Assistant Pro-
fessor ; and since then the number of courses given in the Laboratory
has been steadily multiplied, and the number of teachers increased ;
until the present year when the laboratory corps consists of three
professors, one instructor and four assistants, teaching fifteen distinct
courses to more than three hundred laboratory students.

Such was the conservatism of the old college systsm that it was not
until 1870-71 that descriptive chemistry was first taught experimen-
tally in this College under the charge of Professor Jackson ; and the
barren recitation system finally abandoned. This consummation had
been as before stated the dream of the writer from the first ; but it
required twenty years to reach the result. Moreover his own efforts
in that direction would have been unavailing had it not been for the
sympathy and support of President Eliot. Further it must not be
forgotten that while we owe to President Eliot our escape from the
toils of a system of teaching which in chemistry at least was as para-
lyzing to the teacher as it was profitless to the student, we owe to him
also in connection with Professor Storer the working out of the first
practical system of experimental instruction in descriptive chemistry.
The methods of teaching qualitative analysis had been worked out a
generation earlier in the German laboratories ; and a partial method
of teaching general chemistry experimentally had also been elaborated
somewhat later in Saxony by Stockhardt in his book called "Die
Schule der Chemie," which from the first the writer adopted as the
text-book for the compulsory recitations which he was forced to hold.
But to Eliot and Storer belong the credit of showing, at the Institute
of Technology in Boston, for the first time — at least in this country
— the practicability of teaching general chemistry by observation and
experiment ; and we have every reason to hope that the influence they
thus exerted will in time drive out from all our schools and colleges
the senseless practice of committing to memorj' a mass of facts wholly
unrelated to the pupil's intelligence. The writer can only regret that
he was so long the unwilling agent of such educational folly, although
he must claim for himself the small merit of having done his best to

mitigate the evils of a system which he was powerless to change. But
the battle against the prescribed methods of the old scholastic system
has not yet been wholly won. When will literary scholars learn that
there can be no universal system of education ? and that what may be
intellectual food in one department of knowledge is often poison in
another? Physical science has its peculiar methods and its peculiar
discipline ; and its value as a means of education lies solely in these
features. To prescribe for the study of natural science the forms
adapted for literary studies is to lose the only real value of such
stud\', or at least to use it for a discipline which can be far better
gained by other means. Book learning is a good thing, in some
departments the only thing ; but physical science can never be learned
to any valuable purpose from books. Cramming for examinations is
an excellent intellectual discipline, but this is not the discipline of
physical science. The ideal educational s}Tstem of the future will use
each study for its own peculiar discipline ; and will vary its methods
as the ends to be gained demand. Life is too short and vital energy
too precious that we can afford to waste intellectual effort, and in
the sharp competition of the future a continuance of the present
waste will be fatal to success.

Since the experimental method of teaching was adopted the course
in general chemistry has been under the direction of Professor Jack-
son, and its great success has been mainty owing to his intelligent
oversight and well-considered methods. The present }Tear there are
over one hundred students in the course ; and this one course is full
work for the teacher in charge. It is the necessaiy preliminary, and
therefore the feeder of all our more advanced courses ; and its import-
ance in our system is correspondingly great.

The new scheme of requisitions for College requires that there
should be open to Freshmen elective courses corresponding to each of
the so-called advanced studies of this scheme. Hence four years ago
there was first introduced into the laboratory cumculum a more ele-
mentary course in general chemistry than Chemistry 1 , referred to
above ; and the new course is known as Chemistry B. One of the
chief objects of this course was to influence the study of chemistiy in
the secondary schools ; but it also meets a demand for a limited train-
ing in the methods of experimental science by those undergraduates
whose chief interest centres in other studies. Before the recent
changes there had been for several years an optional requisition in
chemistry, but it was almost invariably met hy the cramming of an
elementary text-book, and the result was as unsatisfactory as might
be expected. It has hitherto been impossible to secure that chem-
istry should be taught in the secondary schools in accordance with the

true methods and spirit of experimental science. All the school
methods and traditions were scholastic, and the teachers themselves
had little conception of the nature of the discipline which gives to the
study of an experimental science its only leal value. Chemistry was
learned from a book just as history or grammar was learned, and the
knowledge tested by the same senseless repetitions as those which we
regard as a mark of barbarism in a Mohammedan school, but with
which we suffer our own children to be persecuted. Unfortunately
the teaching of chemistry is especially open to this abuse, because the
elementary textbooks on this subject are epitomes, crowded with
facts in regard to the elementary substances and their compounds,
which for the average pupil bear no relation whatever to the rest of
his knowledge, and must be learned — if learned at all — as unintel-
ligible forms of words.

For a long time the writer had anxiously sought to find some means
of remedying this crying evil, and of obtaining from the schools some
training in the discipline of physical science comparable to that which
has so long been secured in classical studies, a training which would
prepare those coming to the University for more serious work in the
same direction in their College course.

It was obvious from the first that no effective work could be done
in the schools unless the scope of the subject was greatly restricted.
It was impossible that the scheme of the chemical elements should be
treated at all, for the very brevity that a school course compels would
render the only treatment of the subject, possible to be given, fruit-
less. The writer therefore ventured on the bold plan of wholly
breaking away from all the traditions of the subject, and limiting
an elementary course on chemistry to the general principles of the
science which could be fully illustrated by experiments and enforced
without an undue array of facts.

This was the motive of a pamphlet entitled " Descriptive List of
Experiments on the Fundamental Principles of Chemistry for use in
Chemistry B ; also for the use of teachers preparing students for the
admission examination in chemistry " ; first printed by the University
in 1886.

Imperfect as work of this kind in an wholly untrodden field neces-
sarily must be, this publication was the product of much thought and
experience, and has already accomplished all that could reasonably
have been expected. Last year more than fifty candidates passed the
laboratory examination on this basis. The new course, moreover,
has been introduced into several of the principal preparatory schools,
including those of Andover and Exeter ; and teachers who have
entered into the spirit of the method have been warm in its praise.

With college men the result has been equally satisfactory, and our
experience during the last three years will enable us to improve the
details of the system when another edition of the pamphlet is required.

In College the classes in general chemistry are a cause of no little
anxiety on account of the risk incident to experimental work in the
hands of heedless and inexperienced men. Students who have been
trained solely in literary studies rarely possess those habits of preci-
sion, foresight, and judgment which experimental work imperatively
demands. Bad grammar or a blundering translation may indicate
wretched scholarship, but rarely entails more serious consequences
than a sarcastic reprimand. But a neglect of directions or careless-
ness in mixing materials may in a chemical experiment maim a man
for life. A false quantity in prosody, at the present day, will scarcely
do more than cause a smile ; but in chemistry it ma}' be fatal. It
goes without saying that in all our courses, when the least degree of
danger is apprehended, well-considered and exact directions are given
before each practical exercise ; indeed the caution used would seem
excessive to any one who did not know with what heedless subjects
we have to deal. Still, with all our caution, accidents do at times
happen ; and, if rarely serious, the escapes frequently remind us of
what might be. Sometimes the men, after being forewarned, incur
the risk from mere recklessness, with full knowledge of the danger.
Two year ago a student deliberately lighted a hydrogen flask which
he knew contained an admixture of air, to see, as he said, if it would
really blow up ; and last year a man was found, out of hours, rubbing
together a considerable amount of sulphur and chlorate of potash in
a mortar, to make fulminating powder for the purpose, doubtless, of
sprinkling under the feet of students when entering some lecture-
room. In this case even the man's neighbors protested ; and, when
he would not desist, summoned the Instructor. Of course we give to
such delinquents short shrift. But only a few weeks ago an earnest,
faithful man, working his own way through College, came near losing
his sight by inadvertently rubbing together in a similar way red phos-
phorous with chlorate of potash. . A terrific explosion followed,
scattering the fragments of the mortar in eveiy direction, and blow-
ing the powder into the man's eyes. By prompt action, and the great
skill of Dr. Henry W. Williams — gratuitously bestowed — the man's
sight was saved, and no greater damage resulted than the loss of an
insignificant amount of property.

On carefully inquiring into the circumstances of this last case the
Director could not see how greater care could have been taken than
was taken, or gather any suggestions from the experience which
would be useful for avoiding similar accidents in future. The man

had finished the somewhat critical work for the day, through which
he had been closely watched by the Instructor, who felt that he
needed watching, and then, without notifying any one, undertook to
make up, as the students call it, the experiment of an exercise from
which he had been absent. The experiment consisted in making
oxygen and burning phosphorous in the gas. As this work was long
since passed no preparations had been made for the experiment that
day, and the man had to bring together on his desk the apparatus
and materials required from different parts of the room ; and among
other things he procured a bottle of red phosphorous, the substance
which he was to burn in the gas when made, and which we always use
in this experiment in place of ordinary phosphorous because not liable
to spontaneous combustion. Had he spoken to either of the gentle-
men in charge they would have dealt out to him the small pinch of
red phosphorous required, as is always done at the regular exercise.
But he sought out the bottle of red phosphorous, which when in use
by the class is carefully guarded, and with whose nature he was fulty
acquainted, and carried it to his desk. The materials being before
him he first weighed out, according to directions, eight grammes of
chlorate of potash ; and, having poured the salt into his mortar, pro-
ceeded to add one fourth of this weight of black oxide of manganese ;
but, instead, in a fit of absence of mind, took the material from the
bottle of red phosphorous ; although one powder is black and the
other red, one heavy and the other light, and the label RED PHOS-
PHOROUS, DANGEROUS in large capitals was all the time star-
ing him in the face. There is no question about the facts. I give
them as he stated them to me, and from the first he took the whole
blame on himself. What was really at fault, however, was an over-
worked brain acting mechanically.

I dwell on these facts because they will show the Committee how
much we are at the mercy of circumstances that we cannot control.
It is easy to say that we should not leave dangerous materials within
reach of inexperienced hands ; but many of our absolutely essential
reagents are dangerous in the wrong place, and to leave out of the
course every experiment in which we can foresee any risk would so
emasculate the subject as to make the course worthless. Even then
we should probably encounter unexpected dangers ; and a part of the
discipline of the study consists in learning how to direct the forces of
nature with security and efficiency. Nevertheless, the overseeing of
such a course is very nervous work, and the teacher closes the
laboratory door at the end of each practical exercise with a feeling
of relief.

It is a further important consideration in connection with the sub-

ject, how far the College can be held pecuniarily responsible for acci-
dents in its laboratories. This question was brought prominently to
our notice a few years ago when a student, through neglect of definite
directions, blew a quanthry of oil of vitriol into his face, endangering
his sight, and severely burning the skin so as probably to disfigure
him for life. The student blew from his mouth into a form of car-
bonic acid generator from which he had been told to suck the air,
when the too rapidly-formed gas drove out the strong acid contained
in the drying flask ; and the heedless experimenter added to the
gravit}* of the situation by refusing to wash at once the acid from his
face. The father of the student sued the College for damages, but
the suit has never been pressed. It is perhaps to be regretted that
the case was not tried, since the evidence as to the facts was ample,
and the decision must have rested on general principles ; and the
question is likely to recur at any moment when the facts are less
definite. In this instance, as in the accident which has recently hap-
pened, the man was making up work out of course, and not there-
fore under immediate supervision ; but it could be proved that he
was present when the directions were given, and that he acted in
direct contravention to those directions. Can more than this be re-
quired of an instructor to absolve the College, whose servant he is,
from all responsibility? Otherwise there would be no safety unless
each experimenter were under constant oversight, with as many as-
sistants as students ; and this condition, it is needless to say, would
render experimental teaching impracticable. Fitness for his work and
ordinary diligence and caution must be demanded of every teacher
who undertakes experimental courses ; but more than this cannot be
expected, and if expected, cannot be had. The patience and en-
durance of teachers, as of other men, is limited, and these virtues
are already severely tried in the elementary courses which I have
described ; and it must be understood that the men who elect such
courses assume the risk that the work implies.

In 1851, when the writer first became acquainted with the current
of chemical thought in Europe, organic chemistry had not yet been
wholly emancipated from the superstitious awe with which the con-
stitution of organized materials had hitherto been regarded. Liebig
had already, through his theory of organic radicals, made evident to
chemists the close analogies he had discovered between important
classes of organic products and corresponding mineral compounds ;
Wohler had effected his famous syntheses of urea ; Dumas had pub-
lished his well-known memoir on organic types ; Laurent had general-
ized the limited observations of Dumas ; and Gerhardt, Williamson,
Wurtz, and Hofmann were even then laying the foundations of mod-

ern structural chemistry. But no comprehensive view of the subject
had yet been gained ; and works on 'k Organic Chemistry" were filled
chiefly with descriptions of the proximate principles of plants and
animals. There was little of this material which a teacher could use
with profit. Nevertheless, Liebig's works on agricultural and animal
chemistry had been published in translation in this country and widely
read ; and among medical students there was a wholly unintelligent
demand for instruction in organic in place of inorganic chemistry,
chiefly because the name organic seemed to connect the subject with
their profession.

To satisf}T this demand as far as possible, the writer prepared a
long course of lectures on this branch of his science ; and the full
notes of these lectures, bound in two thick volumes, still exist, and
are a fair presentation of the organic chemistry of that day. They
are also a monument of useless labor, except for the practice it gave
the young teacher : since the medical students did not know what
they wanted, and found little interest in the subject, except in so far
as it was a repetition of their Materia Medica ; and the state of prog-
ress which the lectures represented was soon passed.

In College there was no opportunity for many years of either study-
ing or teaching the subject ; but its rapid development was followed
with great interest, several classes were formed for studying the ever-
changing aspects which the investigations of organic products opened
to view, and every occasion was taken to direct interested students
into that field of study. At last an earnest student was found to
devote himself enthusiastically to this special work ; and Professor
Hill, after learning in Europe the best methods of studying and teach-
ing organic chemist^, returned to us to carry forward with great
success this most important branch of our instruction. The course
on the u Carbon Compounds" under his direction represents the
highest phase in the development of theoretical chemistry, and in
spite of its difficulties attracts all the best students in the deparment.
Professor Hill has also sole charge of the large course in Qualitative
Analysis, and is associated with the Director in charge of the courses
in Quantitative Analysis.

The more advanced courses and courses in research, from the very
nature of the case, can only directly benefit a comparatively few
advanced students ; but, as will be shown further on, they stimu-
late more than any others the active life of the Laboratory. The
advancd students require a great deal of thought and oversight, and
this burden is shared b}T all the professors.

The incumbent on the Erving foundation has been styled Professor
of Chemistry and Mineralogy, — at least since 1816, — and the care

of the Mineralogical Cabinet, as well as the teaching of mineralog}T,
were designated as among the chief duties of the writer on his appoint-
ment to this professorship. It was, however, evident from the first
that, under the then existing scholastic system, lectures on systematic
mineralogy must be a profitless task ; and the early courses given by
the writer on this subject were, in fact, limited to the common me-
tallic ores and other useful minerals and to their applications in
metallurg3T and the useful arts. These subjects, however, were,
properly speaking, branches of chemistry ; and when soon after the
course on general chemistry was extended to include them, the separ-
ate course on mineralog3T was given up, much to the relief of the
professor. It was afterwards announced in the College Catalogue
for several years that ' ' Mineralogy is taught to those who desire to
learn it by Professor Cooke " ; and this statement immediately fol-
lowed a similar announcement in regard to the Hebrew language.
There were not many aspirants to either of these singularly associated
branches of learning ; but mineralogy was quite as popular as the
Hebrew language, and from the practice in teaching the subject thus
gained, the writer discovered, somewhat to his own surprise, that
when made solely a subject for object-lessons the study of determi-
native mineralogy was an admirable training of the powers of observa-
tion, and therefore a disciplinary study of the highest value. The
writer was thus led to develop a system of teaching mineralog}T by
observation alone ; and when a laboratory course in chemistry was
finally allowed as one of the elective studies of the Junior year, the
exercises of the second term were given to mineralogy, while those
of the first term were devoted to qualitative analysis ; and afterwards
when a second laboratory course was allowed, this was limited to
mineralogy and crystallography. The course thus established as
early as 1868-69 is still given and attracts a large number of stu-
dents. In addition to this, for the last few years a second course
has been given, more limited and technical in its character, dealing
only with the common minerals of the rocks and with metalic ores,
and including the simpler methods of assaying.

Experimental chemistry and not the natural history aspect of the
subject was the writer's early predilection, and he never made a sys-
tematic study of mineralogy until it was forced upon him by the
exigences of his position. But the subject soon grew upon him and
he devoted himself with zeal to developing the collection under his
charge ; and he looks back with not a little pleasure to his early
vacation excursions in search of mineral specimens ; in several of
which he was accompanied by the present President of the University.
This zeal in collecting was greatly sustained by the circumstance that

a mineral collection was then regarded as one of the chief ornaments
of a New England college, and a comparison with her sister institutions
in this respect was by no means favorable to Harvard.

But in bringing together a collection which shall adequate^ exhibit
the extent and beauty of the mineral kingdom the amount that can
be accomplished by private collecting is very limited, and success is
a question of money and opportunities. The opportunities are sure
to come in time ; but these are of no avail without the means of uti-
lizing them ; and the zeal of the writer would have had little result
had it not been for the liberality with which he has been aided by the
friends of the College. On four separate occasions he has obtained
by subscription the means of increasing the collection amounting in
the aggregate to over twenty thousand dollars ; and this sum, together
with a small annual grant by the Corporation, and frequent small gifts
of his own, have in forty }Tears produced the actual result. There has
been great pleasure in the occupation and unnumbered disappoint-
ments. How painful it is to be obliged to forego a grand opportunity
for the want of the few dollars required for the purchase, only the
enthusiastic collector can understand. He knows that the opportunity
to purchase a similar unique specimen will never come again ; for
such things are usually found in a single pocket of a mine, and rarely
recur under like extraordinary aspects. So true is this that it would
be impossible with any amount of money to reproduce exactly any old
cabinet of minerals. Time is an essential element in bringing together
a truly representative collection ; and the collector of a public museum
has this consolation that there is time enough ahead, if not for him
certainly for those that will come after him. He is fortunate who
can make sure of his own acquisitions, and transmit them as a legacy
to be multiplied by his successors.

You can then understand the anxiety of the Director in that a col-
lection gathered at the cost of so much time and money should be
exposed to the danger from fire incident to an active chemical labora-
tory, and appreciate his gratitude to the kind and liberal friends who at
this emergengy have united to provide for the Museum a fire-proof and
suitable home where it can not only have room to grow, but where it
can be made of the greatest possible use in teaching and extending
the science of mineralogy. The walls of the building have been
erected already, and besides the large exhibition room there have been
provided a preparation room, a room for the Curator, a large minera-
logical laboratory and lecture room, besides laboratories for the analy-
sis of minerals and the essay of ores. Since the details connected with
the subscription, and with the erection of the mineralogical section of
the " University Museum " have recently been stated by the Director

in his report to the President of the University for last }Tear, it is un-
necessar}^ to repeat the statements in this place.

The mineralogical collections and laboratory now occupy fully one
foarth of Boylston Hall and their removal to the new building will,
therefore, open a large amount of space which has long been needed
for the extension of the chemical laboratories. The best use of this
space will be a subject of careful consideration. It has been proposed
to use the present exhibition room on the second story for a large
lecture room, which with the galleries could readily be made to ac-
commodate an audience of five hundred persons. The corresponding
room on the third story will make an ample organic laboratory, and
is especially adapted to this purpose ; as it has a large skylight which
could be made to afford good ventilation. From the small lecture
room on the third stoiy, divided b}^ suitable partitions, we can make a
spectroscope room, a balance room, and a room for organic analysis,
all of which are indispensable adjuncts to the larger laboratories.
The present mineralogical laboratory on the second story can then be
used for meeting the smaller classes. Moreover on the ground floor
we shall be able to give more suitable accommodations to Professor
Jackson ; and by using his present private laboratory as a cloak room,
render more difficult the depredations of sneak thieves by which
hitherto we have been periodically greatly annoj'ed.

Still it must be borne in mind that we cannot by any transforma-
tions make out of Boylston Hall a first class chemical laboratoiy of
the modern type. We do expect to make it convenient for all man-
ner of chemical investigations ; but no such extension of chemical
study as has taken place was contemplated in the erection of the
building, and it cannot be expected to compare with the large labora-
tories recently built in Europe at great cost and supported by gov-
ernment grants. Through the kindness of Professor Hill the Director
has the opportunity of laying before the Committee the plans of the
great laboratory recently built at Zurich by the Swiss government at
the cost, with the outfit, of three hundred and forty thousand dollars ;
and it will be seen that our humble establishment, even in its largest
possible expansion, must present a sorry contrast to this magnificence.
Results and privileges do not, however, necessarily go hand in hand,
and we shall continue to do the best we can with what wTe have, and
are not ashamed of our past record. Nevertheless students are
greatly attracted by externals, and in our competition for advanced
students we cannot afford to disregard such accessories ; and the
time will come when there will be a strong demand from our own
alumni for a large chemical ]aborator}^ of the most recent type. That
this demand will be supplied in good season we have no doubt. But

not only the first cost of such an establishment, but also the cost of
its maintenance, will be so large — requiring with the endowment at
least half a million of dollars — that we cannot expect to obtain the
means required by any system of subscriptions, and must wait until
some very wealthy friend of the College shall take pleasure in giving
this direction to a great benefaction. Let it be fulty understood,
however, that it is not from any dissatisfaction with our present
appliances, but solely from a loyal desire to see Harvard preeminent
in evety department, and as the only means of securing the ultimate
fulfilment of our hopes, that we call attention to this need of the
future, and would seek to keep it prominently before the public mind.

Enthusiasm for truth and for learning is the only never-failing
source of intellectual life in an institution like ours ; and genuine
enthusiasm for knowledge can only be snstained by scientific investi-
gation or advanced study. Scientific and literary productiveness are
the best indication of scholarly life in the teacher ; and it is through
the life of the teacher that the life of the student is sustained.
Organization, rules, discipline, and the whole machinery of petty
politics may be necessary evils of college life, but they have an abso-
lutely deadening influence unless overpowered by the flame of enthu-
siasm kept ever burning warm and bright. It is, therefore, with no
little pride that we are able to point to what our laboratory has done
for chemical science.

In the earlier years of its existence the energy of its one teacher
was in very great measure spent in the class-room, and in developing
its resources. During this period the publications from the labora-
tory were more or less scattered ; but still scarcely a year passed
without some result. Since, however, the reorganization of the
department in 1870-71, and the division of the responsibilit}^ among
several teachers, the work of investigation has gone forward con-
tinuously and in very definite channels, and the Director has the
pleasure of laying before the Committee three octavo volumes in which
most of the papers published from the laborato^ since 1871 have
been collected and bound together. It is not for us to boast, but
among ourselves we may sa}T with all modesty that there is not a
single university among English speaking people which can show as
good a record ; and even in Germany, where the cultivation of
chemistry is so greatty fostered, it is only at two or three centres
of intellectual activity that this record has been greatly surpassed.
Of course the value of such publications is not to be judged alone by
their volume, for an important discovery may be stated in a few
words, and a short paper often contains the results of a year's hard
work. To those familiar only with literary work three volumes in

eighteen years might seem a meagre result ; but the actual number of
days' work they represent would have filled a small library had it
been expended on ordinary book-making.

It should also be remembered that chemistry has technical bearings
which are attractive and lucrative, and the singleness with which the^
active teachers of the laborafcny have devoted their spare time during
this long period of years to wholly unremunerative scientific work is
worthy of more emphatic recognition than it is fitting for the Director
to bestow. If the accelerated progress in the past is any sure indica-
tion of the future we have every reason to hope that, with the con-
tinuance of such zeal, American chemistry will soon hold a prominent
place among the intellectual activities of the world.

JOSIAH P. COOKE, Director.

II.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE SCHOOL OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE.

Colonel Charles R. Codman, President of Board of Overseers : —

Sir, — After carefully examining the organization and condition
of the Veterinary College, as well as outside influences bearing on its
efficiency, your Committee would respectfully report that, while in
their opinion its administration is as perfect as the restricted condi-
tion of its finances will permit, they feel its influence to be far below
the proper standard for a department of Harvard University in which
so much good to the community might be accomplished if supported
by the necessary amount of money.

The want of success in attracting a sufficient number of students is
very apparent; and, although increased numbers might furnish the
desired financial relief, your Committee feel that nothing short of
more ample financial resources will enable the College to furnish
those facilities in the direction of clinical instruction which seem
essential to attract to it a greater body of students.

While financial matters remain in their present meagre and insuffi-
cient state, your Committee fail to see how any suggestion from them
can help on the good work for which the College was established.

Yours very truly,

HENRY S. RUSSELL,
E. F. BOWDITCH,
ROBERT H. STEVENSON,

THEODORE A. DODGE.

Boston, April 5th, 1890.

III.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JEFEERSON
PHYSIC A L LA BORATORY .

To the Board of Overseers : —

We, the undersigned, members of the Committee appointed to visit
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory, have to report that daring the
present year there has been — in our opinion — a marked improve-
ment in its organization and conduct with regard to the instruction of
undergraduates and the promotion of original research.

A statement that much has been done in the latter direction, is the
strongest tribute that can be paid to the zeal, scientific ability, and
mechanical skill of the Director and his staff of professional assist-
ants ; but we feel that these gentlemen cannot do full justice to
themselves or the Laboratory until such time as a fund is established
the income of which shall secure to them the services of a skilled
mechanician.

The Director indicates clearly the pressing need of the Laboratory
in this regard in his last annual report to the President of the Uni-
versity ; and the President makes kindly mention of it in his report
to the Board of Overseers.

We, in turn, commend this need to most favorable consideration ;
for we are strongly of the opinion that the acceptance of the magnifi-
cent Laboratory building as a gift carries with it an implied trust,
on the part of the University, that Science shall receive from it the
fruits of original research it is so well fitted to yield.

FRANCIS BLAKE,
WILLIAM H. FORBES,
E. D. LEAVITT,
HENRY M. WHITNEY,
ELIHU THOMSON.

EXTRACT FROM THE RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS.

The report of the Committee appointed to visit the Jefferson Phys-
ical Laboratory was read and accepted.

Voted, That the Board recognizes the importance of the sugges-
tions made in the report just accepted ; and that it will heartily
endorse any movement toward establishing a fund for promoting
physical research at the Jefferson Physical Laboratory.

29 April, 1890.

IV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MODERN
HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL LAW.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

Your Committee has been much tempted to consider the subject of
a radical change in the organization of the Historical Department.
It seems to them quite possible that a plan might be adopted whereby
any person desiring to deliver a course of lectures on historical subjects,
upon demonstrating his fitness so to do, might receive a license from the
College government for this purpose. The capacity of the individual
lecturer to interest and stimulate students would thus be given full
pla}r ; many persons, profoundly interested in the subject, might be
attracted to prove their qualifications as instructors ; and the natural
result of the competition would probably be the bringing to the front
and retaining permanently the best men for the task. It would seem
also that the element of inspiration and a quickening of interest in the
students could in no way be more surely secured. If such an experi-
ment is feasible and worth trying there is no department of under-
graduate instruction in which it could be made with better prospects
of success than in that of history. Your Committee, however, recog-
nizes that this is such a radical change of system that it is perhaps
beyond their proper function to recommend it ; nor indeed would they
venture actually to recommend, without a much more thorough in-
vestigation than they have been able to make into the details and
difficulties involved in the change. They content themselves for the
present with throwing out the suggestion, in the hope that, if it
has merit, it may receive consideration Irv the President of the
University.

In making this suggestion the Committee is in no respect influenced
by an}7 feeling that the Department, as at present organized, is un-
satisfactory. On the contrary, if it be admitted that the present
system is the best, or the only practicable one, the conduct of the
Department under it deserves only commendation. Indeed, your
Committee takes great pleasure in bearing testimony to the zeal,
earnestness, and interest which they have found on the part equally
of the instructors and the students ; both sides seem to be doing their
best and with admirable results. All the conditions of instruction
are so immensely in advance of what existed at Harvard within the
experience of most gentlemen now upon the Board of Overseers, that

your Committee greatly regrets that they have not time and space to
describe the present state of historical instruction. It would be an
interesting and a very encouraging and gratifying sketch. But con-
fining themselves to their strict duties they make the following-
suggestions.

They conceive that the unity of the Department is susceptible of
improvement, and needs it. The inter-locking, or correlation of the
several courses, is fairly good, but only fairly so ; there is a little
overlapping, a little disproportion, perhaps an occasional slight hiatus.
The parts are only moderately well arranged as going to make up a
continuous, inter-related logical whole. Your Committee believes
that a more satisfactory relation, connection, and proportion of
courses could be achieved. It has been suggested that this could
be brought about by establishing one responsible head of the Depart-
ment ; if the right man could be obtained, this might be the best way ;
but as he should combine that high prestige which gives authorit}^
and overrides jealousy, with a faculty for instruction, administrative
ability, tact, and remarkable acquirements, it must be admitted that
the chance of obtaining him is small. If this cannot be done, your
Committee is of opinion that the instructors in the Department should
themselves organize into a sort of board or council, to discuss, map
out. and agree upon the plan of the Department as a whole ; that the
parts should be distributed in snch a manner as to cany out this plan ;
and the several courses be defined and allotted with special regard to
connection, proportion, and to covering the entire ground, but with-
out duplication. If the instructors could work together in such a
board or council in a liberal or friendly spirit, as }^our Committee
hopes and believes that they could, the}T ought to be able to accom-
plish some very useful remodelling.

Your Committee is greatly pleased with the efforts that are making
for the publication from time to time of historical monographs.
Nothing can be more stimulating to first-rate original work, and to
preliminary preparation for such work. Besides the professors and
instructors there are men in the advanced courses who are capable of
doing and are doing excellent work of substantial value, who are able
to make and are making investigations which duplicate no previous
work and which are well worth preservation and dissemination.
Further, apart from the consideration of the desirability of this
scheme in the conduct of the Department, no such good means can
be found of making known to the world what Harvard College is
doing in the way of historical work. Johns Hopkins University by
its publications in history has acquired widespread and justly de-
served reputation. It may be said to be a legitimate form of adver-

tising and a most efficient and admirable one, since it is by a display
of actual results. Why should Harvard hide her light under a bushel?
A trifling appropriation of monej' each year would suffice for this
purpose, and your Committee believes that a small sum could not be
better expended.

Unpleasant as it is to make recommendations involving the ex-
penditure of money, your Committee is obliged to say that the need
for an increase of library service is absolutely indispensable if the
Department is to maintain an}T good degree of efficiency. Much
reading is now inevitably required in all the courses, and very great
numbers of students select historical courses. The consequence is
a scramble for books, of which the supply is lamentably inadequate.
The simple truth is that it is physically impossible for students to do
what they are required to do, and what they are ready and ambitious
to do, unless the College greatly increases the number of copies of
the more important books for their use. A score of men tumbling
over each other's heels in an eager race to get a chance to snatch first
the prescribed volume, is not an edif}dng sight. Men who wish to do
what they are bidden to do ought at least to have the books furnished
to them. Your Committee urges emphatically that much greater lib-
eral^ in providing duplicate copies of books in common use is an
imperative duty which the College ought to make every effort to
perform. None but the richest students can make such provision for
themselves ; if the College cannot or will not do it on a greatly more
generous scale than it does at present, then its requirements from
the large body of students of history are in some degree at least
unreasonable.

Your Committee has consulted not only with instructors in the His-
torical Department, but also with many gentlemen who have lately
graduated and taken honors in history. By these gentlemen many
suggestions have been made, some of which are embodied in the
foregoing paragraphs, and others deserve to be noted as perhaps
possessing merit and deserving consideration.

Especially your Committee agrees with the opinion which has
reached them from various quarters that the theses of the students
in the advanced historical courses should be allowed to count for
honors. This seems so obviously proper that your Committee cannot
doubt that the mere suggestion will alone suffice to accompli h the
change.

It has also been urged, not without a good show of reason, that
History I. might be made at least an optional or substitute offering
at the examination for admission. But desirable as this would be
on some grounds, it is certain that no preparatory schools could at

present bring the students to the point to which this course, as now
conducted, brings them. It is a very valuable course.

The work in special reports is generally commended by the grad-
uates who have had experience in it, though they unite in expressing
a fear that it may be carried too far, at the cost of the advantages
to be derived from a more broad and general study. It cannot be
doubted that a careful discretion should be exercised in this respect,
in order to avoid the temptation to carry topical study to an excess
to the exclusion of wider instruction ; and special research should
onry follow after courses of greater breadth. But your Committee
thinks very highly of this " special research" ; it interests and stim-
ulates the student ; trains him admirably in the use of material ;
educates him in the methods of doing real work, and compels that
thoroughness and accuracy in which young men are apt to be deficient.
There seems no sufficient reason to believe that this form of instruc-
tion is now given disproportionate importance, though it probably
could not be magnified without this objection becoming valid.

It has been also urged that History IX. and History XII. should
each be allowed to count for honors in Political Science ; that they do
not now so count is said to deter many students from taking them.
This your Committee does not feel competent to determine, but offer
the suggestion for consideration by the President and Faculty.

A general course in modern European history is also asked for, and
would seem to be obviously very desirable, if it can be arranged.

For the Committee :

JOHN T. MORSE. Jr., Chairman.
Presented May 21, 1890.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE PEABODY
MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND
ETHNOLOGIC

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Your Committee have been impressed with the unparalleled advan-
tages offered by the Peabody Museum for study and for research.
It is indeed a cause for regret that although the collections present
opportunities for instruction and investigation rarely equalled and
nowhere surpassed in importance, yet students at the University have
seldom availed themselves of the advantages offered.

The growing interest in American Ethnology and Archaeology
justifies recognition of these branches in the University courses of
instruction. The great importance of these subjects, although recog-
nized by learned societies in Europe and already provided for to a
certain extent by other universities in this country, has been met
only in part at Harvard by the appointment of a Peabody Professor ;
but no regular course of instruction has yet been given.

The Committee respectfully suggest that lectures, combined with
laboratory work, counting as a half-course, be offered as one of the
regular branches of instruction, and that special inducements be made
to attract advanced students to pursue this line of study. These
branches seem to be of sufficient importance to warrant their recogni-
tion in conferring the degrees of Ph.D. and S.D.

The need of the Museum for funds with which to furnish the new
rooms is pressing, but the Committee are of the opinion that the mat-
ters to which they have called attention are of greater importance.
Collections, however complete, are of little value except when made
a basis of study and investigation.

The salary of the Peabody Professor is in the opinion of the Com-
mittee entirely inadequate, and they recommend that an increase be
granted him from the College funds.

The Committee also recommend the establishment of fellowships
by means of which students wishing to pursue Ethnological and
Archaeological studies could be aided in their work.

The Committee are authorized to offer to the Trustees of the
Peabody Museum $10,000 to establish a fellowship in American
Archaeology, and have also been offered the sum of $500 a year for

three years for a similar fellowship, both to be given on condition
that a third fellowship shall be assigned by the Corporation of Har-
vard College to the students of American Archaeology.

AUGUSTUS HEMENWAY,
CHAELES P. BOWDITCH,
T. JEFFERSON COOLIDGE, Jr.,
J. WALTER FEWKES,
HENRY W. HAYNES,
FRANCIS M. WELD.

Presented May 21, 1890.

VI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDO-IRANIAN

LANGUAGES.

The department of In do -Iranian languages lias an importance for
the University quite out of proportion to the number of students that
are attracted to such studies. In our country, for some time to come,
that number is likely to be small in comparison with the number in
England, where there is a direct practical incentive, or in Germany,
where the disinterested pursuit of knowledge is more general than as
yet in America. Yet for certain important purposes the indispensa-
bleness of Indo-Iranian studies has long since been fully demonstrated.
One might as well try to be an astronomer without a knowledge of the
calculus, or a physician without the knowledge of chemistry, as to
approach the higher problems of philology before obtaining some
acquaintance with Sanskrit and its kindred languages ; while the value
of such studies to the teacher of the classics, or to the student of
the comparative history of religion, philosophy, or jurisprudence is
becoming year by year more apparent. Twenty years ago the few
American students who had some inkling of the importance of San-
skrit were deterred by the difficulty and expense, due to the lack not
only of teachers but also of text-books constructed with proper refer-
ence to pedagogical requirements and so published as to be readily
and cheaply procurable in America. The publication of Professor
Whitney's Sanskrit Grammar and Professor Lanman's Sanskrit Reader
has done much to smooth the way for the student ; and Professor
Lanman is about to prepare a grammar still more directly adapted to
the needs of beginners than am^ as }Tet obtainable. In all kinds of prog-
ress it is proverbially the first steps that are the hardest, and bearing
this in mind it may be said that a fair beginning in the study of Sanskrit
has been made at Harvard. During the present year there have been
8 students, of whom 4 are graduates. One is an' instructor in the Col-
lege, who will probably devote himself to teaching the classics ;
another is a teacher in one of the large schools of Boston ; a third is
pursuing a course of liberal study. Of the undergraduate students
the professor reports that they have shown great zeal and industry
and have done excellent work.

Small as such numbers are, it may already be observed that Har-
vard graduates, going to various other colleges and giving instruction
in Sanskrit, have done something toward putting the philological
study of Greek, Latin, and English upon a broader and sounder basis,

and in the natural course of things this will continue to go on to an
increasing extent. Although he has not collected precise statistics,
Professor Lanman has observed from the college catalogues not
infrequently sent to him, that since the appearance of his Reader and
Professor Whitney's Grammar the number of institutions in which
courses of instruction in Sanskrit are offered has increased very
remarkably ; and your Committee cordially agree with the professor
in the opinion that " surely the work of Harvard teachers is not and
ought not to be restricted to the young men actually gathered within
our College walls."

In his Annual Report for the year 1887-88 the President of the Uni-
versity expresses a regret that its resources are not sufficient to pro-
vide, to a greater extent than has been heretofore practicable, for the
promotion of original research and the advancement of learning, as
well as for the instruction and guidance of its students. In the con-
duct of our University the latter purpose must naturally take prece-
dence, but the former has likewise an importance that can hardly be
overrated. At present, while the Indo-Iranian department is less
crowded with students than some others, an opportunity is afforded
for work which it is highly desirable should be done, and which is
sure to add much to the reputation of the University. During his
last year's leave of absence, in the course of which he visited Europe
and India, Professor Lanman formed a plan for the publication of a
Harvard Oriental Series, to be edited by himself with the co-operation
of various scholars at home and abroad. The series is intended to
include original texts in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, and Avestan, besides
translations, and even systematic treatises upon pertinent subjects.
The general plan contemplates printing these works from electrotype
plates, so that until an edition is superseded by something better it
need never be out of print and unobtainable, as is often the case with
the small European editions of from 300 to 800 copies. It is import-
ant that these books should be cheap, and to this end the work of
type-setting and electrotyping should be paid for from the annual
income of a moderate endowment fund in the hands of the College.
Steps have been taken toward raising such a fund, which it is hoped
and expected will amount to about $15,000. Already the proofs of
the first volume extend to the 168th page. It is the Jataka Mala, a
collection of Buddhist legends, edited by one of the foremost Indian-
ists in Europe, Professor Kern, of the University of Ley den. Pro-
fessor Garbe, of Konigsberg, has nearly ready the text of the
Samkhya-pravacana-bhashya, one of the most important works of
the Samkhya school of philosophy. Mr. Henry C. Warren, of Bos-
ton, has prepared a collection of translations from the Pali texts of the

sacred books of Buddhism, so chosen and arranged as to give a clear
view of the genesis of Buddhistic doctrine. Contributions to the series
have been promised by M. Boehtlingk, of the Imperial Academy
of Russia, and by Professors Cappeller of Jena, Pischel of Halle,
Windisch of Leipsic, and Kielhorn of Gottingen. This is surely a
most auspicious beginning for a noble enterprise. If in the course of
the next twenty years the College shall put forth a set of volumes,
accurate and scholarly, attractive in appearance, and with every con-
venience for facilitating the acquisition of Sanskrit and the allied
tongues, it can hardly fail to have a deep and powerful effect upon
the progress of Oriental studies, not only in America, but in the world
at large, for no such plan has as yet been conceived and executed in
the Occident.

This is perhaps the most proper place to add that during his visit
to India Professor Lanman secured for the College nearly 500 mss.
through the aid of the agent employed to purchase for the great Bom-
bay governmental collection at Poona. By a most happy coincidence
Mr. Fitzedward Hall has made over his extremely valuable collection
of about 500 mss., gathered many years ago in India, to the College ;
so that we now possess nearly 1000 Indian mss. here at Cambridge,
and have accordingly by far the most important collection of Oriental
mss. in America. The opportunities for the publication of really
meritorious essays and investigations by students resorting to this
University, through the columns of the Journal of the American Ori-
ental Society, and in the volumes of the Harvard Oriental Series,
when once it becomes an assured success, will be most excellent ;
while the material is already such as can be found nowhere else this
side the Atlantic.

The probability that the University is about to enter upou a course
of publications so likely to be interesting and useful in Europe as well
as in America suggests to the mind of your Committee an important
practical question. It is a question which concerns not merely the
department of Indo-Iranian languages, but every department which is
engaged, or expects to be engaged, in publishing through the aid of
an endowment fund monographs or journals or bulletins in illustration
of the special subjects to which it is devoted. It is a question, in
short, which concerns the whole University ; but inasmuch as the
enterprise above described has suggested it quite forcibly to your
Committee, we take occasion to mention it in this connection.

In the last Annual Report of the President of the University (for
the year 1888-89) there was loosely inserted an interesting list of the
University's serial publications ; and it was observed in the concluding
paragraph of the Report that "the fact that the University had the

means of publishing valuable papers by its officers and students,
and securing for them a suitable distribution, will stimulate the pro-
duction of such papers." This raises the question whether the Uni-
versity at present has the means or is employing the measures best
adapted to securing a suitable distribution for its publications. There
are some grounds for believing that this question must be answered
in the negative. There seems to be on the part of the public a wide-
spread belief that a larger quanta of original scientific work is done
at the Johns Hopkins University than at Harvard. If this belief is
not founded upon fact, it is unfair and probably to some extent dele-
terious to Harvard. It is the opinion of }^our Committee that this
belief is not borne out by facts, but is to be explained by the circum-
stance that the Johns Hopkins University employs more systematic
and effective measures for letting the public know what it is accom-
plishing. That broadside, laid loosely under the cover of the Annual
Report, and thus brought to the notice of a very few people, is b}r
no means an equivalent for the judicious advertising done by the
University at Baltimore under the supervision of its able publication
agency. There is nothing meretricious in this advertising ; it is
simply telling students all over the country how to get possession
of valuable aids to their work.

The publications of our Uuiversity, as the President reminds us,
" will naturally be various in form and quality ; they ma}r or may not
be serial, and they may or may not be issued through an ordinary
publishing house ; they may be of such general interest as to com-
mand a sale, or they may be so technical as to be read b}r a few
specialists only." Doubtless in the long run the best work of the
UniversUrv must find expression in books too learned and tech-
nical to command a sale, or to attract publishers desirous of making
a profit. The expense of publishing such works will naturally be
borne by funds established for the purpose. The question then
arises whether the University would not do well to have some per-
manent publication agency, or department of publication, with a
permanent functionary at its head, such as the Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity has now had for some years. It would naturally, be the business
of such a department, under the supervision of some special com-
mittee, perhaps a committee of the University Council, to superintend
the publication and sale of all serials and other works issued by the
University at the expense of its various publication funds. Perma-
nency of name and habitat should by all means characterize this pub-
lishing department, so that Harvard University should come to be
known all over the world in this capacity, so that a scholar in Finland
or Armenia would know how to address to it an order for books as

readily as he would address such an order to such an ancient and
honorable firm as for example that of Brockhaus. Upon the title-
page of all the publications there should be a characteristic imprint
as unmistakable as, for example, that of Aldus. Into each book
should be sewed a list of all the publications of the University, with
an announcement, in clear, heavy type, of the post-office address to
which orders for books and checks in payment for the same should
be sent, and this address should contain the characteristic name or
imprint to be found upon all title-pages.

These points having been established, a certain amount of adver-
tising should be done by this publishing department. Through the
appropriate channels it should give information to the scholarly and
scientific world of the scholarly and scientific publications of the
UnivershVy. Such advertising is not of the meretricious sort so com-
mon in our time, nor need it be so costly as the advertising in which
publishing houses are wont to engage. It is not an affair of puffing
ephmeral novels in the columns of a newspaper ; it is an affair of
bringing the publications of the University to the notice of scientific
men and scholars who are on the look-out for such things and are
only too glad to learn how and where they can obtain them. It re-
quires at most the insertion of simple and modest lists in the most
appropriate monthlies or quarterlies in America and in Europe, at
proper and regular intervals ; and this need not be very costly. It
is the opinion of your Committee that such concentration of the
publishing work of the University and such judicious and proper
advertising would redound to the credit of the University and
strengthen its influence and reputation at home and abroad in a
thoroughly wholesome way.

It is well for universities and other learned bodies to publish learned
books for the use of scholars whose business it is either to carry
on the work of original research or else to disseminate the results of
investigation and thus benefit the general public. In either of these
wajs the work is helpful to mankind. But as many generous spirits,
who wish to help their fellow-men, think their work is done when
they have got a new statute enacted, and quite fail to take account of
the difficulty there may be in enforcing the statute ; so it is liable to
fare with the publications of learned bodies. Take for example the
Journal of the American Oriental Society, — a treasury of superb
scholarship ; how are American scholars to get it, and still more, how
are European scholars to get it? It is almost a misuse of language
to say that it is published. It is printed, and then packed away in
some alcove or cupboard in New Haven. Copies are sent for sale to
an eminently respectable shop in New York. The sales are naturally

too small to awaken the shop's interest in the book. Of advertising
there is virtually none, or so little that European scholars, doubtless
few in number, athirst for the book, do not know whom to address,
or how to get it. Thus the society fails to do the work it ought
legitimately to do, and the world fails to profit by its labors. The
result is so trivial that years pass by before the bookseller thinks it
worth while to send in an account of his sales. In the pressure of his
business, this is an affair to which he applies the maxim, De minimis
non curat lex.

Now if this Journal were to be published, like the Johns Hopkins
University Studies in Political Science and Histor}', with a proper
indication as to how and where it could be obtained, it would doubt-
less reach fourfold the number of scholars that it now reaches ; and
the interests of Oriental scholarship, as well as the reputation of
the United States for work in that department, would be sensibly
enhanced.

Through its publication agency the University might at regular
intervals — perhaps quarterly — publish a bulletin or catalogue of its
literary productions somewhat like those of Brockhaus and Truboer.
It would be a highly creditable one.

It is apt to be the case that any executive office or department,
when once established, tends to increase the scope of its activity and
the number of its functions. Professors and other persons connected
with the University who write books, will naturally seek the publish-
ers who offer the most favorable terms or can handle the books most
profitably. It is not improbable that the reputation of the Univer-
sity's publishing department might become such as to make it an
advantageous channel for the publication of the writings of some
individual authors, as well as those published by the University from
its endowment funds.

This whole subject of a publication agenc}T is full of suggestions ;
but it is the wish of your Committee to avoid encumbering the case
with details, or urging it with undue presumption. But to illustrate
its practical importance we may, in conclusion, cite from the Presi-
dent's Annual Report for the year 1886-87. It is there observed
that ' ' the number of graduates of other colleges who attend this
[the graduate] department, though increasing of late, is still far from
satisfactory. Not a single graduate of any other college than Har-
vard was studying either history or political science at Cambridge in
1886-87, and only five such graduates are pursuing one or other of
those subjects at the University during the current year. These facts
seem to prove that the advantages offered here to advanced students
of history and political science are practically unknown beyond the

University precincts. It may be that some improvement in this
respect will be wrought by the publication for the University of the
Quarterly Journal of Economics, the first number of which appeared
in October, 1886, and which has already won for itself an honorable
place among economic serials."

This quotation seems ve^ much to the point. As students are apt
to be drawn to institutions where the best work is done and by the
most eminent masters in their several departments, it appears in the
highest degree probable that an organized and systematic method of
publication would soon show results in an increased number of stu-
dents and a general strengthening of the University. In the hope
that enough has been said to indicate clearly the nature of the need
which is felt, our report is respectfully submitted.

GEO. W. WALES,
JOHN FISKE,
HENRY C. WARREN.

Presented June 11, 1890.

VII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE* ON THE ARNOLD
ARBORETUM.

The Committee appointed to visit the Arnold Arboretum beg leave
to make the following report : —

In the first week in June, on invitation of Professor Sargent, they
visited the Arboretum.

As shown by the maps of Professor Sargent, this Arboretum is laid
out on a more extensive and thorough scale than anything of the kind
in the world. The agreement under which the Arboretum was laid
out and arranged is probably known to most of you, but to such as
may not know, it may be well to state that the City of Boston builds
the roads, keeps them in order, and polices them and the grounds.
The College takes charge of planting the trees and taking care of the
grounds.

Trees and shrubs are planted according to a carefully designed
plan. A section is devoted to every kind of hardy tree. In each
section a tree is planted which is supposed to represent a handsome
specimen tree of the kind. Near by are planted a number of the
same kind of trees together, to grow up as they naturally would in a
grove. The same plan is carried out with regard to all the hardy
shrubs in accordance with the terms of Mr. Arnold's will.

Each tree that has been planted has a certain number assigned to it,
and on a comprehensive plan of the whole Arboretum, showing where
each tree is planted, this number is marked. In a book of records
kept at the office of the Arboretum this number is entered, and against
it is the history of the tree ; where it came from, when it was planted,
and everything that is known about it. A corresponding tag is also
placed upon each tree when it is planted. Should this tag, however,
be lost, as such tree is topographically placed on the plan, it can
always be referred to and its full history known. The thoroughness
of this work, and the amount of labor that has been expended upon
it, merit the greatest praise, and your Committee feel that too much
credit cannot be given to Mr. Sargent and his able assistants, Mr.
Faxon and Mr. Jack. When finished, the Arboretum will be a credit
to the University, the City of Boston, and the State of Massachusetts.

An interesting addition to the Arboretum is the planting of native
shrubs all over the ground, completely covering it. The theory of
Professor Sargent in doing this is that these shrubs will hold leaves

and keep the ground from drying up, and in doing so will also fur-
nish material for enriching the ground. In addition to this, the care
of such ground is much less expensive than a lawn, which has to be
carefully kept, and requires a great deal of labor to keep it in good
condition.

The work in the Arboretum so far is about half completed, and the
laying out and building by the City of the rest of the roads, it is
hoped, will be speedily done in order that the College may complete
their part of the contract by planting trees, as agreed upon.

In connection with the Arboretum there is an interesting nursery
of shrubs and trees. Everything new is planted here to be experi-
mented upon, under the care of an able gardener, Mr. Jackson Daw-
son, a man who has the most decided talent in this direction.

In one of his own houses at Brookline, Professor Sargent has a
most valuable collection of woods, representing almost- every kind of
tree that is known in the world. He also has, where it is possible,
the flower, leaf, and seed-vessel of every such tree. It is a most
interesting and valuable collection.

When the Arboretum is laid out, the plan embraces a museum
there in which all these woods shall be stored.

Presented June 24, 1890.

VIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MUSIC.

To the Overseers of Harvard College : —

Your Committee has the honor to report —

That the}- find it to be the feeling of Professor Paine that a new
pianoforte is needed for the recitation and examination room in Dane
Hall ; if a new one be not obtained, it will be well to have the old one
thoroughly put in order.

That it is desirable to have bought duplicate copies of the most
needed text-books, histories, orchestral scores, &c, to be kept in the
recitation room, instead of having them borrowed from the Library
as at present. As it is now such books are taken out of possible cir-
culation from the Library, and that is left without some of its most
important musical volumes at a time when they are most needed.
And that it is to be hoped that a more suitable room may be given
to the Department of Music for recitations and examinations. This
room should be large enough to seat more of an audience than
Sever 11, and yet be of a suitable size for recitations.

In this room small concerts (perhaps of an historical character)
could be given under the direction of the Professor of Music at small
expense. Such concerts would be a help to the Department of Music,
and would undoubtedly add to the interest felt by the students.

The cost of the small library would be from $200 to $500.

HENRY L. HIGGINSON,
ROBERT M. MORSE, Jr.,
ARTHUR FOOTE.

Presented June 24, 1890.

IX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE LAWRENCE
SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL.

There has been a large increase in the number of students at the
School during the past year — the attendance having been 65, against
35 the previous year.

This gain may be due to a larger and more complete curriculum
than the School has been hitherto able to offer ; to the growing belief
that it is to continue to be a separate part of the University ; and to
still another cause, which cannot be overlooked, namely, the stimu-
lating personal influence of the Dean of the School, whose zeal for
its interests has aroused a like enthusiasm among the students.

In view of the present satisfactory progress of the School, your
Committee have no recommendations to make, except to reiterate the
need of a Mechanical laboratory where instruction can be given in
handling tools. A limited number of students are now carried
through a course of Manual Training by the Cambridge Manual
Training School, but many more applied for permission to take the
course than could be accommodated.

A Professorship of Architecture would be a valuable addition to
the School and its courses of instruction. A considerable number of
persons annually present themselves wishing to take a special course
in Architecture and Designing, which the School is unable to supply.
Respectfully submitted.

For the Committee :

ABBOTT LAWRENCE, Chairman.
Presented September 24, 1890.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PHYSICAL
TRAINING, ATHLETIC SPORTS, AND SANITARY
CONDITION OF ALL BUILDINGS.

The condition of Athletic Sports as they exist at Cambridge to-day
can best be learned from a brief statement of what the Athletic Com-
mittee has accomplished ; and in order better to appreciate the diffi-
culties with which it had to contend at the start, it is necessary to
understand the attitude of the great body of undergraduates towards
what seemed to them to be unnecessaiy "Faculty interference."
They had felt very keenly the difference between the restrictions
which were put upon them and the entire absence of any similar re-
strictions at Yale, where the Faculty had said to the undergraduates
practically this : "We do not propose to assume any control of your
athletic sports, or the way in which you conduct them, so long as
they do not interfere with the college curriculum. The responsibility
is with you." At Yale the undergraduates and graduates combined
and years ago brought about a degree of organization which we are
but just approaching. At Cambridge, on the other hand, the under-
graduates found very few restrictions or regulations for their behavior
outside of the class-room except in the matter of their athletic sports,
in which one of the most important rules was at one time that
they should not play with professionals for fear of contamination.
The result was that they felt very little responsibility and regarded
the Faculty as the natural enemy of athletics. The whole tone,
especially of base-ball and foot-ball, had degenerated.

The Athletic Committee, as at present constituted, has been in ex-
istence for three years, and the work of organization has been pro-
gressing so rapidly, and the changes have been following each other
so quickly, that this Committee has hoped each year to be able to
report a permanent and satisfactory settlement of all vexed questions.

The first and most important part of the Athletic Committee's work
seems now to have been practically accomplished. Order has been
created by the graduate treasurer out of the chaos which existed a
few years ago, and it is hoped that further economies will be brought
about.

A set of rules has been framed and put in force, so well regulating
the eligibility of members of the different teams, and so effective in

doing away with the professionalism which obtained in all the col-
leges a few years ago, that the athletic authorities of both Yale and
Princeton have openly commended them and to a great extent have
adopted similar regulations.

Last and most important of all, a spirit of fair play and a more
united interest has been revived at Harvard, largely owing to the
tactful handling of the Athletic Committee. It is a pleasure to be
able to say that Harvard has been among the first, if not the first, to
come to a realizing sense of the dangers that threatened all inter-
collegiate sport and manfully to set about to correct the abuses in
spite of a great deal of odium and unjust criticism. This is progress ;
these are triumphs which in the opinion of your Committee are of far
greater importance than the ability to win every time at any cost,
which is only too apt to be the aim at our inter-collegiate contests,
only too aptly imitated in our preparatory schools. Unless all our
games and contests can be governed by the unwritten rules of fair
play and sportsmanlike behavior, the sooner we give them all up
the better. There has undoubtedly been a great change for the
better and very few appreciate, who have not been in the position to
know something of the details, how much of the improvement is due
to the indefatigable and disinterested work of the Athletic Committee.
They have had many difficult and important decisions to make, and
there has been great difference of opinion on many of the questions,
but in most cases the opposition has been through lack of information,
and it is with the hope of partly obviating this that the suggestion
has been made to appoint one member of the Committee from beyond
New England.

Your Committee is unanimously of opinion that it is advisable to
make such appointment.

Taking well into consideration the good work which has been done
by the Committee and the fact that without much doubt it was the
best form of a Committee that could have been made at the time, it
has now become a serious question whether as at present constituted
it is the best permanent form of government for the College athletics.

We quote at length from a report made to the Committee by a
member of the Athletic Committee, Mr. William Hooper :

' ' I will take as a starting point in my report the date of the forma-
tion of the Athletic Committee as at present constituted, namely,
October, 1888. I wish also to divide the subject into two parts, and
speak on (1) those who indulge in sport as a pleasure and recreation,
and (2) those who enter sport for the purpose of playing on one of

the teams. It has been the constant aim of the Committee to offer
such inducements as will persuade the students to exercise, and in
this it has been fairly successful, but not as much so as it would have
been had there been more room, both indoors and out.

There have been more than two hundred men playing foot-ball in
the autumn for the last two years, and in the spring about twenty
nines, more or less carefully organized, have played base-ball. This
number is in addition to those playing on the University and Fresh-
man teams. The number of those playing lawn-tennis is hard to
estimate, but I have been assured that one hundred and fifty courts
would be used if they could be provided.

Besides these there is, of course, a great number of men who play
various games at odd times, which number cannot well be estimated ;
but it is certainly very gratifying that so many students take some
sort of physical exercise in the open air.

Our greatest need at present is more room. This should be hap-
pily remedied in the case of outdoor sports when the recent great gift
of Mr. Higginson is put into shape for use, but if the students are
confined to the Soldier's Field alone it will prove to be inadequate,
and steps should be taken to have an area of the Longfellow Field
equal to that of the present playgrounds ready for use when Jarvis,
Holmes, and Norton Fields are used for other than athletic
purposes.

The gymnasium is overcrowded and the need of more room is self-
evident. There are now in the building more than thirteen hundred
lockers, while twelve years ago there were less than five hundred.
The bathing facilities are far from adequate, and the addition of a
swimming bath would supply a great need.

The second division of our subject is more serious and more im-
portant, as it is from this branch that Harvard's reputation in athlet-
ics is made or marred. At the outset it is very important that we
should bear in mind that to-day athletics at Cambridge are governed
by a very high standard, and that the advance in this respect during
the past four years has been most satisfactory. In a report upon
athletics submitted by a Committee of the Faculty on June 12, 1888,
we read, page 11, ' But it was also apparent that during recent years
a strong and in every respect objectionable tendency had developed
to break down the line between athletics practised for sport, social
recreation, and health, and athletics practised in a competitive spirit,
in emulation of professional athletes and players.' In my opinion
the Committee could have gone further than this and said that nothing
like true sport was possible under the existing conditions. But it is
necessary to remember that the ' existing conditions ' were not com-

mon to all the sports, and in every consideration of Harvard athletics
we should be careful to separate base-ball and foot-ball from the other
sports. It is from these that all the odium has come. In the absence
of rules regulating the matter there can be no doubt that certain
players gave more time to sport than the}T were justified in doing.
The Faculty then interfered and made rules which the students con-
sidered to be hostile to their athletics, and matters went from bad to
worse with both sides more or less at fault. There were men playing
both foot-ball and base-ball who should not have been permitted to
play, but there was no rule among the students of the several colleges
to prevent it. This should have been prohibited by a rule of the
College authorities ; but here it was also missing and the evil took
firm root. The desire to win had become so keen that everything
was subordinated to this one idea and there was no thought of the
future. In this respect there has been a great advance ; the whole
tone of athletics has been raised ; the teams are properly composed
of bona fide students and the play has become clean and fair. I
have no hesitation in saying that if any of the methods that were in
vogue six or seven years ago should now be attempted they would be
frowned upon by a large majority of the men interested in athletics.
I feel that the old tone has been in a great measure restored and
that, if the students are only careful in their choice of advisers, the
S3*stem will be safe for many }Tears.

It may seem hazardous, when everything is apparently going well,
to criticize the present arrangement ; but there is still room for
improvement. With the shifting population at Cambridge it is very
essential that there should be some permanent and steadying power ;
and therefore some sort of oversight is necessar}7. I do not believe
that to-day the undergraduates can alone and unaided successfully
manage their athletics, and therefore some sort of a Committee is
necessary. But it should be as small as possible. The present
Committee is composed of nine members. Eealizing the difficulty
of dealing with expert questions, it has instituted advisory boards of
three graduates in each of the four great sports. We have also
a graduate treasurer and the Director of the Gymnasium and his
assistant, a total of twenty-four men who may be said to have the
oversight of Harvard athletics, though it is true at the present time
that some of these men fill more than one position. It is no wonder
that the newcomer is bewildered and mystified by the complexity
which he finds, and I think a great step would be taken in advance
could the whole system be simplified. Among the various organiza-
tions themselves there is need of consolidation, and I believe athletics
would be much better managed were they all united under one head,

and ruled by a governing board to be as small in numbers as
possible."

What follows upon "The Sanitary Condition of Buildings" and
"Physical Training" was written by Dr. Farnum, and has been
accepted by the Committee and is submitted as their report on these
subjects, together with recommendations.

The Hemenway Gymnasium. — In the basement of this building
there are about nine hundred lockers, which are ventilated immediately
into the surrounding atmosphere. It is a custom with many of the
students to wear their exercising clothes for long periods of time, in
some cases through the entire term, without having them washed.
These clothes hung in the lockers diffuse through the air of the whole
Gymnasium the animal excretions with which they are soaked. It is
to be presumed that some of the persons who make use of this build-
ing do so with the intention of improving their health. That exercise
in an atmosphere polluted with the waste products cast off by human
beings is injurious to health can admit of no doubt. The continuance
of such a condition of affairs merits prompt and severe condemnation.
All the lockers should be removed from the Gymnasium, or, if that
is impracticable, they should at least be ventilated by some one of
the methods now in use, to insure as far as may be that those in the
pursuit of health may not be injured by the very means which they
suppose to be conducive to that end. Moreover, frequent washing
of the exercising clothes should be enforced. Ampler facilities for
bathing are also much needed in the Gymnasium.

Your Committee recommend the adoption of the method of drying
clothing now in successful operation at the Boston Athletic Club and
believe that this can be done at no great expense to the College by
making certain changes in the basement which will make available the
space now used for bowling alleys and the base-ball cage. There would
also be room for a bath.

Memorial Hall. — The water-closets for the servants are in the
basement, just under the dining hall and near the kitchen. They are
dark, badly ventilated, and permeated with the odor of the African.
The air from them must pass up into the dining hall and out into the
culinary departments. Such an arrangement presents no features
to recommend it from a sanitary point of view, and if known to
those taking their meals in this building would be the reverse of
appetizing.

These closets should be removed.

Hollis and Stoughton Halls. — Neither of these buildings have
water-closets. The inmates presumably use the water-closets in some
other building. In a case of illness exposure in the air, especially at
night, might prove injurious ; and the alternative, the use of a cham-
ber utensil and the consequent retention of faecal matter for some
time in the rooms, is very objectionable. Parts of the cellar floors
of these two buildings are bare earth. All cellar floors should be
covered with some impermeable covering to prevent the influx of
ground air.

These buildings should be provided with proper water-closets and the
cellar floors paved or cemented.

Double Windoivs. — Their use should not be encouraged, for the
ventilation of the dormitories is defective enough without them.
Some of the rooms so provided have been visited by a member of the
Committee in the morning before the occupants were up, and their
stench was almost unbearable by anyone coming from the outer air.

Water-closets seem to have been put in the cellars almost invariably,
the worst situation in the building from a sanitary point of view, for
when it is heated by the various fires in the rooms, which are used
the greater part of the college year, it becomes like a heated shaft
causing an upward draught, which of course carries through the
building all gases and volatile matters entering the lower parts.

Handsomer halls than Hoi worthy have of late years been built, but
so far as ventilation is concerned no advance has been made — rather
the opposite.

The care taken of the buildings seems on the whole to be satis-
factory ; the only time when an undue amount of rubbish was found
in the cellars was at the end of the term. It might be well to have
the buildings inspected by some one familiar with sanitary subjects
at irregular intervals. If the inspection was made at regular inter-
vals, the janitor would soon find out when to expect it and everything
would probably be found in good condition.

Physical Training. — If by this expression the development of
the muscular system is intended, this Committee has nothing to sug-
gest that is not more appropriately considered under the head of
Athletic Sports. The object of training for an athletic contest is to
fit the athlete to make the greatest skilled muscular effort of which
he is capable in a certain way for a certain time. It may be con-
ducive to health, but that is not its primary object.

Physical training, in a broad sense of the term, requires a knowl-
edge of all means that improve and maintain health and of every

influence injurious to it. There is a negative as well as a positive
side, the preservation of health frequently depending more upon what
is left undone than upon what is done. Such an understanding of
the subject, which in the opinion of your Committee is the true one,
makes it of too great extent to be dealt with in a report such as this.
Some aspects of it may, however, be briefly considered. Muscular
exercise at the present time absorbs a good deal of attention. It is
an important part of physical training, but not the most important.
Admitting once for all that a moderate amount of exercise in the
open air is beneficial to health, the following remarks will relate to
exercise taken within doors, as in a gymnasium. To obtain informa-
tion on this point your Committee propounded the following questions,
which were most courteously answered by Dr. Sargent, Director of
the Gymnasium.

Question 1. What proportion of those who have undergone a physical exam-
ination present themselves for a subsequent examination?
Answer 1. Fifty per cent.

Question 2. What is the usual interval between the two examinations?
Answer 2. Five months.

Question 3. What proportion follow out the " special order of appropriate
exercises" made out for them after the first examination?
Answer 3. Not known.

Question 4. What proportion of those presenting themselves for a second
examination show improvement?
Answer 4. All.

5. What are the means for determining the effects of gymnastic
exercise on health?

Answer 5. Mainly the increased muscular development.

If muscular development and health are synonymous terms then
exercise, in the Gymnasium at any rate, appears to be a measure of
the greatest value. Before this conclusion is accepted, however, it
would be well for us to know the value of muscular development as
an indication of health, and how that value is to be expressed.
Measurements of the external parts of the body, and testing by
various apparatus the contractile power of individual muscles and
groups of muscles, have, owing to the numerical form used to express
the results obtained, great attractions. But it must not be forgotten
that health depends more on soundness of the internal organs than
on the external muscular development. At present your Committee
is not prepared to accept increased muscular development as a con-
clusive evidence of improved health, but so far as muscular develop-
ment is concerned the system now employed at the Gymnasium has

our approval. We are also of the opinion that the methods of
physical examination, in use there, are of no value as an indication of
the health of the person examined. However this may be, there can
be no doubt that the building in which exercise is taken should not
present any condition injurious to the health of those using it. We
are of the opinion that such a condition does exist in the Gymnasium,
and would refer to the remarks made upon that building. Even
leaving this out of consideration, it is doubtful if any apartment used
by a large number of persons at the same time can be satisfactorily
ventilated by natural means: "in temperate climates in certain
buildings where sudden assemblages of people take place, mechanical
ventilation must be used." (Dr. E. A. Parkes.)

Before a course of exercise is laid out for anyone, a thorough physi-
cal examination must be made by a person practically familiar with
the signs and symptoms of both healthy and diseased conditions of
the organism. And something more than this is needed. An expert
may detect the evidence of existing disease, but in many cases physi-
cal training is of the greatest importance before disease has reached
the stage when it can be detected. Here the knowledge of the family
physician is invaluable and no amount of acuteness in physical
examination will ever be able to take its place.

Take one illustration, that of Phthisis. This disease is estimated
to be the cause of about one seventh of the total deaths of mankind.
Out of 756,893 deaths in the United States in 1880, Phthisis was
given as the cause of 91,270 (10th census of the United States).
From the same authority it also appears that in every thousand deaths
in the male sex from this disease 131 occurred between the ages of
20 and 25 years.

In proportion as men engage in indoor pursuits so does their death-
rate from Phth,isis increase. When a phthisical family-history is
known to exist, it is imperative that the exercise should be taken in
the open air at all seasons. The value of this statement is evident
in the case of a student whose time is mainly passed within doors in
a sedentary pursuit and frequently in an atmosphere vitiated by the
respiration of many persons.

The persons whose physical training is under consideration have
passed through most of the dangers specially incident to childhood,
though few have reached the full development of manhood. They
are at a period of life when the general mortality is at its lowest
point, but when there is great danger of the acquisition of habits
injurious to themselves and sources of degeneration and disease to
their descendants. Chastity and temperance in the use of alcoholic
liquors are of the utmost importance for the formation and maintain-

ance of a sound bodily organization. While there is no good reason
for thinking that students as a class are more addicted to evil courses
than an equal number of men of the same ages in other pursuits, it is
well to bear in mind that if, as has been advanced in some quarters,
the race is degenerating, a large amount of that degeneration may
with fairness be laid to alcoholism and syphilis. It is necessarily
difficult to form an estimate of the amount of these two influences,
but it is undoubtedly vast. "I estimated that in 1873, out of a
population of 942,292 persons, 50,450 were suffering from syphilis in
New York City. I believe this number to be under rather than over
the true amount. This represents only the civil population. Syphilis
is essentially a chronic disease, is liable to attack every tissue in the
body, and its later manifestations often appear so long after the early
symptoms as to cause its connection with many diseases to be over-
looked. Thus, grave and deep-seated affections of the eye, serious
lesions of the nervous system, and many maladies of the viscera
depend upon this disease as their origin, — and yet are overlooked,
either because the earlier syphilitic symptoms have escaped notice, or
because the patient has been ignorant of their connection with syphi-
lis. And yet these same diseases may be sufficient to incapacitate
men from work, to blast their lives, and make them dependent upon
the charity of friends or strangers without offering them the miser-
able gratification of release by death." (Dr. F. R. Sturgis.) "It
is strange and sad to remember that this malady, rivalled in its total
capacity for wrecking happiness and health and life by no other, is
equally formidable by reason of our limited power over it. Make
what deductions you can for the mild or latent forms of the disease,
recognize all our power of repression, and the fact remains that we
have yet to find the means of arresting it, and, I may add, we have
yet to find effective means for its prevention. One method, and one
alone, is possible, is sure, and that one is open to all. It is the
prevention and the safety that can be secured by unbroken chastity."
(Dr. W. R. Growers.) By many persons Gonorrhoea is regarded as
an affection of trivial nature and worth little consideration. But
some physicians who have had a large experience with its treatment
do not think so, for its many and frequent and serious complications,
and the grave organic lesions of which it may be the starting point,
can entail on its victims an amount of misery but slightly inferior to
that occasioned by Syphilis itself.

And now one glance at the companion picture: "The effects of
intemperance are best exhibited by the mortality figures of innkeepers,
including publicans and generally all dealers in the liquor trade, and
of brewers. The mortality directly ascribed to alcoholism is, how-

UMVtKflTY OF ILLINOtt
LIBRARY

ever, a very imperfect measure of the intemperance prevailing, for
there can be no doubt that the desire to spare the feelings of surviv-
ing relatives practically limits the statement of this cause of disease
to those cases where no disguise is possible. A better measure is the
mortality from diseases of those organs which are known to be seri-
ously affected by alcoholic excess, and which can be stated in certifi-
cates of deaths to have been diseased without fear of offence."
(Supplement to the 45th Annual Report of the Registrar General,
London, 1885.) On this basis it appears that among persons having
free access to liquor, the mortality — as compared with persons not
so situated — is increased enormously in the following affections :
Alcoholism, Liver Disease, Gout, Disease of the Nervous System,
Suicide, Accident.

Youth thinks that age exaggerates dangers, especially in cases
where the penalty does not follow immediately the infringement of
the law. Some of us may yet remember what our ideas were about
such matters. Every influence that elevates the moral tone will con-
duce to better health. The true physical training of the race is a
mighty problem, not insoluble, we trust, by the efforts of those whose
hearts are in the work.

We recommend the appointment of an officer whose duties shall be
as follows : —

He shall have access to the record of the physical examination of the
students. He shall keep such an account of the family -history as ivould
be of value regarding any advice to be given on the preservation and
improvement of health. A blank form shall be prepared of this account,
to be filled in by the parent, or other person standing in loco parentis.
It shall be held as a confidential communication and shall not be open
to inspection by any person other than the officer. He shall also keep a
record of absences from college duties due to illness, but not the nature
of the illness.

This officer must be a doctor of medicine; but he shall not, while
holding this position, engage in the practice of his profession, nor shall
he have any occupation that would in any way interfere with the dis-
charge of the duties of his position. He shall from time to time give
some brief lectures on sanitary matters, if such a proceeding shall be
thought to serve any useful purpose.

The students shall be entitled to consult him during certain stated
hours on hygienic subjects, but he shall in no case attend any student in
any illness, whatever its nature may be.

He shall have supervision of the sanitary condition of all the build-
ings, and shall perform such other duties as would properly come within

the province of a medical officer of health. He shall from time to time
make to the proper authorities reports on such matters as he shall think
deserving of their attention.

ROBERT BACON,
AUGUSTUS HEMENWAY,
CHARLES E. ADAMS, 2d,
GEORGE W. WELD,
ROBERT F. CLARK,
EDWIN EARNHAM,
MAURICE H. RICHARDSON,

WILLIAM HOOPER.

Presented January 13, 1892.

REPOET OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT,

June 23, 1890.
To the Board of Overseers op Harvard College : —

Gentlemen, — The Committee on Government submits the following
report for the year 1889-90 : —

Your Committee believes that the changes introduced into the dis-
cipline of Harvard College at the instance of the Board of Overseers
have done much good. Several members of the Committee have
visited Cambridge, have examined the method of carrying out the
new regulations, and have made inquiry into their practical workings*
It is not to be expected that this method can be perfected in a year,
but a great improvement in the discipline of the College is already
reached. The reports of attendance at the several recitations and
lectures, now usually made by monitors, are prompt and regular,
whereas under the old system they were often delayed. There is
good reason to believe that these reports are fairly accurate, and a
greater degree of accuracy is hoped for and expected next year ;
while under the old system the reports were sometimes practically
valueless. A continuous residence in Cambridge on the part of the
students, so important in every respect, has been generally secured.

When the proposed regulations were under discussion a fear was
expressed that the enforcement of stricter discipline would greatly
annoy many of the best students. In fact, however, regular and
punctual habits have been taught and encouraged without serious in-
convenience to anyone. We believe that the moral training of its
students is entirely within the province of the College. We believe
that the College would gravely fail in its duty if it did not secure this
training by every means in its power. However well adapted may
be the system of the Continental universities to the circumstances in
which they are placed, we believe that American opinion demands for
American graduates training both intellectual and moral, rather than
a mere opportunity to acquire learning. We rejoice, therefore, that
the authorities of the College have devoted themselves to this training
with renewed and increased energy.

In the enforcement of discipline, much always depends upon the
officer who administers it. The Assistant Secretary, Mr. Montague
Chamberlain, whose duty it is to deal with most petty offences, seems

to your Committee well qualified for this task, fair-minded and dis-
criminating. The appointment of advisers to the freshmen is an ex-
periment tried this year for the first time. It is a step in the right
direction, and, as the advisers become more familiar with their duties,
its advantages will be felt more strongly. These advisers should be
appointed as early as possible in order that the students may consult
them, if they so desire, before coming to Cambridge in the autumn.
We hope that in time a similar supervision may be extended to the
upper classes.

Harvard College pays every year in scholarships and to beneficiaries
over $46,000. This is exclusive of all prizes, of nearly $11,000 paid
in fellowships, and of a certain additional sum paid to undergraduates
for services rendered. It is necessary for the applicant to declare
his pressing poverty as a condition of obtaining any part of this aid.
A considerable proficiency in study is also required, but popular
opinion both within and without the College regards a scholarship
rather as a badge of respectable mendicancy than as the prize of
brilliant achievement. Formerly the College concealed the names of
those who held scholarships as if the possession of one were a thing
to be ashamed of; in late years these names have been published, a
change in every way to be commended. Something more should be
done, however, and your Committee recommends that a few of these
scholarships be thrown open to competitiou irrespective of the poverty
of the candidate. If this is done, even though poverty be still a
necessary qualification for most scholarships, yet the honor which
will attach to some will be reflected on them all.

Again, there are always young men who can get through College
without pecuniary aid, though it is very inconvenient for them to do
so. Such men apply or fail to apply for scholarships according to
the temper of their minds rather than according to the length of their
purses. We do not mean to sa}7 that anjT of the present holders of
scholarships are undeserving, — we believe that scholarships are now
fairly sought and fairly awarded, — but it is clear that open scholar-
ships will give an opportunity both to poor students and to poor
parents who would be the better for help but who now feel that they
can struggle along without it.

Finally, open scholarships will act as an incentive to some students
who do not need the money. In America, especially, there is danger
in intimating to the sons of rich men that they ought not to contend
for the prizes of life with the sons of the poor. To reinforce natural
idleness by an appeal to generosity and to the conscience is highly
undesirable. To say that young men ought to study for the love of
learning, and for that alone, is to divorce the love of duty and the

desire for honorable reward, — two things inseparably joined in human
nature.

It is true that very few scholarships can, under the terms of the
gift, be opened to general competition. There are a few, however,
which are unrestricted, — quite enough for the purpose of an experi-
ment.

In an appendix to this report is given a list of scholarships which
may thus be thrown open to competition. Their combined annual
value does not exceed six per cent of the total amount paid to bene-
ficiaries and will not appreciably diminish the amount now received
by poor and deserving young men, for experience shows that at least
half of the open scholarships will be won by holders of scholarships
under the present system. We are firmly of opinion that the payment
of three or four per cent of the beneficiary fund to students not impe-
cunious will increase the self-respect of all who receive aid and will
stimulate study throughout the College.

The Committee had intended to make special investigation into the
character and needs of the special students in the College, hoping
that some means might be found of bringing these very undesirable
exceptions within the ordinary rules of the College. But the pro-
posals to modify the whole plan of academic instruction now before
the Board of Overseers are so far-reaching that we have thought best
to postpone the inquiry. If the class system is to be remodelled, we
earnestly hope that the number of these men, often mere camp-
followers of the College, may be considerably reduced.

We recommend the passage of the following vote :

Voted, That in the opinion of the Board of Overseers some scholar-
ships in the College should be opened to general competition without
regard to the pecuniary circumstances of the applicants.

For the Committee,

FRANCIS C. LOWELL, Chairman.
Presented June 24, 1890.

APPENDIX.

Three Bassett scholarships of $90 each, entirely free, except that
one of the holders must be a senior, one a junior, and one a sophomore.

One Gorham Thomas scholarship of $200, entirely free.

One Toppan scholarship of $300, entirely free.

One Savage scholarship of $300, entirely free.

One Derby scholarship of $250, free, except that it may be claimed
by Arthur Derby Draper, born 1874.

One scholarship on the Morey foundation of $300, free, except that
descendants of Rev. George Morey are entitled to preference.

One Slade scholarship of $250. In this case the income is to be
" used for the benefit of young men who have proved themselves
worthy of aid by diligence and meritorious conduct during at least
one year's residence at Harvard." In the opinion of the Committee
this scholarship may be opened to competition, unless claimed by a
son of the benefactor.

The Farrar scholarship of $200. In this case the income and in-
terest is to be applied lt toward the maintenance and support of one
meritorious student." In the opinion of the Committee this scholar-
ship may be opened to general competition.

Two Pennoyer scholarships of $100 and $90 respectively. Here
the scholars are to be educated, brought up and maintained in the
College called Cambridge. These scholarships also are probably
available.

The Merrick scholarship, the scholarship of the Class of 1814, and
the scholarship of the Class of 1841 are free, except that descendants
of members of the Classes of 1870, 1814, and 1841 have the preference
as applicants. It is probable that this condition will prevent the open-
ing of these scholarships to competition.

XII.
REPORT ON THE DIVINITY SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Gentleman, — The Committee to* visit the Divinity School beg
leave to offer the following report : —

The first thing to be said about the Divinity School is that it is
manifestly taking its place as the most desirable seminary in the
country for advanced courses in the various departments of sacred
literature and clerical education. Of thirty-five students in the last
3'ear's Catalogue no less than ten were graduates of other theological
schools, and thus already preachers, some of them ordained ministers.
In the forthcoming Catalogue of the present academic year will appear
the names of eighteen graduates of other schools, three of them in the
regular classes and fifteen enrolled as graduate students.

We find every reason to be satisfied with the non-sectarian attitude
of the School ; but we are solicitous that it should not be regarded as
in any sense an attitude of indifference or of compromise. The sev-
eral professors do not mask their own beliefs ; but in expressing
them they feel bound to give a fair and full exposition of both sides
of every important question, while from either side they rigidly elim-
inate personal influence, party preferences, and the odium theologicum,
so that the student is left as far as possible to his own unbiased
judgment. The only deficiency in this method — and that one which
can be and ought to be supplied — is that the students fail to obtain
instruction concerning existing sects, their position with reference to
dogmas and forms, the drift of thought within their respective ranks,
in fine, the religious geography of the community. This, indeed, is
not scientific knowledge ; but it holds no secondary place among the
young minister's needs, especially as in our time sects lack stability
of opinion and practice, and their formal creeds and constitutions do
not sufficiently define their present position.

In the Old Testament, its language, literature, and histoiy, and in
allied branches of Semitic study, Professors Toy and Lyon are un-
surpassed, if not unequalled, not onhy in their full equipment for their
work, but equally in teaching power. They are giving new attraction
to a department which has been losing its hold on the interest of the
clerical profession, but which can be neglected or slighted by none
who would be conversant with the birth and early history of Christi-
anity or with the interpretation of the Christian Scriptures. The

Hebrew language is so taught here as to render it hardly needful,
were it desirable, to make it a required stud}'. Few students will
willingly dispense with it, and we doubt whether any will fail to avail
themselves of the historical courses of kindred value which the same
professors offer.

In the New Testament, Professor Thayer has like preeminence as
a critical scholar. In the minute, thorough criticism of the New
Testament his exercises are precisely adapted to the taste and need
of such biblical scholars as the Christian Church ought to crave and
to demand. This painstaking analysis of a portion of the sacred
text is the best possible training for one who desires to become a
skilled expositor of the Christian Scriptures. Your Committee would
inquire whether, in addition to this course which they would not have
less thorough, there might not be a course in which, with less atten-
tion to verbal and grammatical niceties, a larger portion of the New
Testament should be read in the original Greek. With this exception,
if it be one, the entire range of Professor Thayer's courses covers all
the ground that property belongs to his department, and implies on
his part so much labor of the highest type, that it is only with extreme
hesitation that we suggest any added burden.

Professor Everett's courses on the Comparative History of Religion
and on Systematic Theology, and his entire work and influence in the
administration of the School, would claim for him like preeminence
with that accorded to the professors already named, were it not that
his department invites and includes a much larger number than theirs
of men of kindred spirit, aimt learning, and ability.

It is our misfortune that Professor Peabody cannot be duplicated ;
but so onerous is his College charge that he can give himself only in
part to the Divinity School. That part, however, is of great signifi-
cance and worth. With the valuable aid of Rev. Edward Hale, he
criticizes the sermons of the students, not only in their composition,
but in their delivery as they are read before him in Appleton Chapel.
He also gives such instruction as none can better give as to Pastoral
Care and the Conduct of Christian Worship. His elective on the
Practical Ethics of Social Reform, open to the entire University, is
taken by many Divinity students, but of necessity it must be of
general rather than special adaptation ; and it might be desirable that
there should be a course of lectures on the relation of the clerical
profession to social reforms, — a matter in which }7oung ministers in
their frequent practical blunders show peculiar need of warning, in-
struction, and guidance.

In Church Hisfouy, during Professor Emerton's absence, the stu-
dents have enjoyed the services of Professor Allen of the Episcopal

Divinity School, who has in our School, as in his own, fully vindicated
his title to a foremost place in his department.

In Elocution, Mr. Kirby's services have been skilled, assiduous,
and efficient. For the present academic year Professor Churchill of
Andover has been secured as a teacher, and his ability and reputation
as an elocutionist and his long and eminently successful experience in
training candidates for the pulpit give ample assurance that his in-
struction will be of signal and enduring value to the members of the
School.

In the absence of any scientific course of Ethics in the programme
for the Divinity School, your Committee would suggest the expediency
of making Professor Palmer's course on S3Tstematic Ethics one of the
regular electives. If this be not done, it is recommended that the
students be urgently advised to attend that course as an extra ; for
next to the New Testament your Committee regard Ethics as the most
important department of study for the Christian ministry.

As regards the Library, your Committee cannot overestimate the
worth of Rev. Mr. Morison's services as Librarian, and under his
direction the work of cataloguing is in rapid progress, so that in this
one particular the School will have the full benefit of a working
library. But there is in the building little room for growth, and there
is great need of a reading-room, especially as an entire class may often
be using the same set of reference-books. The recitation-rooms in the
building are inadequate to the requirements of the School and there
are courses of instruction given elsewhere, which would more fitly
belong within its premises were there room for them.

All which is respectfully submitted.

A. P. PEABODY, Chairman.
Presented December 17, 1890.

XIII.

BEPOKT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SEMITIC
LANGUAGES.

The Chairman of the Committee on the Semitic Languages begs
leave in his own name to report the action of the Committee.

On the 3d of December, 1889, the Committee held their first meet-
ing, and invited Professors Toy and Lyon to confer with them as to
the condition and needs of the department. The Professors regarded
a collection of objects illustrative of the ground covered by their in-
struction as specially desirable. It was accordingly determined to
take measures for the establishment of a Semitic Museum. It was
estimated that not less than $10,000 would be required for the hopeful
initiation of such an enterprise. Mr. Jacob II . Schiff, a member of
the Committee, offered at once to subscribe half that sum, and by
letter shortly afterward doubled his subscription, thus placing the
entire sum desired at the command of the department. His only
condition was that the University should provide for the exhibition
and protection of the objects to be purchased. For this purpose the
Trustees of the Peabody Museum, at the instance of Professor Putnam,
offered the temporary use of one of the galleries in the recent addition
to the Museum.

At a subsequent meeting of the Committee it was agreed that it
was desirable that one of the professors should visit Europe during
the summer vacation to make in part the requisite purchases, and to
establish such connections as might render further purchases practi-
cable by correspondence. Mr. Stephen Salisbury, of the Committee,
furnished the funds necessary for this purpose, and Dr. Lyon under-
took the service.

At the third meeting of the Committee, on the 3d of the present
month, Dr. Lyon presented a report of his doings, of which the fol-
lowing synopsis is here given : —

The first purchase for the Semitic Museum — March, 1890 — was a
collection of S}7riac manuscripts and Cufic coins which the Rev. Dr.
J. H. Shedd had brought from Oroomia. One of the manuscripts
was a lectionary of the Gospels from the }Tear 1207. Another manu-
script belonging to this collection, the so-called Gezza, from the year
1666, was purchased and presented to the Semitic Museum by Mrs.
Emily A. Burleigh of Cambridge. The missionaries at Oroomia are
favorably situated for securing manuscripts of the ancient Syriac

literature and it is hoped that we shall receive by this channel many
originals or copies.

The second purchase — March, 1890 — was a collection of Babylo-
nian antiquities which had been sent over from London, embracing
written tablets and fragments, seals and gems. In April, the Semitic
Museum received from Mr. Schiff the gift of J. Reuchlin's treatise on
the Rudiments of Hebrew, 1506, and a Hebrew Bible in three volumes
with interlinear Latin translation. In May, Mr. E. S. Dixwell of
Cambridge presented the entire set of the Journal of the American
Oriental Society.

In London Professor Lyon had the benefit of Mr. Schiff's presence
and counsel, and during the whole summer he had frequent occasion
to seek that counsel by correspondence. Most of the summer was
spent in London, ten days each being given to Paris and Berlin in
July.

The first work in all these places was to learn what monuments
were in the museums and which had been or might be reproduced in
plaster. The museum authorities were uniformly kind and obliging,
and special thanks are due to Messrs. Pinches and Budge of the
British Museum, M. L6on Heuzey of the Louvre, and Professor A.
Erman of the Berlin Museum.

The most striking Semitic monuments in London are the Ass}rrian
bas-reliefs recovered from the ruins by Sir Henry Layard, George
Smith, and Hormuzd Rassam. Many of these were molded }rears
ago and casts of such are to be had. Many of the best, however,
have never been molded, and there is now a regulation of the British
Museum restricting very much the process of making new molds. In
this state of affairs not all could be had which was desired, but a
good selection was made, principally of the bas-reliefs of Assurna-
zirpal, 884-860 b.c, and most of these have arrived. Casts of such
clay tablets as have been molded were likewise ordered, as well as
the impressions of one hundred of the best Babylonian-Assj^rian
seals. Photographs maj7 be taken of all objects and an estimate was
given by a photographer for taking about fifty of the best bas-reliefs.
Inasmuch as the chief cost is for the negatives, it is suggested that
by cooperation of other institutions the proportionate cost may be
much reduced.

The second order in London, given in August, included all the
Arabic, Hebrew, and Phoenician objects in the British Museum of
which molds exist, and also the closely related inscriptions and reliefs
from Persia. Several small Hittite inscriptions were included in the
first order. A copy of a Hittite lion, the size of a large dog, was pre-
sented to us by F. D. Mocatta, Esq., who placed us under obligation
by other acts of kindness. From the East India House we get a copy
of the great Nebuchadnezzar inscription. Four inscribed Babylonian
building bricks were also purchased from private hands.

At an auction on July 4th a dozen cuneiform tablets from Babylon
were purchased. One of these is a legal decision of the time of the
Jewish exile. A second is the record of the sale of real estate, and
is a perfectly preserved case tablet covered with a duplicate account
and seal impressions.

Rev. Dr. Adler, Chief Rabbi in London, showed much kind interest
in the Semitic Museum and gave to Professor Lyon useful suggestions
and cards of introduction.

Among the pleasures of the summer were opportunities of inter-
views with the great explorers and decipherers, Sir Llenry Layard,
Sir Henry Rawlinson, and Hormuzd Rassam, Esq. These gentle-
men view our undertaking with warm approval and made valuable
suggestions.

The establishment of connections with the Orient is very desirable,
and special attention was directed to this end during the summer.
Conversations were held with several persons living in the East, but
no definite arrangements were entered into.

At Paris the Louvre has of late years been greatly enriched by the
diggings of M. de Sarzec at Telloh in Chaldea, and of M. Dieulafoy
at Susa in ancient Persia. The Telloh monuments are among the
finest yet found and can hardly be later than 2500 b.c. We shall
have casts of several of these statues, so wonderfully chiseled and
covered with inscriptions. From the palace of Darius we are to have
casts of two archers in colored tiles. There will also be casts of many
other objects, Assyrian, Babylonian, Phoenician, Arabic, Hebrew,
and Moabite, the celebrated Mesha stone being among the last-
named, giving an account of the wars of Moab and Israel in the 9th
century b.c.

M. Leon Heuzey, Director of the Louvre, was most obliging and
considerate, granting casts of many objects never molded before. In
such cases, however, there is a condition that the purchaser of the
cast shall also bear the expense of making the mold. There are in
the Louvre other objects of which casts ought to have a place in the
Semitic Museum, but they were not applied for because they are too
high for the room which we have for exhibition purposes. From
Mainz a few casts were ordered of small Babylonian objects the
originals of which are in the Louvre. To the Bibliotheque Nation ale
we are indebted for a copjT of the famous Boundary stone from
Babylon, containing a long inscription and known as the Caillou de
Michaux. Its date is about 1100 b.c.

The Berlin Museum has been likewise enriched of late, both b}T ex-
cavation in the Orient and b}T purchase. By purchase the el Amaru a
cuneiform tablets were acquired. These were written to Egyptian
pharaohs about 1500 b.c. and were found in Egypt in 1887. Exca-
vation has yielded some fine Hittite reliefs and a magnificent monu-
ment of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, 681-6GN B.C. Many of the
new acquisitions may not yet be molded, because some questions are
still pending relating to the ownership. The Esarhaddon monument
ought to be ordered so soon as it may be had, although it is too high
for our present room.

On one condition it is possible to obtain casts of these objects,
viz., that they shall not be exhibited nor their contents published in
anticipation of the publication planned by the Berlin Museum. A
long Aramaic inscription of the 8th century b.c, and a monument of
Sargon (722-705 b.c) coming from the island of Cyprus, are among
the chief objects of interest ordered in Berlin.

The report records meeting in Berlin gentlemen who have traveled
extensively in the East, and of having correspondence in regard to
the possible purchase of Arabic stones and Hebrew books. From
Leiden were ordered casts of several Phoenician inscriptions.

On Professor Lyon's return to London in August, Mr. Isidore
Spielman, Honorary Secretary to the Anglo- Jewish Exhibition in 1887,
was helpful in various ways and presented to the Semitic Museum
the catalogue and three other volumes relating to the exhibition.

Two small collections of Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts were
purchased, in connection with which the Rev. Dr. Ginsburg and Dr.
Heinrich Hoerning cheerfully rendered most valuable assistance.

About eight hundred photohraphs were bought representing Semitic
scenery, ruins, buildings, and costumes in Palestine, S37ria, Arabia,
Egypt, and Spain.

With the consent of the Trustees of the Palestine Exploration
Fund, Mr. W. F. Petrie, whose diggings at Lachish were so success-
ful last winter, presented to us casts of squeezes of two of the most
interesting objects found in the diggings. Mr. Petrie's success at
Lachish illustrates how fruitful a field for archaeology Palestine may
yet become.

F. W. Madden, Esq., of Brighton, the great authority on Jewish
coins, has sent us some casts of coins. The British Museum has
perhaps a thousand coins of which we should have electroplated
copies. To Dr. Poole, the Keeper, and to Drs. Head and Grueber,
the Assistant Keepers, the report acknowledges indebtedness for
valuable suggestions. We have from Mr. Robert N. Toppan of
Cambridge the promise of a Jewish shekel and half-shekel.

Several other objects have also been received at home by gift or by
purchase. Rev. Dr. Thomas Laurie of Providence has given us a
Syriac manuscript of the Psalms and several small Arabic works.
Mr. I. N. P. Stokes of the College has made a gift of $25. From
the University of Pennsylvania we have purchased a cast of the Greek
inscription from the Temple of Herod. From the same source we
shall receive copies of one hundred Babylonian- Assyrian cylinder seals.

From Palestine much may be had illustrative of Semitic life and
history, while the purchase of manuscripts will be a perennial source
of enrichment of the Museum. It is also hoped that independent
explorations may be undertaken.

The cases are now being made for the Semitic room in the Peabody
Museu ii, and they are promised by Christmas. It seems, therefore,
probable that early in the new year we shall be able to place what we
have received on exhibition.

The amount already expended is nearly half of Mr. Scruff's dona-
tion. Other valuable objects are attainable, and some are contracted
for, which cannot be placed on exhibition at present for lack of room,
the space now available being but sixty-one feet square and the ceil-
ing being too low for some of the larger casts.

The growth of the Semitic department is among the striking phe-
nomena in the recent history of the University. It consisted, a short

time ago, of half a score of divinity students who reluctantly took a
few elementary lessons in Hebrew, in accordance with a tradition fast
dying out that a minister ought to know something of the languages
in which the Scriptures were written. Now there are sixty-five stu-
dents in the department, and they weigh much more than they num-
ber, a large proportion of them being among the foremost men in the
College and in the graduate classes. The change is due undoubtedly,
in part, to the interest awakened by explorations on Semitic ground,
but in chief part, to the unsurpassed learning, ability, and teaching
power of Professors Toy and Lyon, who know how to connect faith-
ful instruction in the rudiments of an unfamiliar language with what-
ever can give that language an important place in philolog}T, archae-
ology, and history. Four prizes have been offered in this department
for the current year, and it is believed that, while more advanced
study may be its own sufficient reward, such prizes will have a stimu-
lating influence on beginners, especially in the elementary Hebrew
course. A resident or travelling fellowship, assigned to this depart-
ment exclusively, would be of peculiar value as affording the means
of replenishing advanced scholarship, and thus training men who shall
render good service as teachers or shall perform original work of a
kind which, even though of inestimable worth, can command no pe-
cuniary recompense.

The courses of the last year were two in Hebrew, two in Aramaic,
two in Assyrian, two in Arabic, one in JEthiopic, and one in General
Semitic Grammar for those already acquainted with at least three
Semitic languages. There have also been courses in Babylonian-
Assyrian History, the History of Israel, the History of the Hebrew
Religion, and the History of the Spanish Califate, — two of them
full courses and the other two half-courses. The undergraduates
have access also to Professor Toy's lectures, constituting an Intro-
duction to the Old Testament, specialty designed for the Divinity
students.

Lectures open to a larger public are a part of the plan of the de-
partment. During the last academic year Professor Toy delivered a
course on Semitic Contributions to Civilization, and Professor Lyon,
one on Cuneiform Inscriptions and the Old Testament.

The Semitic Seminary, or Conference, as it is now called, is a vol-
untary association of students present and past in the department
and other Cambridge gentlemen interested in it. The meetings are
held twice a month, for the presentation of the results of individual
study and research and for the discussion of subjects belonging to
advanced Semitic scholarship.

It will be seen from this summary that the Semitic work holds a

prominent place in our University programme. There is no depart-
ment which has more accomplished teachers, more zealous students,
or a more thoroughly organized system of instruction. But the
arrangements for its accommodation are adapted to its condition
twenty years ago, and not to its present requirements. It has virtu-
ally no room at its command. Some of the exercises are held in the
Divinity Library, in which the limited number of apartments pre-
cludes a free choice of hours. The only other room that can be occu-
pied by the department — and that not exclusively its own — is one
in Sever Hall, adjacent to the lecture-room and used as an ante-room
to it, so that none of the apparatus of instruction can be kept there.
Even more than lecture-rooms of its own, the department needs a
library with suitable accommodations for study. The books used in
some of the courses are costly, some of them rare, and if one student
keeps such a book in his room, his fellow-students may be in urgent
need of it without being able to get access to it. In a working
library the students might not only have free use of needed books,
but opportunities which would often occur for joint study and research
and for mutual aid. Mr. Schiff has offered funds for the purchase of
such books as might be desirable at the outset for such a library, if a
proper room can be assigned for the purpose.

When it is considered that the funds in hand for the Museum can-
not be put fully to use, while opportunities for the purchase of valu-
able objects may be lost by dela}T, may it not be hoped that measures
will be promptly taken for at least a temporary supply of the desired
room ? What is needed and is fairly due to a department which can
lose none of its interest or importance by the lapse of years, is a
building appropriate to its uses, with a hall for the Museum, a libraiy
that shall also be a study and reading room for the members of the
classes, and two or more commodious lecture-rooms.

All which is respectfully submitted.

A. P. PEABODY,

Chairman of the Committee.
Presented December 17, 1890.

XIV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BOTANIC

GARDEN.

December 19, 1890.
To the Board of Overseers : —

Gentlemen, — No changes of importance are noted in the arrange-
ment of plants in the houses or in the beds, except so far as these
have followed a carrying out of the recommendations of the Com-
mittee last year.

The number of species under cultivation has been diminished, and
the plants are now available better than ever before for the large
classes in Botany. The Committee note that a large part of the
material used by the elementary class is raised at the greenhouses
of the Bussey Institution. The arrangement by which this is secured
appears to be advantageous for the College and for the Bussey
Institution.

The beautiful set of glass models is being continued by the artists
in Germany.

Extensive repairs have been necessary in the houses occupied by
Mrs. Gra}r and by the Head Gardener.

The Museum and laboratories are nearly completed. Owing to
the excellent judgment of Mr. Agassiz in making contracts, the
estimates have not been exceeded.

Professor Goodale called the attention of the Committee to the
absolute necessity for providing for the Herbarium by securing an
assistant for Mr. Watson. The income of the Herbarium is not
sufficient to pay for even its ordinary running expenses, and this
makes it impossible to carry on the work to advantage. Mr. Watson
has made a statement to the Committee, by which it appears that the
sum of $4000 annually should be added to the present income. Your
Committee recommend that this sum be raised for a short term, say
of five years, and meanwhile an attempt may be made to secure a
foundation worthy of the reputation of the organizer of the Her-
barium, Professor Asa Gray. Of the sum above referred to, there
has been already subscribed the amount of $35f)0 for five years, and
$250 for one 3rear.

Professor Allen and Mr. Kidder have made it clear to the Com-
mittee that if the department of Systematic Botany at Harvard is to
retain its present position in our country, a strenuous effort must be

made to relieve Mr. Watson from a part of his routine work, and
leave him free to carry on the work begun and prosecuted by Pro-
fessor Gray, namely the Synoptical Flora of North America. The
Library of the Herbarium can also be provided for from the sum
spoken of by Mr. Watson, and the efficiency of the establishment
increased in every way.

Professor Goodale left in September for a voyage round the world,
a refreshment very much needed by him.

For the Committee,

HENRY LEE, Chairman.
Presented March 25, 1801.

XV.

REPORT ON THE JEFFERSON PHYSICAL
LABORATORY.

May 6, 1891.
To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Gentlemen, — As members of the Committee appointed to visit
the Jefferson Plrysical Laboratory, we are pleased to attest our satis-
faction with the conduct of the Laboratory during the current aca-
demic year. The zealous labors of the Director and his associates
have covered an extended series of original investigations, in addition
to the routine work of class instruction.

The fruit already borne by a recent small endowment, strongly con-
firms our belief that a suitable income would at once place the Jeffer-
son Physical Laboratory in the front rank as a centre of physical

research.

FRANCIS BLAKE,

T. JEFFERSON COOLLDGE,

W. H. FORBES,

A. LAWRENCE ROTCH.

Presented May 27, 1891.

XVI.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MUSIC.

June 1, 1891.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Gentlemen, — The Committee appointed to visit the department of

Music has the honor to report this :

That it is desirable to give the classes a different recitation-room,

if possible, and one in a quieter place, free from the noises of Harvard

Square. Your Committee makes this suggestion just now especially,

because it is understood that the old Law School building is to be

remodelled.

H. L. HIGGINSON,

JOHN FISKE,

ARTHUR FOOTE.

Presented June 10, 1891.

XVII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
VETERINARY SCHOOL.

21 October 1891.
To the Board op Overseers of Harvard College : —

Gentlemen, — The Committee appointed to visit the Veterinary
School for the year 1891 respectfully reports as follows : —

The last two reports of the Visiting Committees of the School,
namely, the report made by Dr. Hodges in 1889 and the report made
by Col. Russell in 1890, agree in the statement that the prosperity of
the School is limited and in danger from lack of suitable financial
support. As is very succinctly and forcibly stated in the report of
Dr. Hodges in 1889, the University is engaged in an attempt to carry
on almost entirely with its own earnings a high-grade school requiring
a residence of three years of nine months each in direct competition
with schools of low grade requiring only a residence of two years of
four or five months each.

That the School needs greater financial support seems to the Com-
mittee of the present }?ear to be beyond dispute, but another and a
more immediately vital phase of the question now presents itself. In
1883 the Harvard Veterinary Hospital was opened on Village Street
with ten stalls, and the Harvard Veterinary School was established,
having its accommodations at the Bussey Farm. The Hospital was
soon found to be too small, and eleven stalls were put in on the second
story. It was then found that the location of the School at the
Bussey Farm was inconvenient, and in 1884 the University bought a
piece of land adjoining the Hospital on Village Street and erected
thereon a building containing ten additional stalls, class-rooms and a
dissecting-room.

From the beginning to the present time the average number of
students has been about twenty, and thus far this child of the College
has been given to understand that the maternal purse is not to be
drawn upon for its support and that it must earn its own living. It
has been engaged in a remarkably successful endeavor to that end.

Of the wisdom or the necessity of this course in the past your Com-
mittee expresses no opinion. We assume that it was well-advised.
On entering upon our duties this year and upon examination of the
Hospital and School and upon inquiry, we find, however, a condition

of affairs which we believe demands your consideration with a view to
the definition of a policy to be pursued hereafter.

The Hospital is not on a main thoroughfare. It is immediately
surrounded by dwelling-houses. The limit of accommodations in the
Hospital has already been reached. The students are dependent
upon the Hospital for their clinical instruction. There is no other
place to which they could go if they would. The success of the
School is largely dependent upon the amount and variety of clinical
instruction furnished. This department has reached, we believe, as
great a degree of success as is likely to be attained with its present
accommodations. Unless these are improved we should not expect
that the School would maintain a healthy growth or that it would be
likely to attain higher standards than have already been reached.
The present status of the School is, we believe, as good as, if not
better than, was to be expected, considering the accommodations
furnished and the conditions under which it has been operated.

Moreover, inasmuch as when a school ceases to go on and up it is
in danger of declining relatively to other institutions, we feel that
some better opening for progress and growth is desirable, if not
necessary, for the prosperity of the School.

The Hospital part of the building does not belong to Harvard Col-
lege, but is leased to the Corporation, and the Corporation is now a
tenant at will. The owner is willing to make a new lease, as we are
informed, with a rental equal to six per cent on the cost, or $1280
per year, the lessee paying taxes.

One of the first questions which presented itself to y our Committee
was whether it was expedient that the College should take a new
lease of the portion now devoted to the Hospital, and if so, for how
long a period?

The College has practically built an addition to a building belong-
ing to others. The value of this addition depends upon the good-
will, the generosity of the owner of the Hospital. The interests of
the owner of the Hospital and of the College are, to be sure, at the
present time to a certain degree mutual, but if the College makes in
that location any further expenditure for land or buildings, it will
have more to lose, and there will be a greater chance of loss, because
the Corporation will be the more helpless whenever a renewal of the
lease is desired.

It seems plain that the College should not take a long lease of the
Hospital premises, nor indulge in any expenditure for additional land
or buildings adjoining its present quarters, without first obtaining
from the owner of the Hospital an option to purchase at any time on
reasonable terms.

7!)

It seems further to your Committee that it is unwise to take action
looking to growth in the present location. One or two houses can
now be obtained, it is said, at a cost of about four dollars per square
foot, but there is no assurance that other estates could thereafter be
purchased if desired, and it is obvious that every additional invest-
ment by the College will increase real estate values in that vicinity,
and place the Corporation more absolutely at the mercy of the owners
of the surrounding land.

For the foregoing reasons your Committee believe that the invest-
ment of the College on Village Street should not be increased, but
that steps should forthwith be taken toward securing another location
where the conditions would be favorable to growth.

We believe there is a wide and important field of usefulness for
this School and Hospital. There are many hospitals for human beings.
There are in this state no adequate hospitals for animals. Some of
the greatest discoveries in medical science have been reached through
the treatment of the diseases of animals. The Hospital in the seven
years of its existence has paid $16,800 for the support of the Veteri-
nary School. Were the accommodations furnished, it would undoubt-
edly grow to many times its present size. Harvard University ought
to have a Veterinary School and Hospital whose character and accom-
modations and work should be on a scale more nearly commensurate
with the field of operations which they purport to cover.

Impressed with the foregoing views this Committee requested that
a committee should be appointed by the Corporation to confer with
them. At the conference the views of the Visiting Committee were
laid before the members of the Committee of Three appointed by the
Corporation, and the members of the Visiting Committee expressed
their willingness to aid the Corporation in selecting a site, and did in
fact suggest one or two sites which they deemed to be eligible, and
also expressed their willingness to aid in securing such donations as
might be necessary to justify the purchase of an adequate piece of
land and the erection of suitable buildings thereon.

These suggestions and proffers of assistance met with no expression
of approval from the majority of the Committee of the Corporation,
who spent much time in impressing upon the Visiting Committee the
various financial disabilities of the University.

No satisfaction was expressed that the Visiting Committee had
taken an interest in the School, nor was there any intimation of desire
that such interest should be continued.

It may not have been the intention of the Committee of the Corpo-
ration to discountenance or discourage activity on the part of the
members of the Visiting Committee, but since that meeting they have

felt that it was not desired that they should take any action looking
to a change of location of the School or the enlargement of its ac-
commodations.

It is believed that a Visiting Committee, if cordially supported in
its efforts by the Board of Overseers and by the Corporation, might
materially assist in placing the School and Hospital upon a more suit-
able financial foundation.

Respectfully submitted,

GEORGE G. CROCKER,
THEODORE A. DODGE,
LUCIUS M. SARGENT,
. A. S. BIGELOW,

LAMONT G. BURNHAM,
G. E. WILDER,
GEORGE G. KENNEDY,

SAMUEL A. HOPKINS.

Presented November 18, 1891,

The Committee on Reports and Resolutions return herewith the
report of the Committee to Visit the Veterinary School, of October
21st, 1891.

At the suggestion of the Visiting Committee a meeting was
arranged between that Committee and the Committee on Reports and
Resolutions. The Visiting Committee intimated a desire, before pro-
ceeding further, to receive an expression of the views of the Overseers
on certain points. While desirous of doing whatever might be in
their power to strengthen the position of the Veterinary School, the
Visiting Committee was unwilling to take further or more active steps
towards that end unless its members felt assured that in taking such
steps they were proceeding in full harmony with the polic}' and in-
terests of the University.

So far as your Committee is competent to form an opinion, it would
appear that an endowment fund of not less than $250,000 will ulti-
mately be found necessary to place the Veterinary School and Hospital
on a satisfactory basis. The institution at present has no endowment
whatever.

The Visiting Committee appears to have been most faithful in the
performance of its functions, and its members expressed an earnest
desire to do individually and collectively whatever could judiciously
be done to foster and develop the School and Hospital, and to obtain
money for it.

It is a noticeable fact that, in Massachusetts, and in the more im-
mediate vicinity of Boston, where there are so many endowed institu-
tions for every possible purpose, — charitable, medical, and surgical,
— connected with the human kind, no institution of a similar char-
acter should exist intended to care for animals. Such a want is not
likely to be permanent, inasmuch as some such institution is obviously
called for on every ground, whether of humanity or economical.
While the gift from one or several sources of the whole amount
named would be a great public benefaction, it would be a consider-
able point gained could a sum of $50,000 now be obtained to secure
the ownership of a permanent site for the Hospital and so avoid
the objection referred to in the report of the Visiting Committee
of placing the institution in the future through present improve-
ments at the mercy of the holders of real estate which it does not
control ; and if the Visiting Committee could bring this result
about it should receive all possible encouragement and aid in so
doing : but anything less than this which it might fairly be hoped
could now be obtained in the way of gift or subscription would, in the
judgment of your Committee, probably cost the University more than
it would be worth to the Hospital and School. Unless, therefore, the
members of the Visiting Committee see opportunities to secure from
sources known to them some considerable sums adequate to the im-
mediate purchase of a site and which may serve as the basis at least
of an ultimately sufficient endowment, it would seem to your Com-
mittee better that matters should be allowed to rest as they are in the
hope that some individual of large means, interested in benefactions
of this class, — and possibly stimulated thereto by members of the
Visiting Committee, — will presently by gift or bequest endow the
institution in the necessary amount. Judging by the experience of
the past, it may fairly be hoped that this will come to pass in due
course of time.

Under these circumstances, your Committee would recommend that
the report herewith returned be printed in the regular series, and that
a copy of the present report be forwarded to the Committee to Visit
the Veterinary School for its information.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

By order of the Committee,

CHARLES F. ADAMS, Chairman.

XVIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPANISH.

April 13, 1892.
To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Gentlemen, — Your Committee on Spanish beg leave to report
that one member of the Committee, Mr. Joseph R. Coolidge, having
resigned on account of absence in Europe, Mr. Stephen Salisbury
was appointed to fill the vacancy.

Several conferences have been held with Professor B. H. Nash and
Asst. Professor Marsh of this department, the Committee believing
that to be a better way of getting information in regard to the
instruction than merely attending recitations. The zeal and efficiency
of Professor Nash, who is in charge of the department, seem to be
somewhat hampered by his inability to do justice single-handed to
the large number of students taking the courses in Spanish ; there
were this year 127. Fortunately Asst. Professor Marsh, of the
department of Comparative Literature, could come this }Tear to Pro-
fessor Nash's aid, otherwise he would have been unable to carry on
his department. It would seem desirable that some permanent and
less fortuitous relief should be provided for. Another difficult}' with
which the department apparently has to struggle is that of inadequate
accommodation. This makes it impossible to hold the required
" snap" examinations through the }'ear in an effective wa}T, and con-
sequently they are not held at all. This, in turn, probably increases
the proportion of students who take Spanish as a "soft" (easy)
elective ; what that proportion is it is, of course, difficult to deter-
mine, but it probably is considerable.

A very crying need of the Spanish department is a working libraiy,
such as other departments — and notably the French — already have.
The nucleus, at least, of such a library cannot be obtained too soon
if efficient work is to be expected. If there is to be a library, there
should also be a place to put it in. And this leads your Committee
to suggest the grouping together of the libraries for the departments
of languages — such as the French, German, Spanish, Italian, &c.
Certainly this would seem not only desirable but essential, if the
intention of the College be to give anything more than the most ele-
mentary instruction in modern languages ; to give any attention to
the philosophy of languages, or to anything in the nature of com-
parative literature. Such a juxtaposition of these working libraries

could not fail to be of mutual advantage to all the departments — to
the French and German as well as to the Spanish and Italian. It is
very clear that the Spanish and Italian departments should not be
separated.

A certain proportion of those who take Spanish do so simply as
part of the stud}7 of general literature, but there are others who take
it with a distinct view of fitting themselves for their future careers
as engineers, mining superintendents, merchants, &c, in Spanish-
American countries. With the development of our relations with
Mexico, the West Indies, and the South American Republics this
number is likely to increase. It, therefore, seems to your Committee
that the Spanish department should be regarded as one of very con-
siderable possible importance, as furnishing opportunities for more
than a "soft" course, for more even than a pleasing indulgence in
modern Spanish literature, and that it should be administered by the
College authorities with as much fostering liberality as circumstances
will permit.

GEORGE B. SHATTUCK,
SAMUEL ELIOT,
STEPHEN SALISBURY.

XIX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDO-IRANIAN

LANGUAGES.

April 13, 1892.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The Committee on Indo-Iranian Languages beg leave to offer the
following report : —

The worth of this department is to be measured, not by the num-
ber of its pupils, but by the importance of its work. It would deserve
liberal support, though it produced but a single Sanscrit scholar a
year ; for that one scholar is more likely than not to bring to our
knowledge in the far west much of the treasured wealth of Oriental
myth, poetry, and tradition, or else to levy on the mother tongue
precious contributions to classic philology. An elective in Latin,
History, or Philosophy may be taken without any ulterior pur-
pose. No student takes Sanscrit without meaning to use it, or per-
severes in it without the capacity of using it for some valuable end.

But it should be the object of a university in all its departments,
not only to educate its pupils, but to diffuse knowledge and to mul-
tiply the means of knowledge. Publication is one of its appropriate
functions, and that especially, as to books which, while of great in-
trinsic value, can have but a limited circulation. In the Indo-Iranian
department it is to be hoped that a publishing fund may be established.
Its income could not be misapplied while Professor Lanman remains
in office, and when, long hence we hope, he shall have a successor, it
is hardly possible that his place should not be filled by a man of like
claims to confidence. In furnishing an essential text-book he has
already drawn on his own resources. A member of your Committee
has prepared for publication, and printed at his own cost, a volume
which will be welcome to Sanscrit scholars on both continents, and
he has another volume in press. He is thus expending in advance,
with no intention of having it refunded, the estimated income of fif-
teen thousand dollars, which your Committee would regard as the
limit of their expectation, if not of their desire.

The last year's Committee on the Indo-Iranian Languages, in their
annual report, spoke of the expediency of establishing a system of
publication in the name and under the charge of the University.
Your present Commitee would suggest the possibility and expediency

of some definite arrangement for this purpose. The University has a
right to the reputation of its officers. Yet no year passes when some
of them do not issue works, either of special timeliness or of per-
manent value, which pass into the book-market without drawing the
attention of the public to their source. The Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity wins merited fame by its imprimatur on all that proceeds from
its teachers and its resident graduates. Were the same policy pur-
sued by Harvard College, its world-wide reputation as a seat of learn-
ing would be perpetually echoed and enhanced by the contributions
of its eminent officials. Not to speak of the living, or of any but the
recent dead, would it not have been greatly to the honor of the Uni-
versity, had the works of Peirce, Gra}T, and Bowen in their several
departments borne and retained its imprint?

We would not recommend the use in this behalf of the general
funds which, we know, can bear no additional drain. But there are
already in existence or in certain prospect publication-funds for
special departments, which, were the College to establish a suitable
agency, would be rapidly increased and multiplied. The Library
would be the proper seat of such an agency, and we would suggest
that the requisite work might be performed by a member of the
library staff.

Such books as would naturally have an extensive sale might be put
into the hands of substantial publishing firms, whose names might
appear in the title-page along with the University, and it is believed
that such books would be largely helped in their circulation by the
double imprint, while the agency could always secure better terms for
the author than he would be likely to negotiate in his own person.
As for the class of publications that necessarily have only a limited
demand from public institutions, advanced scholars, and scientific
men, the publication by the University would cheapen them for the
purchasers by saving the commissions of middle-men, would secure
ample notice of their issue, and would enable those who wanted them
to know where and how to obtain them. With reference to books of
this class, for which the demand is small and yet may be continuous for
a series of years, as in the very department which we represent, the
library agency would offer still other and greater advantages. Take,
for instance, the volume just issued and that now in press to which
we have referred. They are published by Ginn & Co., — a firm
favorably known in this country and in England, probably not known
in the university towns of Germany. The demand for these volumes,
small as it is, may last for many years. The firm may cease to be,
may change its name, or, retaining it, may alter its line of business,
and of course its list of corresponding firms. At any rate it can have

no motive for keeping Sanscrit books before the learned world by
continuous or repeated advertisement. Still farther, it is no unpre-
cedented thing for a firm, on its dissolution, to sell for melting-down
the plates of valuable, but not marketable books. Now if such books
are published by the University and stored in the Library, it is known
where they can be had when they are called for, and the plates can
be preserved for future reprint if needed. At the same time, in such
a case it would be a wise economy to print very small editions of
books of this class, and to make the issue of added copies contingent
on the demand for them ; while, otherwise, needlessly large editions
must be printed to meet demands barely possible, but not probable,
and the extra capital thus invested, with a remote and doubtful
chance of reimbursement, adds essentially to the price of the books.

The proposed agency would be of service to the Library and to the
University as a medium of exchange. Such periodicals as passed
through its hands could be exchanged for those issued by other
learned bodies ; while gift-copies of our publications in every depart-
ment would secure return-copies from American and foreign institu-
tions of learning.

The Library Bulletin would be the best possible medium for adver-
tising such books as are not designed for general circulation and use.
It could give not only titles, but brief abstracts, — in fine, all the in-
formation which an intending purchaser would need and crave. The
Bulletin would have an added value as a record of the publications of
the University, and would thus not merely lie for a while on its
reader's table, but would be preserved and bound for reference.
Meanwhile there would be an accumulation of ample materials for a
descriptive catalogue of University publications.

All which is respectfully submitted.

A. P. PEABODY.
HENRY C. WARREN.
JULES LUQUIENS.

XX.

KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE SEMITIC

LANGUAGES.

April 13, 1892.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The work in this department was pursued during the academic year
1890-91 with gratifying success by an increased number of students.
An advanced course in Hebrew was attended by six ; there were six
in Arabic, two of them in an advanced course ; and four entered on
the study of the Phoenician. Of these last, one has made such pro-
ficiency as to commence the preparation of a Phoenician vocabulary,
which he intends to carry forward toward completion ; although, since
he began, a similar work has appeared in Germany. In addition to
these courses Professor Toy has given lectures on the History of the
Hebrew Religion, on the History of pre-Christian Hebrew Literature,
and on the Political and Literary History of the Bagdad Califate.

Professor Lyon has had the direction of the elementary course in
Hebrew, has had two courses in Assyrian, and has delivered courses
of lectures on Babylonian -Assyrian History and on the History of
Israel. This last course deserves special mention, as it in part sup-
plies, in methods equally scholarly and attractive, the Biblical knowl-
edge which before the time of Sunday-schools used to be acquired,
though in simpler form, in Christian families, but which in the average
student of the present time is entirely wanting. Professor Lyon, in
fixing the place and office of the Hebrew prophets severally in the
history of Israel, draws the attention of his class to the significance
of obscure passages in their writings, and to the transcendent wealth
of poetical allusion and imagery, which often needs interpretation in
order to be fully appreciated.

Though our report officially covers the last year only, we are glad
to anticipate that of the present year by saying that the attendance
at the lectures on the History of Israel is nearly three times that of
last year, that in the Assyrian language there are eight students for
last year's four, and that the entire number in the Semitic department
is more than doubled.

For the last year's work prizes to the amount of two hundred
dollars were offered and honorably won for special diligence and pro-
ficiency in this department, and the larger sum of four hundred and

fifty dollars is at its disposal for the current year, in case it can
be thus advantageously employed and worthily bestowed. In this
department prizes are of peculiar service, owing to the expensiveness
of many of the text-books. The work, too, is so arduous as to leave
little time for pecuniary self-help.

At the last Commencement one of the Semitic students received the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and has been appointed to a profes-
sorship in Bryn Mawr College ; another took the highest honors in the
department, and is now, while engaged in advanced study, an assistant
teacher, and a third took honors as a Semitic scholar. In addition to
their class*- work Professors Toy and Lyon have attended throughout
the year the regular meetings of the Semitic Conference, taking, of
course, the leading part in the work by which its members are actively
contributing to higher attainments and new research in Semitic lan-
guages, literature, and learning. The professors during the last
academic year also delivered several public lectures in a series
specially designed as "An Introduction to the Study of the Bible."

The Semitic Museum had its formal opening on the 13th of May,
1891, when addresses were made by the President, by Mr. Schiff to
whose generosity we are indebted for its establishment, and by Profes-
sors Toy and Lyon. The balance of Mr. Schiff' s donation will have
been nearly expended by the latest orders in behalf of the Museum.
The collection is of inestimable worth for the unique value of many
genuine objects of remote antiquity which have been procured and
given, for the admirable selection of casts, for the stimulus which it
affords to Semitic study, and for the object-lessons which it furnishes
as to many matters in which description is at best indefinite and
vague. Room is wanting for the proper placing of some of the larger
objects and for the most desirable grouping of others ; and it is to be
regretted that there must be a ten-minutes' walk between the lecture-
room and the illustrations which the Museum affords.

In the last year's report the need of a working library was named.
With characteristic promptness and kindness Mr. Schiff has met that
need by the gift of one thousand dollars, — a hopeful beginning, yet
leaving present and future demands of the department unsupplied.
Nearly all of this sum has been already expended under the direction
of the professors. The books are duly catalogued as belonging to a
branch of the University Library, are placed under the care of a stu-
dent who gives his services as librarian, and are deposited in a room
in Sever Hall which has been temporarily assigned for the use of the
department till better arrangements can be made.

It is hoped, however, that at no great distance of time the Museum,
Library, and lecture-rooms may be brought together. Among the

possible new buildings on College ground none can be more desirable
than one which should furnish such accommodations for the Semitic
and Classical departments, and for others also that have like need of
connected rooms for collections, libraries, and class-rooms.

It is enough to say of the Semitic professors that they have created
this department almost out of nothing, and have secured for it the
honored place which belongs to it of right, but which only ability,
scholarship, and teaching power of the highest order can command
for it in a fast and materialistic age like ours.

All which is respectfully submitted.

A. P. PEABODY, Chairman.

XXI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE DIVINITY

SCHOOL.

May 11, 1892.

To the Board op Overseers of Harvard University : —

There is no need of repeating what has been said in former reports
as to the ability, assiduity, and successful work of the permanent
Professors of the Divinity School. We have equal reason to express
our high appreciation of the services of Rev. Mr. Hale as Instructor
in Homiletics, and of Rev. Mr. Morison, the Librarian, whose charge
is made increasingly onerous by the lack of sufficient space for cleri-
cal work, the delivery of books, and the accommodation of readers.

In the absence of Professor Peabody, Rev. Dr. Brooke Herford and
Rev. Dr. William J. Tucker have given Lectures on Pastoral Care and
the Conduct of Worship. Dr. Herford's return to England deprives
the Divinity School and the University of a teacher, preacher, and
friend, who has made his influence beneficently felt in more ways
than we can easily specify, and who will be remembered with endur-
ing gratitude. As for Dr. Tucker, we can only say that, could his
lectureship be made a permanent institution, it would be of inesti-
mable worth to the successive classes of students.

We trust that Professor Churchill's appointment will, if not in
form, in fact, be permanent ; for it would be impossible to replace
without serious loss his instruction in elocution and in pulpit oratory.

Professor Thayer's place during his absence has been filled by
Mr. Francis A. Christie, who has shown so rare ability as a teacher
and lecturer, that, did the fnnds of the School permit, nothing could
be more desirable than the continuance of his services.

In saying this we have reference to the actual needs of the School ;
for while the present Professors have their time fully occupied, and
there is no one of their courses that can be dispensed with, the range
of studies might be largely increased, to the advantage of all the
students, and especially of the graduates of other Schools, who form
a large proportion of the members of our own. Thus in the New
Testament, in addition to the critical study of the text, there is room
for several different, though kindred lines of instruction ; as, for
instance, the history of the Canon and of the literature appertaining
to it, the mutual relations and the comprehensive scope of the writ-

ings that constitute the Christian Scriptures, the Pauline element in
Christian theology, and the Scriptural grounds on which the leading
sects of Christendom base their several beliefs. In the Oriental
department the Professors are overworked, yet there is a need which
they have no time to fill, of a course in the continuous critical study
in the original language of some book or books of the Old Testament.
The Ethics of the Hebrew Scriptures would also furnish materials for
a fruitful course, for which no man is so well qualified as Professor
Toy, could he be relieved of a part of his elementary work.

In the scientific study of Ethics the Divinity School at present fur-
nishes no instruction. So long as this is the case, we would suggest the
expediency of giving to one or more of the College courses in Ethics
a place among the electives of the School. There is no department
of more importance than this in the training of a teacher of morals
and religion.

Eeference was made in last year's report to the importance of
instruction, such as might be given by a clergyman of large experi-
ence and broad sympathies, in the actual beliefs, institutions, disci-
pline, and present state of existing denominations in our own countiy,
so that the student may enter on the duties of his profession with
some accurate knowledge of the religious world, of which he is too
prone to exaggerate the importance of his own section, as the China-
man does that of the Celestial Empire, as paramount above all other
kingdoms.

A student for the ministiy ought also to have a certain amount of
legal knowledge, which might come better from a lawyer than from a
minister. He should learn his own legal obligations as a parish min-
ister, and the rights thereto corresponding. He should be instructed
as to his legal no less than moral responsibility in the charge and
disbursement of trust-funds that may be under his custody, and as to
the importance of having the accounts of such trust-funds carefully
kept and duly audited. He should be made conversant with the laws
that regulate marriage ; and especially, if he does not decline, as
many ministers do, to perform the marriage service in cases in which
the rule of the New Testament would prohibit marriage, he should
possess accurate cognizance of the laws of divorce and the practice of
divorce courts, lest he find himself in complicit}T with bigamy.

In order to furnish additional instruction the income of the School
must be increased. It has been suggested that it is for various rea-
sons expedient that the Divinity students should be charged the same
tuition fee that is paid by other members of the University resident
in Cambridge ; that is, that they should pay $150 per annum, instead
of the present fee of $50. Your Committee are not unanimous in rec-

ommending this change ; but they deem it fit that the considerations
in favor of it should be clearly placed before your Board. A very
large proportion of the Divinity students are beneficiaries. There
are two scholarships of $500 each, and the remainder of those who
are assisted from the funds receive an average annual amount of
$309, — a sum a little more than $30 in excess of the necessary cost
of tuition, room-rent, board, and fuel. There is, so far as we can
ascertain, no other Divinity School which gives its students aid to the
amount of more than $175. At Andover a beneficiary receives from
$100 to $150, his expenses ranging from $200 to $300. Were our
beneficiaries charged for tuition the same fee that is paid in the Law
and the Scientific Schools, they would still be in a better pecuniary
condition than the students of any other Divinity School of which we
have returns.

It is, at least, an open question whether there are sufficient reasons
for placing Divinity students in a peculiar position as to their pecu-
niary liabilities. If without resources at their command, they have
equal opportunity, and ought to have equal ability, of self-help with
other graduate students, and there is no profession in which so essen-
tial service would be rendered to the student himself by such modes
of self-help as might be open to him before entering on his course or
in his long vacations. Then, too, a minister, if fit for his work, is
well provided for from the time that he leaves the School, while a
young lawyer or physician has to wait several years before he can
earn a living ; and the average salary of well-educated ministers
probably exceeds the average earnings of equally well-educated law-
yers and physiciaus.

Then, too, it may seem desirable that eleemosynary associations
should, so far as is possible, be detached from the clerical profession.
The clergy would thus hold a higher position in the regard of the
community at large. The profession might, also, both lose and gain,
equally to its profit, recruits to its ranks. There are undoubtedly
cases in which a devout and right-meaning young man, with slender
capacity, falls into the Divinity School by a certain vis inertice,
because he can thus postpone for three years the question of self-
support ; and his destiny on leaving the School is among those excel-
lent men who have every good gift for the pulpit except the needed
power of thought, diction, and utterance, who serve for a while as
mere stop-gaps, and then lapse into a still more serviceable silence.
On the other hand, there probably are young men of high religious
principle and purpose, and in prosperous condition, who, perhaps
unconsciously, omit the ministry from their range of choice because
they virtually regard it as a profession for men of slender means and
dependent condition.

Now we cannot help giving aid to those who seek and deserve it,
as there are funds destined by their donors for that purpose, which
cannot honestly be otherwise used. But we regard it as eminently
desirable that the Divinity students who are aided by these funds be
put upon the same footing with the incumbents of the College scholar-
ships, by having it fully understood, by the public as well as in the
School, that the sums given are bestowed in recognition of meritorious
scholarship determined by a high and rigidly impartial standard, and
that under no circumstances whatever will they be bestowed where
that standard is not reached.

As to the tuition fee we deprecate immediate action, or action
opposed to the deliberate judgment of the major part of the Divinity
Faculty ; but we commend the subject to the careful thought of those
most nearly interested, and hope that the question may not be suf-
fered to subside till it has been fully considered and discussed in all
its bearings.

All which is respectfully submitted.

A. P. PEABODY, Chairman.

XXII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENGLISH
LITERATURE.

May 2, 1892.

To THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY :

The Committee on English Literature, after several talks with one
another and a conference with the professors and instructors in the
department, offer this report to the Board of Overseers.

The printed programme of the department shows the work laid out
for the present academic year. This is so full and clear a description
of the courses as to render it quite unnecessary for this Committee
to go into details concerning them. The Overseers have probably
received this paper or can readily obtain it. The range of instruc-
tion is generous. It begins with two courses in Anglo-Saxon, goes on
with Chaucer, the Elizabethans, Shakespeare, the Nineteenth Century,
Literary Criticism since the Sixteenth Century, and closes with two
courses on the Nineteenth Century. To the courses of this year
others are added, or substituted for them, in other years, so that an
undergraduate in his four years has an ample opportunity for cover-
ing a great deal of ground. The programme states that it is proposed
to give (1) a scientific knowledge of the origin and development of
the Literature, and (2) a general acquaintance with it. So far as the
Committee have observed, these objects are attained.

The number of students taking the courses in English Literature is
large, yet not so large as might be desired. Twenty-five only have
taken the course in Anglo-Saxon prose under Professor Child, and
that in Anglo-Saxon poetry under Asst. Professor Kittredge. This
is reported as a larger number than in former years, but it seems
a small one considering the host of young men now gathered at Cam-
bridge. Thirty students, more than one half being graduates, have
read Chaucer with Asst. Professor Kittredge. Fifteen, chiefly gradu-
ates, have taken the Elizabethan writers with Asst. Professor Wendell.
The stream runs fuller towards Shakespeare, who has been studied by
about one hundred under Professor Child ; and perhaps he thinks his
class quite large enough, but the Committee wish it were far larger
for the sake of the College and the community. Thirty have fol-
lowed the Literature of the Seventeenth Century under Professor
Briggs. Twenty have taken Literary Criticism since the Sixteenth

Century under Mr. Fletcher. One hundred read the poets of the
Nineteenth Century with Professor Hill during the first half-year, and
ninety are now reading the prose writers of the same century with
Mr. Gates, who mentions the encouraging fact that some of his pupils
have written extended theses on such subjects as John Henry Newman,
the Oxford Movement, and the Development of Prose St3Tle. Asst.
Professor Wendell has a single pupil in the Courses of Research
for Special students offered to Graduates, who is engaged in pursuing
Satirical Literature from its beginning in England to the end of the
Elizabethan period.

It would undoubtedly be a great gain to this department could a
room of cheerful size and aspect be set apart for it. A still greater
gain would come with more liberal supplies of books, particularly of
those difficult for a student to obtain, whether in a department library
or in the General Libraiy. The reading-room recommended in the
last report of the Librarian, with a subsidiary room well fitted with
all desirable books in English, is a proposal much to be commended.

SAMUEL ELIOT,
HENRY A. CLAPP,
HORACE E. SCUDDER,

XXIII.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT.

May 11, 1892.
To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The Committee on Government submits herewith its report for the
year 1891 : —

Several visits have been made by different members of the Com-
mittee at various times to University Hall in Cambridge, and the
workings of the present disciplinar}^ system of the College have been
studied on the spot. The whole Committee also had a long con-
ference with the present Dean.

We believe that the new disciplinary methods of the College are
working well. Without irritating students, and without throwing
any undue burden on the teachers in the College, already hard worked,
the system, as administered, exercises a very salutary and a constant
check on all the students. It is impossible for any student to be
absent from College even for a clay without the fact being actually
known to some officer of the College ; and when we speak of actual
knowledge, we mean, not merely that the fact is recorded on the
books, but that it is actually present to some officer's mind. In this
way the laxity of attendance which, however exaggerated by common
report, did actually exist in the College some }Tears ago, has con-
siderably diminished and regular habits are encouraged. When a
man for some reason, good or bad, does absent himself from one or
more recitations, without waiting to know if he has been found out
he now presents either a good excuse or an honest confession of
error. We regard even the confession as valuable, for the necessity
of making it deters men from cutting recitations.

The administration of such a s}7stem requires considerable clerical
force, as the absences from College exercises must be recorded and
the records must be properly tabulated. To deal with the students
themselves requires good judgment and a high degree of executive
ability. In our opinion the new Dean, Mr. Briggs, has both these
qualities and is well fitted for his position. We wish also to reiterate
our opinion that in Mr. Montague Chamberlain the College has an ex-
cellent officer, admirably suited to the very difficult position he holds.

The necessary labor of these officers is so considerable that they
should be relieved from the cleiical details of their work as much as
possible. Early in the year, owing to the appointment of one of their

100

subordinates to another position, both these gentlemen were much
overworked and barely escaped serious illness. It would have been
impossible properly to fill their places and we regard the danger run
by the administration of the College as a veiy serious one.

We have made special inquiry into the accuracy of the reports of
attendance at the different College exercises, and we are informed
that while these reports give a reasonably fair notion of the attendance
of the individual students, yet they are by no means as accurate as
could be desired. Most of them are made by beneficiaries of the
Price-Greenleaf Fund, and we are informed that some students thus
receiving aid seriously object to doing any work for the College, and
that the reports of attendance suffer through the unwillingness of
these men to discharge the duties imposed on them. It seems to us
strange that men receiving help in pursuing their studies should be
unwilling to make a very moderate return for such help. The Price-
Greenleaf student is expected to give the College only four hours a
week — certainly no very great tax on his time. It is possible that
a clear statement of the facts and of the rights of the case, officially
made to these young men by the authorities of the College, would
bring them to realize the impropriety of their conduct.

After the Christmas recess the Dean and his subordinates were
much perplexed by the absence of students from Cambridge beyond
the time allowed them by the rules. In many instances these students
were absent with the knowledge and approval of their parents, who
thought that a strict enforcement of the rules in the case of their
own children would be unduly harsh. To compel a young man to
choose between disobeying his parents and disobeying the authorities
of the College is undesirable ; yet in just this position some students
were placed. Without formally excusing the students, therefore, it
was decided to send to the parents a letter of information, remon-
strance and warning, and we have reason to believe that this course
had an excellent effect. The parents of students should bear in mind
that no college can maintain proper discipline if such discipline is
assumed by them to be arbitrary and unjust.

If, as we believe, the disciplinary system which Harvard College
has inaugurated is a wise and a successful experiment in the manage-
ment of young men, it is an experiment worth to the College a con-
siderable expenditure of money. We recommend to the authorities
that all possible aid be given to the Dean and to Mr. Chamberlain in
perfecting and in administering this system.

For the Committee,

FRANCIS C. LOWELL.

XXIV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GERMAN.

May 21, 1892.
To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The undersigned Committee beg leave to submit the following
observations : —

The number of students in German at this University is at present
about 860. The classes are almost all so large that the teachers can
devote but little attention to each individual student. This circum-
stance renders it especially important that the preparation for the
instruction the}" are to receive should be as nearly equal as possible
among the students when they enter their classes. To this end it
seems most desirable that the examinations for admission should be
as serious and strict in German as they are, for instance, in Latin.

The stated requirement in Latin is: "The translation at sight of
simple prose (with questions on the usual forms and ordinary con-
struction of the language)." As to German, it is : " The translation
at sight of simple prose." The difference between these two require-
ments is not great in appearance. But we are informed that, as a
matter of fact, the actual difference in the substance and mode of the
examinations is important ; that it ordinarily takes a student at least
two years to prepare for the elementary Latin examination, while the
average time for the preparation in German is under one year and
often not over six months, and that in the examination itself only
one hour is assigned to German, while two hours are given to ele-
mentary Latin or Greek. We are of the opinion that no fair test of
a student's ability to translate German at sight can be offered by the
present perfunctory way in which the elementary examination is
treated.

We do not mean to discuss here the relative importance of the
study of the ancient and of modern languages. But in view of the vast
importance of a good reading knowledge of German to the earnest
student of history, philosophy, philology, political economy, the nat-
ural sciences, etc., we believe that young men entering the University
ought to be able to master at least the rudiments of German, and
that the examinations should be so arranged and conducted as to
give a full test of the students' ability to read that language, instead
of furnishing, as we are informed they now do, merely an incentive
to the hasty acquisition of a smattering of it.

102

We therefore respectfully recommend that the examination for
admission in German be ordered to occupy two hours instead of one,
and that the requirements be appropriately raised.

C. SCHURZ.

J. ELLIOT CABOT.

CHARLES E. GRINNELL.

XXV.

KEPOKT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BOTANIC

GARDEN.

June 8, 1892.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

For the Committee on the Botanic Garden, I beg to report that,
owing to the family affliction of Professor Goodale, the annual meet-
ing at the Garden in April last year was not held.

The Committee held a meeting on the 30th of May this year ;
found the Garden in good condition ; were conveyed thence to the
Botanical Museum just completed, and were agreeably surprised at
the extent, the construction, and the arrangement of the rooms —
well aired, well lighted, and, we have no doubt, well warmed, and as
fire-proof as could be made.

The glass flowers, handsomely cased, nearly fill a large room, and
will be increased four-fold if the artists live and retain their interest
and lo}ralty.

The fossil plants, presented by Professor Alexander Agassiz, will
be arranged as soon as the cases are ready, and so with the useful
products of plants.

The Committee were favorably impressed with the seating arrange-
ments in the Nash Lecture Hall, but already the space is inadequate
for the two hundred and twenty students who attend the lectures.

The loss of Professor Watson is very severe, overwork the cause.
The Herbarium is in charge of Dr. Robinson, whom Professor
Goodale recommends as successor to Professor Watson.

It is needless to add that an endowment of say $100,000 is needed
for the Botanical Department.

HENRY LEE, Chairman.

REPORT OF PROFESSOR GOODALE.

May, 1892.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Visiting Committee : —

The botanical establishment at Cambridge consists of the following
subdivisions : the Botanic Garden and Herbarium, the Botanical
Laboratories, and the Museum. Each of these has its own policy,
its own needs. During the past }'ear the Botanic Garden has pursued
substantially the same course as in former years, and has lived quite

104

within its income. The Lowell Fund for the support of the Botanic
Garden is not yet sufficient alone to support the Garden upon a
suitable basis. Miss Anna C. Lowell has for years annually increased
the Lowell Fund by $1000. The income of this fund, therefore, is
to a certain extent supplemented by the income of what we call the
Botanic Department Fund. The separation of the funds was at the
suggestion of Mr. Agassiz, in 1885, in order to secure for the Depart-
ment the use of the income of certain funds which have been given
for specific botanical purposes other than those connected with the
Garden. The members of the Committee will see the results of the
past severe winter, which we are now trying to repair. A large pro-
portion of our perennials, especially our herbaceous plants, have
suffered, but we have restored, as far as it was possible to do so in
the limited time, the more important of these, while others have been
replaced by plants which we are now trying to introduce from New
Zealand. The greenhouses have again been repaired, and promise
to be useful for some time longer. The heating apparatus given us
by Mr. Hunnewell and Mr. Ames some years ago answers every
purpose, and is considered by us a very economical arrangement.

The Committee will observe that our palms are again breaking
through the roof. There is doubtless no other way left open to us
but to cut these down and begin again. I question whether it would
be advisable to advocate at any time the construction of a large
palm-house here. The expense of running such a house in the winter
would, I think, be too great, when the needs of the Department in
other directions are so pressing and obvious. I have no changes to
propose with regard to the disposition of the plants or of the money
of the Garden.

Second, the Herbarium. It is known to every member of this
Committee that the fears which were felt last year in regard to the
imprudent manner in which Mr. Watson was working beyond his
strength have unhappily been realized. Since Mr. Watson's death
work at the Herbarium has been carried on by Dr. Robinson, Dr.
Watson's assistant, and by Mr. Fernald, but no permanent arrange-
ment has yet been made by the Corporation in regard to the policy
which the Herbarium is to pursue. We are doubtless bound to keep
fresh Gray's Manual of Botany and the other books of his botanical
series, inasmuch as the copyright belongs to the Herbarium. The
cost of this editorial work is considerable, but will be paid for out of
the returns of sales of the books themselves. The Committee will
be very glad to know that in consequence of the subscription made
two years ago, Mr. Watson was able to initiate certain important
changes in the management of the Herbarium, and although these
changes came too late to be of great service to him, they have shown

105

in what way the scope of activity there can be increased to advantage.
Before the expiration of the subscription we need to secure an endow-
ment for the Herbarium.

Third, the Museum. The Botanical Museum consists of three
coordinated parts : first, the Synoptic Collection, illustrated by glass
models of flowers. The accuracy and beauty of these models are
known not only to the members of the Committee, but to the increas-
ing number of visitors who are enchanted by them. The prosecution
of this work is continuous. The elder Blaschka is busy in his home
near Dresden ; his son has just completed a visit for study in Jamaica,
and is now in California. From last accounts, his results were far
oeyond his expectations. He will be able to carry back materials
for the construction of nearly all the more important tropical useful
plants, and those of the sub-tropics and our southern belt. It is a
pleasure to state that these two artists are even more enthusiastically
devoted to their task than ever before, and have most loyally declined
to entertain any proposition looking to a breaking of the contract
with us. The generous patrons of this enterprise have anticipated
all their wants.

The second division of the Museum comprises the fossil plants
which have been turned over to us by Mr. Agassiz, and are now
lodged in one of the basement rooms. A selection from these can
be readily prepared for exhibition at any moment as soon as our
oases are ready.

The third division, comprising the useful products of plants, has
received very large accessions during the past year. Large invoices
have very recently arrived, so that the question which I have already
asked the Committee is one which has been forced upon me again,
and which happily I have been able to answer. A friend of the
College, who desired his name to be kept from the public, promises
for the present academic year the sum of $2500 for the Herbarium
and $2500 for this division of our Botanical Museum. With this
sum in hand, and without encroaching upon our capital, I shall be
able to construct cases, and in this way carry out the wishes of all
our students who are desirous of seeing our rich collections of useful
products properly displayed. With this sum we shall be able to
build enough cases for one room, but this is not sufficient to enable
us to prepare and print the labels for the adequate description of all
our products, nor will it enable us to think of printing the illustrated
catalogue which is so much needed. While, therefore, I shall not
ask the Committee to take into consideration the raising of the sum
which I have previously spoken of, but shall hold that in suspense,
I desire to announce that the work is for the present going on satis-
factorily and symmetrically. To carry out ail our plans would

106

require at least the sum I formerly mentioned, namely, $30,000, less
the sum just promised. An endowment will ultimately be needed of
$100,000.

Laboratories. The Cryptogamic Laboratory during Dr. Farlow's
absence is in charge of Professor Thaxter. The instruction and
investigations here have gone on uninterruptedly. The laboratories
in Phanerogamic Botany, which have been so generously equipped
by Mr. Ames and Mr. Hunnewell, are still adequate for our needs,
although we are obliged now to take our classes in sections owing to
their size. The numbers in attendance are as follows : —

Course 20a . . .

. . . 7

Course 3 . . .

... 22

" 20Z> . . .

. . . 6

2 . . .

... 40

4 . . .

. . . 12

1 . . .

... 227

The N. C. Nash Lecture Hall has been provided with comfortable
seats, which are very much appreciated by all the students. The
hall has a seating capacity of 180, but we have more than 220 in
attendance ; therefore supplemental seats are added each lecture.
The ratio of increase during the last few years has been uniform,
being not far from twenty per cent, for the last three years. It is
very difficult for us to know how we can acid fifty more students to
our elementary class.

The points which I have presented thus briefly cover substantially
all the ground that we need go over at the present time. I remain,
gentlemen,

Yours very truly,

G. L. GOODALE.

XXVI.

EEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE ADMINIS-
TRATION OF THE UNIVERSITY CHAPEL.

June 8, 1892.
To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee on the Administration of the University Chapel
has conferred with the Preachers to the University, and through one
or more of its members has attended morning prayers in Appleton
Chapel.

Your Committee is much impressed with the importance and
success of the work done in this department of University thought
and effort.

The voluntary system in religious matters receives each year a
fresh demonstration of its advantages over the former method of
compulsory attendance. The students bring to the services as now
conducted a cordial support, which is manifested in the number of
those who attend the daily and weekly exercises, in the spirit of in-
terest and enquiry which leads many to seek personal interviews with
the Preachers, and in the tone of the student press which was formerly
hostile to these influences, but is now an ally. There is no longer
place for the feeling of contempt or antagonism, which, though
limited to but few, still had existence under the old system : it has
given place to earnest participation or friendly neutrality. Your
Committee gladly credits the evidence of those whose special duty it
is to observe and judge the moral and religious tone of the students,
and who are emphatic in stating that in the conduct of the great
majority of students a marked and steady improvement is discernible.
Many influences have doubtless contributed to this result, but among
them the removal of the compulsory feature in religions observance
and the greater variety and interest afforded by the present system
are surely entitled to a place.

The plan of placing the religious interests of the College in the
hands of a Board of Preachers, appointed annually, was wisely con-
ceived, and the College has been thus far most fortunate in the men
to whom has been entrusted this high service. The opportunity to
address these earnest young men upon themes which the scholastic
instructor seldom ventures to touch, and which are disregarded in
many homes, is a great privilege, and it is gratifying, although not
surprising, that it is so esteemed by those upon whom it has been con-.

108

f erred. The Preachers have proved, if proof were necessary, that
the active and enquiring mind of youth is hospitable to all truth, and
that the heart is ready to respond to every lofty appeal, if only the
hand that touches the chord be controlled by absolute sincerity and
intense conviction. The Preachers not only give, but receive. One
of them, ripe in years and experience, writes : "I have only to add
that this Harvard College service has been one of the most enjoyable,
and to me one of the most profitable in my life." Another says :
"The pastoral work at Harvard is awfully interesting. I only wish
I had known how to do it better." This is the spirit which animates
all. A distinguished visitor from Edinburgh University speaks of the
Chapel service of Harvard as "the most religions service, public or
private," that he had ever seen.

In the opinion of your Committee it must ever be of the highest
importance that as vacancies occur in the Board of Preachers no
effort should be relaxed to secure, wherever they ma}T be found, men
who ean speak with some of the authority of Christ, because sharing
in some degree his spiritual insight and sincerity, who, whatever their
creed, are broad enough to see that Christianity is larger than dogma,
and who have further that ignotum quid which places them in warm
sympathy with the eager, receptive mind of youth.

The changes in the Board during the past year have been numerous.
Prof. F. G. Peabody has been spending his sabbatical year abroad,
and Prof. D. G. Lyon has filled his place as Chairman of the Board.
Rev. Phillips Brooks, D.D., who has served as one of the Preachers
since the inauguration of the new system in 1886, was compelled by
other and engrossing duties to withdraw from a service to which he
had given labor and enthusiasm in liberal measure. Rev. William
Lawrence, D.D., also retired before the beginning of the current
academic year. Rev. Brooke Herford, D.D., as if to make the loss
to the College of his services as light as possible, filled out nearly his
full year's duty before returning to England. Prof. C. C. Everett,
D.D., and Rev. Leighton Parks are this year members of the Board
for the first time. Rev. E. E. Hale, D.D., has repeatedly volun-
teered to conduct services when illness or other cause prevented one
or other of the Preachers from performing his full duty.

The stated and formal religious services conducted by the Preachers
are 1st, Morning Prayers, which include music, Scriptural reading
and a brief expository address ; 2nd, Vespers on Thursday afternoons
during the middle portion of the academic year, a service largely
musical (with full male choir — 25 sopranos and altos, 16 tenors and
basses) ; and 3rdly, Sunday evening services, including a sermon by
one of the Preachers or by eminent divines of various communions by

109

invitation of the Board. All these services are well attended, and
are marked by a spirit of earnest devotion.

The Preacher conducting morning prayers is in attendance every
forenoon during his term of duty at Wads worth House, and in re-
sponse to his invitation man}T students come to talk with him about
their plans, their doubts, hopes, and beliefs. This has proved to be
a most interesting and valuable part of the work.

Of kindred aim with the influences which centre in the College
Chapel are the several religious societies, which show enlarged mem-
bership and increasing vitality ; the College Conferences, which dis-
cuss ethical and social questions ; and the courses of lectures upon
the study of the Bible and upon the Old and New Testament.

Your Committee is of the opinion that this great power exerted by
the College for manhood and morality is not fully appreciated by the
public. It is true that a portion of the students do not come within
its influence, and for them the College must discharge its responsibil-
ity through other forces and by other methods ; but the Committee
believes that the College ministers to the religious and spiritual needs
of the great mass of its students with rare wisdom and success.
Your Committee ventures to offer the following suggestions : —

1st. The Preachers appear to be of one mind as to the need of a
new Psalter and of a new Hymn and Tune Book. These have long
been delayed, but are now in process of preparation. Such laborers,
doing such work, ought not to be hampered by unfit or antiquated
tools.

2nd. The moral value of the services would certainly be increased
if a larger number of the members of the Faculty would more fre-
quently attend. It is believed that the attendance of students would
be materially increased by the example. Whether this attendance
would cost the individual members of the Faculty more than it would
benefit the University is a question for each instructor to decide for
himself, and the University in this as in other matters has every
reason to trust with confidence to the zeal and devotion of the
Faculty.

3rd. The need of a new building for the use of the University
Preachers and of the religious societies is keenly felt by all those en-
gaged in conducting the services. This building should contain an
auditorium for 400 or 500 persons, a music-room for rehearsals of the
College choir, a reading-room and a room for social gatherings. Such
a building devoted to the religious and moral interests of the students
would emphasize their importance and give stability and permanence
to their place in the general scheme of University instruction. It
would serve the important purpose of bringing together under one

110

roof the various religious societies which, unless such a permanent
home is provided for them, may show a tendency to separation in-
stead of toward mutual attraction and increasing unity of effort and
purpose. At some of the larger universities this need has been
already supplied. To those who have especially at heart the moral
welfare of the students at Harvard and who are in sympathy with the
broad and liberal efforts now exerted to promote this welfare, the gift
of a building dedicated to these uses would seem to appeal with
peculiar force as a most wise and beneficent act. Your Committee
earnestly hopes that this paramount wish of the Preachers may at
some near day be realized.

For the Committee :

ROGER WOLCOTT, Chairman.

XXVII.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINE ARTS.

May, 1892.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The Committee on Fine Arts report that they have visited Cam-
bridge and have sought to establish relations both with the Professors
of the Fine Arts courses and with many in and out of College who
have benefitted from their instructions. The courses are as much in
favor with the undergraduates as ever and your Committee can only
speak in the most cordial terms of the work of the department. It is
true that the Fine Arts courses are sometimes elected by the young
men as being easy and as requiring little labor on their part. It is
difficult to see anything in their general nature which should make
them less serious studies than, for example, General History or Political
Economy. But possibly the fact that they are thus considered easy
is not to be entirely deplored, as the very men who would be likely to
elect easy studies are those whom the refining influences of the Fine
Arts may affect for good. Certainly the instructors continue to hold
firmly the esteem and affection of their pupils. In no way can the
College exert more good than through the commanding influence of
strong men, no matter what they teach ; and in this way at least its
Professors have made the Fine Arts department one of the most dis-
tinctly civilizing influences in the University.

The Committee record with satisfaction Mr. Moore's appointment
as an Assistant Professor. He had served the College for many
years and many graduates speak with gratitude of their indebtedness
to him and his instruction. He has recently published a work on
Gothic Architecture which is both philosophical and simple, and which
approaches an old subject from an entirely fresh point of view. It
is without an equal among recent works in the same field, and being a
thorough scholarly and successful work it deserved to gain for its
author recognition and encouragement from the University.

There has been a great and wide-spread increase within the last few
years of the popular interest in matters of Fine Arts, and the number
of educated young men throughout the country who have chosen
some branch of the Fine Arts as a profession has also greatly
increased. Meanwhile, at Cambridge, while the number of students
taking Fine Arts as an elective has — as might be expected — very

112

greatly increased, the instruction offered them has not, we believe,
materially changed since the early years of the department. Fine
Arts courses were elected by students in the following numbers during
the years respectively named : —

1875 116

1880 108

1885 200 approximately

1890 330

Professor Norton and Assistant Professor Moore, with certain
assistants, have had charge of the department no matter what the
number of students. In glancing at the Catalogue, one observes that
two professors and one instructor have charge of Semitic languages
and history, substantially the same force as that applied to the Fine
Arts, although these Semitic studies, we imagine, can hardly attract
such large masses of students as those attending the Fine Arts
courses. So crowded have these courses become that those young
men who are assigned seats at a distance from the Fine Arts lecturer
freely complain that they cannot hear him. Surely an elective that
attracts so many students deserves the fullest attention from the
Universit3T. It seems to us on the contrary that compared with
other courses, and in proportion to the number of students concerned
and the general interest in the subject, the department has an instruc-
tive force numerically very small. All will grant that the popularity
of the courses is largely due to the influence of the lecturers, but it is
also surely due in part to the general awakening of interest in Art
throughout the country. In view of these very great changes in the
conditions affecting the courses, and while having no words but those
of praise for the courses as they stand, it may be well to consider if
they might not be amplified, and if so, on what lines. There is the
more reason for this consideration because in the very near future the
legacy of Mrs. William H. Fogg becomes available, and will result in
the building of a modest Art Museum with typical collections for
purposes of instruction. It may reasonably be hoped that so evident
a sign at Cambridge, that the Fine Arts are recognized as contributing
to a liberal education, may not be without its influence and may lead
to still more being clone for this department either by the University
or some benefactor.

The present courses cover substantially the following ground.
Professor Norton lectures three times a week ; one year on "Ancient
Art" and the alternate year on " Roman and Mediaeval Art, with
special study of the development of Gothic Architecture and of the
Revival of Art in Italy in the Thirteenth Century." Moreover, he
" assists and directs advanced students in the study of special topics

113

in the history of the Fine Arts " ; but this year, for instance, out of
five students who sought to pursue such a course of research only one
was found qualified and was set at work. Assistant Professor Moore
gives lectures on the " Principles of Delineation, Color, and Chiaros-
curo " and " of Design in Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture " and
he has classes in kt practice in drawing and water colors." The de-
tailed syllabus of Mr. Moore's courses indicates that his lectures cover
in a general way the history of architecture and painting in their great
periods. These titles certainly include much ground and are evidently
intended to form a general review of art history.

The practice in Drawing and Water Colors is such as to increase
the observing powers of the student rather than to make him an ac-
complished draughtsman. It is given on somewhat Pre-Raphaelite
lines, which many artistic people deplore. It may, however, at the
very least be argued that these methods are as good as others, if there
is no ultimate end in view beyond the training of the critical and
observing faculties.

The courses, as we have said, gain immensely from the personal
character and influence and charm of the instructors. The lectures
are apparently quite discursive and treat as much of the people of the
Middle Ages and of the Renaissance as of their Art. They are
directed not to the forming of artists or to any technical end, but to
nourish a liberal culture and to lead to an appreciation of Art. We
imagine that it would be hard to say whether they would be more
valuable for the prospective lawyer, architect, or man of business.

There are possibly some ways in which these existing courses might
be amplified with advantage to the general student and without mak-
ing them too special or technical. A graduate from the Fine Arts
courses at Harvard, and who is to live in a country which now spends
such vast sums on modern Art and Architecture, should have a pretty
clear idea of the history and tendencies of Art in its various branches
at the present day and in recent centuries. Except in the case of two
or three of Mr. Moore's lectures the syllabus of the instruction now
given does not reach this ground, and from conversation with young
graduates we judge that this information is arrived at only in discur-
sive talks away from the main lines of the lectures. Even then mod-
ern art apparently receives but scant courtesy and the students are
apt to think it somewhat beneath their serious attention. At Colum-
bia College, as we are informed, a different view prevails. A course of
lectures has been established, given by various sculptors, architects,
painters, and musicians, in which they speak of their various arts to the
students. These are not " smoke talks " nor extra lectures, but form
a regular course open to election by the student. We do not know

114

what success that course has had, but it ought to be successful. It
ought also to be possible to arrange a similar course at Cambridge.

Nothing is more inspiring to young men than to be put in close
relations with active vigorous minds that are full of the problems of
the moment. They thus get in touch with the world of to-day and
away for a time from their ordinary recluse life. Looking through
the long list of " Public Lectures, Evening Readings, Concerts, etc.,',
given last year, doubtless with some such end in view and recorded
pp. 109-113 of the Catalogue, the only lectures at all relating to Art
were some three or four of an illustrated series upon English History,
given by -r- the Professor of Chemistry. It would then be a new
and splendid departure, if the Fine Arts Department at Cambridge
could in this way be put in closer touch with the hopes and the work
of the art world of to-day through the help of some of our many
ardent and successful art workers.

Twenty or twenty-five years ago it was comparatively unusual for
an educated man to become an artist of any kind. Most of us re-
member that it was held to indicate an effeminate or unpractical or
unmethodical or in some way undesirable sort of mind for a man to
adopt art as a profession. That is changed now and throughout the
country young men of the best education are adopting art in one form
or another as a means of support. Harvard does not keep pace with
the country in this matter. Between 1870 and 1880 thirteen young
men at graduation expressed an intention of following some form of
art as a profession. Between 1880 and 1890 twenty-three made the
same statement. It does not seem to us that this increase 'bears a
proper ratio to the total increased number of graduates or the great
advance of public interest in the subject. Every American city of
size now has its Art School and Paris swarms with American art
students. The college graduates are not numerous enough among
them, and we think it is because while in college their thoughts are
turned in other directions or perhaps never really turned towards art
as a work for to-day. With more contact with the growing, ambitious,
striving, and hopeful artists of to-day the college student would soon
take his full share in these branches of modern usefulness.

When with this end in view we consider amplifying to any extent
the existing courses, it is evident that they would of necessity become
somewhat more special and technical. If funds for the purpose were
available to found a chair of Architecture, the ends in view would
perhaps be well met. Such a Professor might surely lecture on
Architecture without trenching on Professor Norton's wider field, and
he might also teach it not as a profession but as it might well be
understood by any banker or teacher or lawyer. Certainly those

115

fifteenth century ''humanists," who first of moderns studied the
classics and outlined a liberal education as it has since largely been
understood, counted amoung their own accomplishments not only a
critical knowledge of ancient architecture, but an interest in the art
work of their own day. They were all either builders themselves or
intimate with designers and craftsmen of all kinds. College grad-
uates of our day, who are so soon in turn to become patrons of artists
of every kind, may well likewise have an intimate knowledge of art as
it is possible to practice it to-day, without in any way becoming spe-
cialists or professional. A Professor of Architecture might probably
help them to such knowledge.

Professor Chaplin, the late Dean of the Scientific School, in several
of his reports urged the foundation of a Professorship of Architecture.
He intended it to be in connection with the Scientific School, and
argued that as all the technical instruction for an architect is already
given in that School, it needed but the appointment of the right man
as Professor of Architecture to make the Scientific School an excel-
lent School of Architecture.

It seems to us that such work is more needed in connection with the
Undergraduate Department. We should be glad to see a beginning-
there develop into a real School of Architecture, and cannot doubt
for a moment that it would do so. But more is needed to form such
a school than the addition of one man. A School of Architecture
means a large working library of books, photographs, and casts di-
rectly at hand in the school, and it means instruction in drawing,
water color, and ornament of a kind the College now does not furnish.
More than all, it needs a nucleus of clever students to form that com-
panionship and rivalry and esprit cle corps which so greatly aid the
art student. It would require some time and a large sum to offer
these advantages in as attractive a form as they are now offered in
Boston to the one hundred or more architectural students at the
Institute of Technology. If, however, a beginning is made at Cam-
bridge by founding a professorship, and if courses are given that
fairly place' art before the students as a modern profession worthy
their active attention, and if the new museum proves the incentive
that we have the right to expect, we maj- well look to the possibility
of Harvard before many years offering a professional art education
to architects and other artists. If this were placed at the high
level held by the other Harvard professional schools, it need not
compete with the neighboring school at the Institute of Technology.
A young man is there supposed in four years to learn not only
his profession, but also gain a liberal education. Of course he
cannot fully accomplish these ends. It is a course of the very

116

greatest usefulness, and not to be spoken of but with the gravest
respect. But we can conceive of one that should receive only college
graduates or their equals in general culture, and keep them for
three or four years, like the other professional schools, at work
only on professional studies. Adding to such work all the influences
and charms of Harvard life, we may be sure that such a high-grade
school would be not only popular, but of the highest use. Harvard
would no longer stand coldly critical of the present and contented
with a review of the remote past, but would thus, as is right, join her-
self to the many active workers that art claims among us.

The Committee make this report in the hope that discussion may
lead to some practical suggestion or movement, and in the feeling
that no time would be so opportune for beginning such a develop-
ment as when the addition of a museum to the University's posses-
sions turns the mind towards the Department of Fine Arts.

ROBERT S. PEABODY.
ARTHUR ROTCH.

[ The two other members of the Committee are absent from the country for a

prolonged period.]

XXVIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMPOSITION
AND RHETORIC.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Few persons not intimately connected with the system of instruc-
tion now pursued in the College, or, indeed, with the existing De-
partment of Rhetoric and English Composition, have any conception
of either the amount or the nature of the work now done by the
instructors in that department. In quantity this work is calculated
to excite dismay ; while the performance of it involves not only
unremitted industry, but mental drudgery of the most exhausting
nature.

The above language is undoubtedly strong ; but, while it con-
tains an acknowledgment due to the instructors in the department
under review, a recital of the facts will justify it. Instruction
in English Composition at Harvard is now divided into prescribed
and elective courses, the prescribed courses consisting of what are
known as "English A," "English 5," and "English <7." As
the Committee has confined its investigations, so far as the present
report is concerned, to certain features in the prescribed work, no
further reference to the elective courses is necessary.

"English A," — the course prescribed for the Freshman class — is
designed to give (1) elementary instruction in the theory and practice
of English Composition, and (2) an introduction to the study of Eng-
lish Literature. The theory is taught throughout the year by lect-
ures ; the practice is obtained in short weekly themes, written in the
class-room and criticized by the instructors. One of the instruc-
tors in this course writes to the Committee as follows in regard to it
and those taking part in it : —

" English A is prescribed for all Freshmen ; it has, therefore, been
thought unfair to exclude from the course Freshmen who have not
passed the entrance examination in English. The number of these
men is not very large. Besides, there are a good many special students
in the College and the Scientific School who wish to take English A
in order to work into a class, or as a useful part of their special
course. There are about a hundred such men, and very few of them
have tried the entrance examination. About one half of these special
students are as well fitted for the course as the great majority of the
Freshmen are — not very well at the best. The conditioned Freshmen
and the incompetent special students, constituting from one-seventh to

118

one-fifth of the entire number of men taking English A, have always
made the task of the theme reader more severe than it is naturally, so
to speak. They drag down the grade of instruction in the class, and,
at best, they simply scrape through the course, and go on to burden
the other prescribed courses in English — B and C. In 1890-91,
the lecture-room provided for the Freshmen was so crowded that a
division of the class had to be made. It was thought that perhaps
some relief from the burden of the unprepared might be obtained by
sending them off to be lectured to separately. Accordingly I lectured
to about a hundred men, including Freshmen who had been condi-
tioned at entrance and all special students in all departments of the
University who had not passed the entrance examination. The
themes of these men were not separated from the themes of the rest
of the class, and all took the same examination. The best of the
special students did very well — quite as well as the best Freshmen —
half of the division stood very low."

The theme writing in English A is of the most elementary descrip-
tion ; but the compositions in this course, over 6000 in number during
each half year, are carefully criticised by the proper instructor, and
returned by him to the student. They are then rewritten, and often
recast. Owing to the number of these exercises and the constant
accumulation of fresh papers the rewritten themes are not read
by the instructors, except to determine the final grade of a student
whose mark is doubtful. The work of criticising and correcting the
English A themes is not inaptly described by certain of the instructors
engaged in it as of a " stupifying " character, to which it is difficult
to give more than four hours of intelligent attention per day ; and,
judging by a single set of 450 papers, your Committee is disposed to
consider the adjective " stupefying " as a mild term to apply to
such work, while four hours per day would seem to be an excessive
time to devote to it.*

In order to give some idea of what the necessary college work of
composition reading now is, the Committee will merely say further
that, outside of English A, in the prescribed course for Sophomores
known as English B, it amounted during the current year to 20,000

* Mr. Lathrop writes on this subject : " This year I have read about eighty such
exercises every week. At the beginning of the year I have found in my experi-
ence (of only two years) that the amount of correction necessary is so great, and
the corrections have to be explained so much in writing, that I can read only
eight an hour." To the same effect Mr. Hurlbut says : 'At the beginning of the
college year I read and corrected eight themes an hour, four hours a day. I
could not, however, read for four hours in succession. At present I can read
fifteen themes in one hour, twenty-five in two hours ; a third hour at the same
work is wasted. In one day I read carefully and corrected sixty Freshman
themes ; the next day, however, I could do no work well. On an average I
devote a little over two hours a day to Freshman themes."

119

pages of 150 words each ; while in the higher course known as Eng-
lish 12, intended for students who have passed in English A and B
and wish further to pursue the study of composition, it amounted to
some 25,000 pages averaging 130 words each. The number of
separate exercises annually handed in to all the instructors of the
English Department is estimated at thirty-eight thousand (38,000).

A cursory examination of a fractional part of this immense mass of
written matter led your Committee to entertain grave doubts whether
the difficulty in the situation as it now exists, as apparent in the over-
tasked condition of the instructors in the Department of English
Composition, was not largely due to defective and inadequate training
in the preparatory schools. In other words, as the department is now
organized, under the existing standards of admission, the College
seemed to be compelled, during the Freshman year, to do a vast
amount of elementary educational work which should be done in the
preparatory schools.

It is unnecessary in this connection to remind the Board that the
academic department of the College has changed greatly within the
last twenty-five years. During that period, the age of admission has
been gradually raised, until now the average student entering the
Freshman class is nineteen years old, instead of seventeen years
old, as formerly ; and it would certainly seem not unreasonable to
insist that young men nineteen years of age who present them-
selves for a college education should be able not only to speak,
but to write their mother tongue with ease and correctness. It is
obviously absurd that the College — the institution of higher edu-
cation— should be called upon to turn aside from its proper func-
tions, and devote its means and the time of its instructors to the
task of imparting elementary instruction which should be given
even in ordinary grammar schools, much more in those higher aca-
demic institutions intended to prepare select youth for a university
course.

Nevertheless, the statement in the College Catalogue of the course
of instruction prescribed during the Freshman year, and a slight ex-
amination of the papers handed in during that year satisfied the
Committee that the students were in this respect imperfectly pre-
pared, and that a large amount of work not properly belonging to it
was consequently imposed on the College. The Committee, there-
fore, concluded to begin its work not with the methods of instruction
pursued by the College, but with the methods apparently pursued in
the preparatory schools which fit students for college. In order to
ascertain what those methods really were, and what results were
attained through them, the Committee requested the instructors in

120

charge of the English Department to call upon all the students attend-
ing the English A course, including special students, to write papers
in the lecture room, setting forth the methods of instruction in Eng-
lish composition pursued in the school in which the writer of each
paper had been prepared for college. It must, of course, be borne in
mind that where a paper of this sort is called for in a class the
instruction of which takes place by divisions, those in the later divi-
sions of the class will have knowledge of what is expected of them,
and the papers handed in will to a certain extent have been prepared
outside of the recitation-room. When, therefore, these papers, 450 in
number, were sent to the Visiting Committee, Professor Hill, in for-
warding them, notified the members of the Committee that, in the
opinion of the instructors, the papers in question were calculated to
give a more favorable view of the quality of the work done than was
warranted by the facts. Three-fifths of those attending the course
had already written about their preparation in English, their exercises
had been criticised, and each of them had thus been shown how to
make his production better in form and more interesting in substance.
Accordingly, such of the papers as the instructors examined before
sending them to the Committee, were found to be in their judgment
decidedly above the general average of work done by those whose
names were signed to them. The further examination of the Com-
mittee fully confirmed the opinion thus expressed by the instructors,
and proper allowance on this account should accordingly be made in
connection with such of these papers as are included, in fac-simile or
otherwise, in the present report.

As already stated, the Committee received in response to its call
some 450 papers, the writers of which came from no less than
160 different preparatory schools ; a certain additional number had
been specially fitted for college by tutors or otherwise. As the
present report is intended to operate directly on the preparatory
schools, with a view to elevating the standard, and, if possible,
changing radically the methods of instruction in English Composition
pursued in them, and as this result can best be obtained by showing
what is now actually done in each and all, thus bringing the systems
in use, so far as they vary, into direct comparison, the Committee
has decided to pass the schools referred to in review, so far as it may
seem desirable so to do, by printing as part of this report certain
of the papers handed in, and further by reproducing in facsimile a
number of the papers in order thus to show beyond question what the
elementary training in the preparatory schools now really is, and how
low a standard, so far as English composition is concerned, is set for
admission to Harvard College. Of the total number of schools the

121

methods of which were set forth in these papers nearly 120, or three
out of four, were represented by a fraction over one student
each. In order to save space, therefore, no reference has, as a rule,
been made by the Committee to schools represented by less than
three students, unless something in the papers submitted seemed to
indicate that the system of instruction in English pursued in schools
represented by a less number was specially deserving of notice. Of
necessity the selection had to be somewhat arbitrary ; but it is
believed that all the leading preparatory schools fitting boys for
Harvard are included among those selected, which, again, fairly
represent the whole number.

School I.

In this school, according to the papers submitted by the students
admitted from it, the course of instruction is the usual one. The
term is four years. During the first of these four years, three hours
a week are devoted to reading prescribed English books, with one
hour in two weeks spent in composition. During the second year, the
time spent on English is reduced to two hours a week. During the
third year, this time is further reduced to one hour a week, with about
one hour in each two weeks passed in writing a composition, including
the correction of sentences in bad English and the study of punctua-
tion. Finally, one-eighth part of the whole school time, in round
numbers, is devoted to the study of English.

It is proper to state that in this, as in all other cases, the poorest
papers only of those handed in have been used for purposes of illus-
tration. This was necessary to accomplish the object of the Com-
mittee ; for, just as the strength of a chain is measured by the strength
of the weakest link in it, so, as will be seen in the course of this
report, the progress of a class admitted to college is regulated by the
qualification of the least prepared element in the class. In other
words, the course of instruction of the whole is mapped out in view
of the presence in it of an element not properly there, — the element
described by Mr. Lathrop in the extract from his letter quoted in the
earlier part of this report, — an element which has not received the
preparatory training enabling it to go forward with advantage in
a college course, and for which special provision has to be made
much in the nature of a grammar-school department.

Seven papers written by students prepared in this, the first
institution referred to, were handed in to the Committee, facsimiles
of two of which will be found in the Appendix to this report. (Nos.
1 and 2.)

122

School II.

The following paper from one of the students admitted from this
institution gives a fair idea of the course pursued in it : —

" Although I received uo instruction for the entrance examination,
at the school where I prepared for college, I nevertheless did consid-
erable outside work, read the required books, and was fortunate
enough to pass the English examination. The greater part of my
time, however, was devoted to Latin and Greek and, as my reading and
preparation for English was done wholly out of school hours, the
time devoted to my other studies was ten times as much.

Occasional newspaper work and the editing of the school paper
gave me some facility in writing and certainly increased my meagre
vocabulary. I have a fair knowledge of dramatic literature. Judg-
ing from my work on the school paper and from essays submitted for
prizes, that I was in tolerable shape to take English examination, the
headmaster of the academy deemed it best for me to devote my time
wholly to the classics."

It will be noticed that the preparation of the student in this case
was largely clue to occasional newspaper work and the editing of a
school paper. This is an experience not peculiar to the writer, but
one to which the Committee desire to call attention, as emphasis will
be laid upon it in another portion of this report.

Two students only presented themselves for admission from
institution II., both of whom succeeded in passing the entrance
examination in English composition.

School III.

In the case of this school, according to the papers submitted, the
time given to instruction in English Composition, so far as theme
writing is concerned, " varied from half an hour to an hour a week.
The scholars wrote on an average one essay a week. Very often in
addition to the regular work the teacher would give the scholars regular
examinations, generally using the old examination papers of Harvard
College. The time devoted to the study of English never fully
equaled that devoted to any other study." Two candidates only pre-
sented themselves for admission to Harvard in 1891. One of these
failed to pass in English Composition ; the other succeeded in passing.
A single page from the composition submitted to the Committee by
the candidate who passed his examination is herewith submitted in
facsimile in the Appendix to this report. (No. 3.)

123

School IV.

Two candidates only for admission presented themselves from this
institution. The following paper submitted to the Committee by one
of these students, who passed the examination, has seemed from its
clearness and general excellence to merit publication in full : —

"My preparation for the English course in Harvard University
naturally divides itself into two parts, viz. : first, the work done in a
seminary, second, the work clone in .

"The work done in the preparatory school was very limited.
Indeed it was almost entirely neglected. I never wrote an essay
until the time of my graduation, and even that was done without any
aid from the faculty. We had no regular instructor in English. So
that I can truly say that I never had any direct training in English
composition. We studied rhetoric ; but only as a theory. We were
told what beauties of language lay buried in metaphors ; but we never
unearthed any to prove to ourselves what gems were there. The
students, feeling greatly the lack of the English department, organ-
ized a literary society, and we met once a week for practice in extem-
poraneous speaking and in essay writing. Of course, we were our
own critics. I never wrote more than six essays during a three years'
membership in this society. However, I did much extemporaneous
speaking.

" Whatever direct preparation I may have for the present work it

really began when I entered . Three written exercises per term

were required. The remainder of the work consisted in studying the
principles of rhetoric. We spent much time in punctuating sentences
and in correcting specimens of bad English. Then, too, we had a
reading exercise. We read Christmas Carol and Cricket on the
Hearth, paying especial attention to tone and inflection. We were
allowed to choose our own subjects for themes.

" Last summer I read Webster's Bunker Hill Oration, Old Mortal-
ity, and another book. (I have forgotten the name.) I think the
proportion of my English work to other studies is as one is to four."

In this case, it will be noticed, actual practice was limited to " three
written exercises per term."

School V.

Eighteen papers were submitted by students prepared at this insti-
tution, one of those which send up the largest number of students
for entrance to Harvard. A facsimile (No. 4 in the Appendix to this
report) is presented of the first of the papers submitted from these
students. The writer passed the examination.

Another of the students, who also was successful in passing his
examination, writes as follows :

124

"The class had instruction in this study (English composition) five
times a week. In connection therewith we were required to hand in
written exercises at stated intervals. What these intervals were I do
not know ; but I am sure they were no less than a week in length.
It is more probable that their length was two weeks, or possibly even
one month. This referred to what is called the Junior class. During
the next year one hour a week was given to English exercises. Only
once or twice, however, during the whole year was this hour given to
practice in English composition. On those occasions we were re-
quired to write a short article on some school matter, such an article
as might be published in the school paper. In our third, or middle
3Tear, we employed one hour out of sixteen recitation hours per week
in correcting bad English. During the Senior year two essays had to
be written, which was all that we had to do that year."

The following extract from the paper handed in by one of the
students from this seminary has seemed to the Committee worthy of
publication, as containing statements and suggestions which throw
much light on the results obtained there : —

"The opportunities for correct thinking, declamation and power
afforded by the debating society ; and those offered for cultivation of
a concise, simple, practical st}Tle, through the columns of the semi-
weekly school paper. These incentives, although uot offered by the
school, are upheld by private munificence and school-boy enthusiasm.
To my mind they are more efficacious in inspiring and cultivating a
fluent and correct style in expression than the prescribed course.
They afford an attractive, open, free field to the boj'S and they are
not slow in entering it.

" Besides these should be mentioned the emphasis given by instruc-
tors to parallel readings with the studies, besides direction given to
the best books and authors.

"The one weak feature of the work is, not that all the ground is
not gone over, but that the actual practice in writing, correcting, and
criticizing, is not sufficiently frequent and unremitting. The founda-
tion is laid for the student, but he is not forced to actual, daily
practice."

Another student in the course of his composition writes as follows :

"Professor , the head of the department, has for several

years been making every effort to have a chair of English established
in the academy and he now seems in a fair wa}~ to succeed within the
next year." The Committee will merely remark that, judging from
the papers presented by those prepared in this school, it would seem

to be most desirable that the efforts of Professor in the direction

indicated should be crowned with early success.

Two other students write as follows : —

" My Preparation in English.

" I graduated from , but I cannot say that I had any prepara-
tion in English there, though of course I did in the other branches of

125

learning. All that I had to do in English at was to write two

essays of about five hundred words each. These essays were to
determine about the parts at graduation.

"Before going to , 1 graduated at the High School.

There, I had English twice a week, and at each of these exercises I
wrote a composition. These were given back, criticized and cor-
rected, at the next exercise. Between the exercises, we had to re-
write the corrected compositions, and hand them in again. Besides
these semi-weekly compositions we had to write essays every month,

and they were criticized and corrected like the others. In the

High School, I think that the proportion of my English to all my
other studies combined was about as one is to ten.

' ' I took the entrance examination in English to enter Harvard
College and passed."

" Preparation in English.

"Perfection in systems of education seems yet an impossibility.

Every school has its failings ; so has . And its weakest point —

to confess the truth — is English composition. No one realizes this
more than the management itself. Accordingly they have this year

engaged a graduate of to direct the work in this branch alone.

This ought to secure the necessary system in the study, which has
before been lacking.

"All (I think) of the last class who tried the Harvard examina-
tion, passed it : but this can hardly be attributed to their preparation

at . As far as composition itself is concerned, during three

years at the academy, I had to compose six pieces of English. Dur-
ing my first year, one composition was required and during the last
one, two were expected, in order to decide the choice of commence-
ment speakers. At one time, Prof. started the practice of once

a week devoting fifteen minutes of the Latin hour to the writing of
short exercises ; but owing to the scarcity of time this was done only
once. During the Junior middle year some of the books required for
admission to Harvard were critically read, and in connection with two
examinations upon them, descriptions of certain of the characters
had to be written. This is all of the work required in English com-
position itself, but I think we received much greater benefit indirectly
from the careful choice of words which was expected in the transla-
tion of both of the classics."

The following composition is printed in full, for it seems to give a
tolerably clear and comprehensive idea of the course pursued in two
institutions prominent in preparing students for Harvard : —

"I began my preparation in English composition about six years

ago at -School, Boston, at which school I attended for two }^ears

and a half. I have not a very high opinion of the methods employed
there in many of the subjects, but I consider that English composi-
tion was given as much attention there and as thoroughly mastered as
in any preparatory school in New England.

" A subject was given out every month on which we wrote a four
or five page composition. These were corrected and handed back to

126

us, then after we had looked them over, the instructor, a man who
thoroughly understood the subject, went through them with each pupil
individually, explaining the reasons for the corrections. The sub-
jects were such as a boy of from fourteen to sixteen }?ears of age
could be expected to understand and write upon and covered as wide
a range as possible. Two which I remember were, ' A Description
of my Summer Vacation ' and 'The Exhibition' in Music Hall.

" In addition to this we read every two months (as I remember it)
some such book as one of Scott's novels and wrote a short abstract
of it from memory.

"After leaving I went to , where the nature of things

seemed to be reversed. There a great deal of attention is paid to the
classical studies and mathematics, for which the school is no doubt
equal to any in the country, and almost none to English composition.

Things may have changed now. (The step taken by the

Alumni offering a prize for work in English having started a very
good course in that subject during my last year.) But in my three
years in that school, I only wrote three compositions at the most, and
at present I can only recollect two. I do not remember that these
were handed back or corrected. We all felt that the subject of Eng-
lish composition was neglected, and were thankful when the

Alumni brought the matter to the Faculties' notice.

"In justice to 1 must say that we had in our second year a

very thorough course in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and in the
middle jTear in preparation for the Harvard prize examination a
sson once a week in Hill's Rhetoric.

"I do not know the result of my English composition examination
for admission to Harvard, for as I did not pass enough subjects to
enter, that would not have been counted if I had passed it."

Among the eighteen papers submitted by students prepared at this
institution, two, in addition to the one (No. 4) already referred to,
have been selected by the Committee to be facsimiled for purposes of
illustration. They will be found in the Appendix to this report.
(Nos. 5 and 6.)

School VI.

The following paper, though like the last, written by a special
student who did not pass the entrance examination, is printed in full
as setting forth an original condition of affairs altogether too common
in the preparatory schools, together with an example of improvement
which might profitably be imitated elsewhere : —

" My School work in English Composition.

" I was a student for four years in the High School. During

those four years I was a witness to many changes in the mode of in-
struction in composition.

" I remember distinctly my first 3-ear's work in English. I look
upon it now as a distinct failure. ' Composition day ' came once a
week, and it was considered the most distasteful day of the whole

127

week. On that day each of us had to hand in a composition on some
simple subject of history or literature which we were expected to have
written during the week previous. But most of us did the work the
night previous to the day on which we had to hand it in. In what
light the faculty held the composition work we never knew. But we
knew that no one ever was ' dropped ' in it, no matter how poor his
work. And so it came to be considered as a course that had crept
into the school work no one knew how, but it had to be done and we
felt that the course counted little in the general averages.

" The next year matters improved a little. We had a new princi-
pal, also a new teacher in composition who demanded better work.
The class was divided into several sections, and each section was ex-
pected to hand in compositions every two weeks. We wrote on many
different lines, on matters pertaining to history, literature, nature, and
ourselves. We were marked according to ability displayed. The
course had a regular business standard in the school and the work
had to be done.

" The next year brought a still greater change. Another new
teacher of composition awaited us at the opening of the school in the
fall. At the first meeting of the class we were informed that ' the
work in composition must not be slighted. I have been engaged to
teach the work, and I intend to teach it as it should be. If j^ou don't
do good work you'll have to take the work over again.' We looked
at each other in dismay. She evidently meant business, and we soon
found out such was the case. Our work was criticized in a manner
wonderful to behold. Our papers were interlined and crossed with
red ink to such an extent that sometimes we couldn't read the original.
About every three weeks a composition from each of us was due.
The line of work pursued was about the same as that of the previous
year. We were marked according to our work, and our marks were
always displayed in bold figures on the outside sheet where any one
could read them, be they good or bad. I believe I passed with credit
and was advanced to Senior work.

" In my Senior year we wrote several compositions, and then as I
offered myself as a candidate for prize essay work, I was excused
from the regular work. Mr. each year offers prizes for histor-
ical work in essay writing. I went into the work earnestly and was
fortunate enough to get second prize.

" The work in the last two years had vastly improved in the school.
It had been put on a sounder basis of work. But the proportion of
work done in that subject, compared to the other branches, was very
small. However, the school has an excellent teacher of composition
now, and the work grows better each year,. It is a required study,
and a student is expected to do good work or not pass."

School VII.

Two students presented themselves for admission from this
school. The following is an extract from the composition of one
of them, who passed the entrance examination with honor : —

128

"Last year I was at the School, ( , Massachusetts,)

where, I believe, more attention is supposed to be paid to the English
branches than is the case at other schools. But I do not believe that
more attention is paid to them. There we wrote about eight themes,
principally on the required books. The amount of time taken by
them was perhaps an hour a month, very small compared to the
amount of time taken by German composition, which was about an
hour and a half a week. The criticism was quite thorough."

School VIII.

No less than twenty-six compositions were presented to the Com-
mittee from students who had prepared at this school. One of them
writes as follows : —

" The time allowed for the study of English was three hours a week
in school and a reasonable amount outside. Out of the three hours
more than one hour a week was spent in writing compositions. . . .
The study of English was considered just as important as other
studies, although it was allowed less time than either Latin or Greek.
We had Latin and Greek five hours a week each."

The system now pursued at this school is sufficiently set forth in
the following compositions from among the best of those sub-
mitted : —

" My English Composition Preparation.

"At the School, at which I prepared, there was no specified

time for English composition. We had three hours of English a
week out of a total amount of twenty hours per week, but as nearly
as I can remember we wrote only from twenty to thirty compositions
during the year.

"We were given books to read, and sometimes we were asked to
tell the story of the whole book on one or two pages of foplscap
paper. Other times the instructor would come into the class-room
and give a certain character from a book to write about, sometimes
giving a choice of two or three subjects.

"We had other subjects to write upon, some of which were given
out beforehand for preparation, while others were told when the in-
structor came into the room, and had to be written upon during the
hour.

" We seldom knew what was coming. I remember once when we
were given five minutes to think up an animal stoiy, five minutes to
write it, and then five minutes to review and correct it.

"We were often given subjects from every-day life, and sometimes
were allowed to choose our subjects.

" The papers, at least my paper, always came back well decorated
with red ink, and about the same system of marking the errors by
letters was used as I find is used here. The criticisms were profuse,
and were afterwards gone over and explained in the class, examples
being taken from the class.

129

" With this preparation, I succeeded in passing the entrance exam-
ination in English, which was about what I had been prepared to
expect."

" My Preparation in English Composition.

"English composition has not occupied very much of my time in
my preparation. Compositions have been written occasionally, but
the whole number for a year would amount to only four or five.

"Composition writing is left, in the School, almost entirely

until the last year, and I believe they write one once a month. As I
entered College from my second year, I cannot tell for a certainty
about this.

" Last year the compositions were divided into two classes ; namely,
those upon which we had not prepared ourselves, and those which we
had spent our out-of -school time upon.

"We had English during two hours of the week, and generally
this whole time was spent in the reading of different authors. So out
of twenty hours a week, English had for itself only two. And, as I
have said, composition played a minor part.

" If I had finished my course, I should have had almost all the
composition instruction that the school affords.

" I took all my examinations in the fall and passed in English."

Another student, who passed with honor, after describing the
course pursued in the school, writes as follows: " Personal training
had a great deal to do with my preparation. I wrote acceptably for
the comic papers and the daily press, a training perhaps not neces-
sary, but yet a great benefit."

Two of the papers handed in by students prepared in the

School will be found printed among the facsimiles in the Appendix
to this report. (Nos. 7 and 8.)

School IX.

The system pursued in this school is the conventional system, the
aim of which is to qualify the student to pass the examination in Eng-
lish composition required by Harvard College. It is sufficiently set
forth in the following composition, selected from those submitted to
the Committee : —

" Preparation for English A.

"I was prepared at school at . We spent most of our

time on Hill's Rhetoric, with a composition about once in two weeks.
The subjects for these compositions were taken chiefly from the
books required for the entrance examination. Some of these books,
as 'Lord Clive' and 'The Ancient Mariner,' we read in the class;
the rest outside.

" The themes were corrected in the same manner as those in Eng-
lish A, and were sometimes read and commented upon in the class
before being handed back.

130

" During the last half-year we wrote themes every Saturday morn-
ing. Mr. , the teacher, was accustomed to select ten subjects

from one of the required books, and we wrote for an hour on one of
these subjects.

" The time given to English was three hours a week, one third of
which was composition. I passed the English examination as a
whole ; I do not know about the sentences and the theme in parti-
cular."

Of the nine papers handed in to the Committee by students prepared
in this school, all of whom passed successfully the English examina-
tion, one will be found among the facsimiles in the Appendix to this
report. (No. 9.)

School X.

Papers from three students, all of them special, from this school,
were among those handed in to the Committee. The following gives
a sufficient idea of the preparatory work there clone in English, and,
so far as a judgment may be based on the material before the Com-
mittee, it can be accepted generally as a not unfair account of the
work at other schools of a similar character : —

"Preparatory English.

"I was a member of the class of '89, High School of .

I entered Harvard College as a special student, therefore I passed no
examination.

" The name of the school from which I graduated might and ought
to imply that considerable time is spent there in the stucly of English,
but this is not so, for the instruction that I got there in English was
very meagre.

"We had little work in composition, until we reached the second
class, when one hour weekly was devoted to reading themes* upon
subjects of our own choosing, prepared out of school. We had
perhaps one other hour during the week, in which we read Goldsmith,
etc. I wrote, that year, not more than five themes.

" In the first class, we also had one hour weekly for writing. This
was the way that it was conducted. I would write a composition out
of school and read it Monday morning. Then, the other pupils
would have to write and read theirs before my turn came again, and
as the class was large, it is obvious that I did little work in composi-
tion. We had two other hours a week devoted to reading Shake-
speare.

" English had to bow to Latin and French. We had daily recita-
tions in these studies, the former for four years, the latter for two.
The opinion that scholars held of English was : ' Oh, I can pass in that
all right without any study.'

"We would do our work, bring it into the class and read it, and
the teacher would mark us according to the improvement made upon
it."

131

School XI.

Twenty-four papers were submitted to the Committee from stu-
dents prepared for Harvard at this school. The system pursued
is fairly represented in the following from among the best of these
papers : —

"My Preparation for Harvard College in English Composition, at
the School.

"In the School, where I was prepared for Harvard College,

the work in English rhetoric and composition surely does not hold a
very important place in the list of studies which are required.

" In regard to the number of written exercises which we had, I will
state that it would be safer to reckon them in months than in weeks,
as they averaged probably not over one a month.

"Our first hour Monday morning was devoted, or supposed
to be, to English in some form. But very often it was taken
for something else which in the mind of our instructor demanded
more immediate attention. However, we quite often had exercises
in punctuation, spelling, &c, but these were usually oral rather
than written.

"During our last year in the school we were required to read the
books mentioned in the Harvard Catalogue, and, after sufficient time
had elapsed, to write a composition on some part of the work ; the
subject was generally selected by the instructor.

" This composition was read and corrected and finally handed back
to us to see our mistakes, which we sometimes talked over with the
instructor and often did not.

"In answer to the question regarding the amount of time spent in
English composition, I will say that three hours a month is an ample
allowance, and that the proportion of this work to our other studies
was very small indeed, in fact, hardly capable of being reckoned.

" However, I succeeded in passing my English examination, as did
almost every one in my class."

" My Preparation for the English Examination.

"At the School, preparation for the English examination

began in the first year and continued, very thinly spread out,
through the course. Each year we read two or three books required
to be read, and twice a }7ear we wrote compositions on these books.
Thus, for the first three years, not more than five hours a year was
given to actual English composition, though of course the reading
occupied some little time.

" In my last and fourth year in the school considerable more atten-
tion was paid to English by both teachers and scholars. The books
we had read in previous years were reviewed, and new compositions
written on each of them. These compositions were corrected by the
teacher, and each scholar had his personal attention called to all bad
mistakes. During the year we wrote possibly ten compositions, but
surely not more.

132

u One hour a week was supposed to be devoted to English, but it
averaged nearer one hour a month ; for the English hour was often
given over to Latin. A few exercises from Strong's English were
read and corrected in the class ; this, however, was so seldom done as
to be of very little aid to a pupil. In fact it seemed that the teachers
thought every one ought to pass in English, and that ability to write
well ought to come intuitively to all of us.

"The proportion of time given to English was very, very small
compared with the time given to other studies. This is especially
true if the whole course is considered, for until the last year English
was almost ignored. As regards passing the examination, every
member of my class was successful."

Another student writes as follows: "The work of the third class
was almost entirely devoted to reading books, required themes once a
month, and no composition work. . . . Throughout the year we had
no book with the exception of one on the desk. Our themes were
required once a month and the English hour was Monday morning,
very often taken up by some other study. I passed my examination
and feel that I was well prepared for anything that Harvard was
likely to give."

"My Preparation in English Composition.

" I received my preparation for college at the School. During

the first year, I studied composition from a text book, reciting
on the subject twice a week. I was required to hand in a written
exercise every month, the subject of which was usually taken from
some book which I had read. The English work of the second and
third years was much the same as that of the first.

"When I entered upon the work of the fourth year, I began to
think of the preliminary examinations which were to be held the
following June. The teachers seemed to have the same subject in
mind, and the only hour which had been set apart for the study of
English was now devoted to Algebra and Geometry.

" At the beginning of the last year I thought that English would be
taken up more systematically than before ; but, to my surprise, Latin,
Greek, and Geometry occupied nearly all of the time. Once in two or
three weeks I wrote themes, which were corrected with regard to
grammar and punctuation, but not with regard to style. I was
successful in passing the examination in spite of my careless training."

" My Preparation in English Composition.

"A Harvard sophomore, formerly a member of the School,

said to me not long ago, ' Do you know that fellows who come
from our school seldom get an ; A ' in the Freshman English
course, while most fall below ' B ' ? I tell you the way they pre-
pare English there is wretched.' I am patriotic, yet forcible as this
statement is, I had to agree with him and say that it was ' wretched.'
I think I can make the relative amount of time devoted to English
clearest bv a table : —

133

"Latin, - one hour each day for five years.

"Greek, " " " " " three years.

"Mathematics, - " " " " " three and a half years (aggregate).

"French and German, " " " " " two years.

"History, - - " " " " " one year (aggregate).

" While the English was given piecemeal in such a way as to make
a course of two years in point of time, in point of relative efficacy to
the other courses one quarter of a year.

"Yet of these two years even, only three quarters of a year were
given to real English composition ; allowing one half a year for the
study of rhetoric, and the rest of the time for writing. When I give
these statistics, it looks as though it was all arranged in compact
form ; but by k half a year ' I mean, if you picked up the pieces and
put them together you could make half a year's work.

" I think I wrote about twenty-four compositions during the whole
course (I completed the five years in four, thus doing away with
something of what was useless). The character of the subjects
varied in different years. Thus, in the first year, one of the subjects
was ' The Moral Influence of Soap ' ; while later we wrote essays
upon the different books we had read in preparation for college. This
looks formidable ; but any one can write something about what he has
read ; it all lay in the criticism. For, generally speaking, a composi-
tion was written and handed in to the teacher ; then it was handed
back with a few corrections for punctuation and paragraphing ; but
never for style or thought or arrangement or precision. Sometimes the
meaning of the corrections was explained, sometimes not. Yet I
feel that I owe it to some of my teachers to say that they labored
conscientiously to make us give thought to our writings.

" We were asked about the preparatory schools. I think the gram-
mar schools of do more for those who are preparing for college

than the School, simply because their methods are more like those
here at Harvard.

" I think writing a little outside of school has influenced my Eng-
lish ; at any rate I passed the examination for admission."

"My Preparation in English Composition.

"I passed the entrance examination in English in June, 1891. I
was required to write about one theme a month, on an average, dur-
ing my whole preparatory course. The themes of the first two years
were on any subjects which the teachers might assign. During the
last three years the subjects were taken from the books which I was
required to read for m}T college preparation. One short hour a week,
about forty minutes, was devoted to this subject in school, and
about one hour or one hour and a half was necessary for study out of
school. I used a text-book on rhetoric and English composition only
during the first year. The relative amount of time devoted to English
composition was about one twenty-fifth."

Six specimens of the English compositions presented by those
admitted from this school are included among the facsimiles in the
Appendix to this report. (Nos. 10 to 15.)

134

School XII.

The system pursued in this school is set forth in the following
paper, handed in by one of the four students from it, all of whom
passed their examinations successfully. The Committee found the

papers from the students prepared in School exceptionally good ;

and more time, it will be noticed, is, according to the students from
it, there given to English than to any other study : the work in
English is almost daily : —

" My Preparation in English.

"The greater part of my instruction in English composition I re-
ceived at School, where I spent seven years. There we were

required to write monthly themes known as ' compositions,' upon
subjects announced about three weeks before the compositions be-
came due. These subjects were very varied ; sometimes they were
taken from other school work, especially from our history, and at
other times we were given ' questions of the day,' such as the ' Labor
Problem,' 'The Anarchists,' etc., to write on.

" Although, throughout the school, these were required but monthly,
the amount required in any one theme varies, of course, with the
class, and never exceeded three pages of a letter-sheet. We were,
however, encouraged to write as much as possible, and those of us
who became interested particularly in any subject often wrote from
eight to twelve pages. These were criticized by the instructors, who
not only marked errors in spelling, construction, and punctuation, but
even made numerous suggestions of improvement — sometimes involv-
ing a complete change in its arrangement of a whole paragraph. The
papers were handed back to be corrected by us under the supervision
and further oral criticism of the instructor.

" Besides these monthly themes, it was the policy of the school to fur-
nish as much practice as possible in writing English, and so the teachers
in other departments availed themselves, seemingly, of eve^ opportun-
ity for written exercises, which often were not previously announced.

"Of course we studied grammar thoroughout the school and we
were also drilled the last year on Prof. Hill's ' Rhetoric'

"The training there in English seems to me especially thorough
and to be deemed of greater importance, and hence more time to be
given to it, than any other study. It embraced besides the above-
mentioned instruction in composition, careful study of standard works
of English literature, and drill in reading aloud from them, so as best
to bring out the force and beauty of the style under consideration.
This work was almost daily, and was supplemented by monthly
abstracts of the most familiar works of noted authors."

School XIII.
Two papers prepared by candidates from this school, both of whom
passed successfully the English examination, are printed amoug the
facsimiles in the Appendix to this report. (Nos. 16 and 17.)

135

School XIV.

Three candidates from this school, all of whom had succeeded in
passing the examination in English Composition, submitted papers.
One of these will be found in facsimile (No. 18) in the Appendix to
this report. It sufficiently sets forth the system there pursued and
the results attained.

School XV.

One paper only was submitted from a student fitted at this
academy. The Committee print it in full, inasmuch as it sets forth
the system of instruction in English there pursued, — a more rational
system, perhaps, than that pursued in any other of the preparatory
schools brought under review : —

" My Preparation in English.

"The Academy, or as it is popularly known, the

Academy, situated in the historical town of , has not for its main

object the preparation of candidates for Harvard or any other college,
but aims to give its pupils a ' liberal ' education, such as the sons and
daughters of a farming community are in need of.

"As a consequence of this, English composition and rhetoric have
a very important place in the school curriculum.

" The studies in this school are elective, except that English is pre-
scribed.

" The first year after a pupil has entered this school, special atten-
tion is given to English composition. The text-books used are
Hart's Rhetoric and Miss Chittenden's English Composition. Writ-
ing themes is thought of great importance, as the school goes upon
the principle that ' practice makes perfect.' English recites every
day, with written exercises three times a week and sometimes even
four. The subjects at first are the rewriting of bad sentences into
good English, care being given to punctuation ; then the reproduction
of poetry into prose or the development of some short poem into a
lengthy prose narrative, special care being given to proper expres-
sion ; finally, periphrasis with the study of words and essays on any
subject. This completes the work of the first year. The second year
of his stay at school the pupil keeps a journal, writing about a page
every day upon any subject connected with his school life. No text-
book is used. The third and fourth years of his school life he has to
take part in the ' rhetoricals,' which he very often dislikes very much
to do. These rhetoricals consist of speaking or declaiming pieces
committed to memory, or the reading of original compositions. The
rhetoricals are alternated with debates in which the whole school may
take part upon questions, as the McKinley Bill, etc. The rhetoricals
come once a week on Wednesday afternoon.

"By the way, the recitations in English last one hour and the
rhetoricals occupy from two to three, — that is, a whole afternoon.

" As all the studies, which a pupil in this school takes, come every
day, it is hard to decide which of the studies is of most importance

136

or what relative time is devoted to English. I do not fear to commit
myself, if I say that although English does not occupy any more time
than Greek or Latin or the mathematics, because these are naturally
so difficult that a great deal of time has to be devoted to them, yet it
stands pre-eminent.

" I passed in the English entrance examination, whether with credit
or not I do not kuow. If my theme fails to show the effect of the
careful training in English in this school, it is not its fault ; because I
was not a re'gular student, nor a regular attendant, but attended it
irregularly for only about two and two-thirds years."

School XVI.

The system pursued in this school is sufficiently set forth in the
following paper, submitted by one of the five students prepared in it
who presented papers : —

" My English Preparation.

" The school I come from is a preparatory school. This fact must
be remembered, if one wishes to understand our preparation. The
aim of the school was to prepare its students for the examinations in
different colleges. In order to accomplish this the more thoroughly,
the exercises in English had to be adapted to the requirements of the
different colleges. Columbia, Yale, Cornell, and other leading col-
leges require no special preparation in English ; so the matter sifted
down, resolved itself into a preparation for Harvard College.

" In the first place, during the Junior and Senior years in the acad-
emy, the preparation in English was made an item of greater import-
ance than any other branch. Not that more time was spent upon it,
but that proficiency in English was regarded as higher than in any
other branch. Three hours per week were devoted to English, and of
these three, one was given over to writing ; another was devoted to
the consideration and correction of the themes ; while the third was
devoted to literature and rhetoric.

"In the choice of subjects, although great freedom was given to
the students, all the themes were confined to the works prescribed
for Harvard College. If I remember correctly, the following were
among the subjects last year : ' Silas Marner Reclaimed,' ' The Char-
acter of Lord Clive,' ' The Ancient Mariner,' ' The religious element
in the Ancient Mariner,' ' A comparison between the Portia in Julius
Caesar and the Portia in the Merchant of Venice,' ' The Alhambra
and its surroundings,' 'The Character of Burley,' etc. From this
list it can easily be seen that our preparation in composition aided to
no slight degree in our English examination.

" The hour devoted to the correction of themes was indeed an in-
teresting one. Our instructor attempted to allow the men to do a
large share in the correction. He never demanded that a change be
made, but tried by reasoning to show that some other expression
would be preferable to the one used.

I distinctly recollect one occasion where I was positive a certain
expression was correct, and that the whole recitation was devoted to

137

that one expression, until finally the matter was settled. It was in
this way that our individual tastes and peculiarities were brought into
prominence and that each student followed a style of his own in
writing.

" During my last year at school, I had nineteen recitations a week
and, therefore, about one sixth of my time was devoted to English ;
but as I said before, in spite of the relatively small amount of time
devoted to the English branches, proficiency in English was a marked
factor in determining a student's standing.

" Besides our composition work, we devoted some time to literature
and rhetoric. Of the first I shall not speak, as it does not properly
belong to my preparation for college. Our rhetoric consisted of a
number of ' hints ' on the different rhetorical principles, a study of
the figures of speech, and as a practical test, the correction of mis-
takes in rhetoric and syntax. The sentences for correction were
about as difficult as those in the Harvard examination. This was
substantially my preparation in English for Harvard College, and
when I took the examination last June I passed in my English.

" I have not attempted to give any great care to expression in the
above, but merely to give an accurate account of my English prepara-
tion."

School XVII.

The system of instruction pursued in this school is set forth in a
paper submitted by one of the nine students from it, included,
either as special students or as members of the Freshman class, in
English A. A facsimile of this paper will be found in the Appendix
to this report. (No. 19.)

School XVIII.

The system of English instruction pursued in this school, according
to certain of the students prepared in it, is set forth in the following
paper : —

"I fear that the method of instruction in English composition
adopted, or fostered, in high schools, is not one calculated to ex-
cite a great deal of admiration. As to giving a description of the
course, it would be an impossibility ; but I will say that the amount of
written work required varies apparently with the disposition of the
instructor. That is to say, there is no fixed standard as to the quan-
tity of work to be done on the part of the student in this branch of

education. Perhaps a year's course in the High School will be

the means of producing one written composition in four or five weeks.

"The character of these productions depends entirely upon the
writer's natural ability. There is no discussion, no re- writing ; the
criticism consists merely of reading the sheet over and marking a few
of the most glaring errors. When this has been done, the student's
production is returned to him (sometimes) marked anywhere from 4
to 10, the grade depending almost entirely upon bare mechanical

138

correctness. The science of word-choice and arrangement seems to
be an unknown quantity. The character of the subject is usually left
to the student ^ ^ spelling are

OTacticaUy thfngs of the past in the High School and the natural

result £ that tley are things of the future to most of the students.
This neglect of the fundamental principles of a general English
educatiom characteristic of high schools in genera , began to make
Hself known with the introduction of advanced workin composition,
and is in itself a disgrace to the name of education.

School XIX.

The system pursued at is set forth in the following paper.

Six compositions, among those examined by the Committee, were
by students prepared at this school : —

" My School work in English Composition.

« I began my work in English composition in my first four years i it

. T two years I wai kept at this work, writmg a compos tion

about, every Two weeks. Then my English course was dropped for
about a vea7!-. The following year, when I was in the fourth form, I
beg an aJaTn reading plays, and writing compositionsaboute^hree
weeks • this was kept up till my sixth form year. When in tne sixtn,
7 began regular English work: three recitations a week and three
composition a montl The subjects at tat^o^^H
«neh as ' Mv Christmas Holidays,' ' Football, A Ghost Story, etc.
In mv six h form year, however, and also in my fifth, harder subjects
wereeiven such as the characters of different great men, and descrip-
tions of d"Cnt places, also comparisons between different English
writers AU these compositions were handed back fully corrected
Id with the work well criticized. Our time for these compositions
S loout t hour and a half in school, and two more hour s t o be
devoted to it outside. The relative amounts o time de ^todtothi
«tnrlv comnared to the other studies, was small. But at— -in an

onet'stZes even in Greek and Mathematics, the English of every

bov I carefully watched and corrected. This is so even on the play-

ground. Last spring at Harvard I passed my entrance examination

in English."

School XX.
A single student from this school presented a paper. A facsimile o

it will be found in the Appendix. (No. 20.)

School XXI.

The system pursued in this school is set forth in the followin
paper from among the seventeen presented by those who had ther
received preparatory education : —

139

"My Preparation in English.

"I was prepared at School, and received my instruction in

English from Mr. of . We wrote one composition each

week through the year, of about two pages in length. Some wrote
more and some less. We read all the required books twice, the
second time in review at the end of the }-ear.

"The subjects were of wide range. Sometimes Mr. allowed

us the choice of two or three subjects. Two of those we wrote on
were ' Silas Marner's return to Faith ' and the ' Character of Burley.'
The time occupied in writing the composition was two hours, and later
we had to correct or re-write it. The reading outside took about two
or three hours a week.

"The criticisms were extensive and very cleverly done. A lady
corrected the compositions. She was not sparing of red ink. Some-
times I would get back half a page of it, not only improving, but
interesting.

" I think I devoted not quite as much time to English as I did to
Latin and rather more than I did to Geometry, and I was neither
efficient nor deficient in either one of these studies. I passed English,
but received no honor."

Two specimens of the results of this system will be found among
the facsimiles in the Appendix to this report. (Nos. 21 and 22.)

School XXII,

But a single student from this institution submitted a paper, and
the student in question was a special. The following extract is taken
from the paper as fairly indicating about the average amount of
training in English Composition given in high schools, so far as any
inference on this head may be drawn from the papers submitted to
the Committee, which refer to more than fifty such schools scattered
over a wide area of country, though, of course, mainly in New
England: " My work in English composition varied in its amount,
the probable average being one written essay or composition every
two weeks during the last four school years. . . . We usually devoted
about one hour and thirty minutes per week to the written work. . . .
The amount of time devoted to recitations, mathematics, literature,
political economy, etc., was about three hours per week to each
study."

School XXIII.

But a single student, and that a special student, of those who
submitted papers, had received his elementary education at this
institution. The following extract from his paper is quoted for its
suggestiveness. The paper as a whole was remarkably well ex-
pressed : —

140

" Probably my four years in business have had a noticeable effect
on my writing. I have had a great many business letters to write,
always under pressure, and have gotten to sacrifice punctuation, style,
and clearness for brevity and lack of time, and have grown careless
about the arrangement of my sentences. When I try and overcome
these faults, I am apt to go to the extreme : become vague and
repeat."

School XXIV.

A single student only among those who submitted compositions had
received his elementary education at this school also. His composi-
tion is suggestive, and a facsimile of it will be found included in the
Appendix to this report. (No. 23.)

School XXV.

The system at present pursued at this academy and its results in
certain cases can be studied in the compositions of two of those
admitted from it to the Freshman class, among the facsimiles included
in the Appendix to the present report. (Nos. 24 and 25.)

School XXVI.

A paper presented b}^ one of the three members of the Freshman
class who had received their preparatory education at this institution
is printed in full because of its suggestiveness : —

" My Preparation for the Harvard English Examination.

" I was prepared for Harvard College by the High School. I

pursued the so-called Ancient Classical course which covers four
years. In the first year Latin, Algebra, and ancient History take up
the student's time, while in the second year Greek is added and
Geometry substituted for Algebra. In the third year, I had some
English History and Physics in addition to the regular Latin and
Greek. It was only in my last year that I received any instruction in
English, and to this important subject only two terms of the whole
twelve terms are devoted. The nature of our work did not tend to fit
us for the English required by the College. In the beginning of the
year we read a little of Chaucer, and then hurried through the smaller
pieces and poems of the English requirements. The rest of the time
was given to Shakespeare and Milton. I believe we read five of
Shakespeare's plays and the first two books of Milton's Paradise
Lost.

" It seems to me that much more was said that would be done, than
was actually done. We were to write a theme every two weeks, but
during the whole time I handed in only two exercises and only one of
these was corrected. The corrected one was on the Merchant of
Venice and the other upon the Character of Lord Clive.

141

"As a graduation exercise I was requested to write a theme on ' Do
we hate England,' but this I never finished, as I took siek and was
forced to leave school for a month.

" These two compositions and a fragment of another were the only
training I had in the whole four years.

"The following is the proportion of time devoted to my several
subjects. Latin, twelve terms ; Greek, nine terms ; Mathematics, six
terms ; History, four terms ; Physics, two terms ; and English, two
terms. German and French I studied under a private tutor and de-
voted about a year to each of them. In spite of my meagre prepara-
tion in English, I passed and am very glad of that."

School XXVII.

The following extract from a paper by one of two graduates from
this school is also printed because of its suggestiveness : —

" I am sorry to have to say not only for myself, but also for the
school where 1 fitted, that the English work of those preparing for
college was done at odd moments. There was a very fine course in
English in the third and fourth years at the school, when Shakespeare,
Milton, Johnson, and others were studied, but I was unable to take
that course because my other studies demanded so much time.

" The last step in my preparation for English A was perhaps the
hardest, namely, to pass the English examination of Harvard. Not-
withstanding that my preparation was less than that in other subjects,
I passed my examination in English."

School* XXVIII.

The following is an extract from one of nine papers handed in
by those who had received their preliminary education at this institu-
tion : —

"English came five times per week first year, three times second
year, three third year, and two times fourth year.

" I considered English in the High School my easiest study and the
reason given by the instructor was that the requirements and examina-
tions set by Harvard College in English were not as severe as those
set for other studies."

The following is from another composition : —

"Owing to the amount of time required for Greek and Latin we had
English only twice a week in our Junior year. It was not until this
year was reached, that we considered English as important as some of
our other studies. English never held the position occupied by either
Latin or Greek, as is shown by the fact that while we had these
studies as often as six times a week, we had English only twice. But
this was partly owing to the great amount of preparation required in
the languages for admission to Harvard. . . . The relative amount
of time devoted to English composition was about one tenth, but out-

142

side reading bearing upon the subject of the theme was required.
The thought, however, must be our own, and this rule was strictly
followed."

Among the facsimiles in the Appendix to this report will be found
one paper in full (No. 26), prepared by a student fitted partly in this
school and partly in School XIV., who passed his examination in
English.

School XXIX.

A paper presented by one of the four graduates of this institution,
included in English A, will be found among the facsimiles in the
Appendix to this report. (No. 27.)

School XXX.

Four members of the Freshman class admitted from this school
handed in papers. The paper handed in by one of the four will be
found among the facsimiles in the Appendix to this report. (No. 28.)
It is the least creditable of the four ; but the writer would seem to
have passed successfully the examination in English Composition.

School XXXI.

The following paper, presented by the single graduate of High

School included in the present Freshman class, is submitted because
of the system described in it as pursued by the private tutor who
finished the writer's preparation : —

" My Preparation in English.

"The first school which had any bearing upon my preparation in

English was the Grammar School at , Mass. In this school the

principal work was the writing of compositions, about one in two
weeks and sometimes not so often as that. Exercises in the grammar
were also an important feature of the work. In this school the
amount of work was nearly the same as that in arithmetic, history,
and other grammar school studies.

"In the- High School a greater amount of work was required

of us ; here compositions were written much oftener, usually three or
four a month, while exercises to punctuate properly and to correct
faulty constructions usually amounted to three or four a week. The
amount of work in English was about equal with that in each of the
other studies.

" The year before I came to College, I studied under a tutor who
did me more good than all my previous training in English combined.
At every recitation he would give me a subject and tell me to write on
it for ten minutes, beside this I had to bring in a composition every
recitation. I did more work in English under him than in any of the
other studies."

143

School XXXII.

More members by far of the Freshman class received their pre-
paratory training in this institution than in any other of the 160 insti-
tutions represented, the papers received by the Committee from them
being no less than forty-seven in number. For this reason special

attention will be paid to the system pursued at . It is described

in the following papers : —

" My School work in English Composition.

' ' I prepared at Academy where the English course is the least

important thing in the school work.

" During the Middle and Senior years we had two compositions to
write, one of these was the Life of Lord Clive.

" Some times, perhaps once or twice a term, we had a written exer-
cise in class, on the book we had been reading. Then we exchanged
papers with our neighbors, and tried to find how many mistakes each
made, without the least attempt to correct them.

" The criticise we got from our instructor was hardly worthy of the
name, for whenever any one asked him to explain something that had
been marked as wrong, he was told to ' look it up.'

u Two hours a week were devoted to English, but about two in two
or three months to the composition.

" English was the course that had the least stress laid upon it.
Mathematics, Greek, Latin, G-erman, and French were held five hours
every week, so the proportion is about ten hours of other work to one
of English.

" I read the number of books prescribed for the Harvard examina-
tion, but I fear they did not aid my writing on account of having no
opportunity for practicing.

"The result was that, after long hours of 'grinding' the night
before, I 'flunked' or rather failed my examination in English."

" My Preparation in English.

"When I entered the Academy two }Tears ago, some of the

books required had been already read and these I had to makeup out-
side. In my first year the writing of themes was very scarce. Per-
haps once a month we wrote compositions on the books we were read-
ing in class, but the attention paid to rhetoric was very slight, almost
nothing compared to the work in other departments. In the Senior
year practice in theme writing was increased and about every two
weeks we wrote on subjects taken from the books we were reading in
class and those we were supposed to have read outside. These
essays were corrected and sometimes were read before the class.
The subjects we wrote on were varied. The different characters, in-
cidents, or scenes, or some time a summary of the whole work. In
this particular we were allowed great latitude. I never found it
necessary to devote any time to English composition outside of the
class-room, nor, do I think, did the majority of the students. The
relative time was very little, English being the ' snappiest ' course in

144

the Academy and one which we never prepared for or took much in-
terest in. In the examination I did not experience much trouble with
the theme or the sentences and was not much surprised at passing."

" My Preparation in English.

"As I was admitted on a certificate from , I have not taken

the examination in English, although I was prepared to do so after
graduating from .

" At Academy, very little work in English composition is done

for a student during the last two years ; only one written exercisea
month is required, and this is usually an outline or sketch of some
book or play that the class may have read.

"The time devoted to English composition at both and

cannot exeeed one hour a week, or including the time spent in reading
plays and books required for the college examinations, two hours a
week at .

" The other subjects occupy from thirteen to sixteen hours a week
at both of these schools ; so it may be seen that English has but a fifth
or sixth part of the student's time in class room work.

" At University, there is no work at all in English during the

Freshman year, and during the Sophomore year very little work is
done, and the study of Greek, Latin, and Mathematics take most of
the time. No preparation in English is required for the entrance ex-
aminations. During the Sophomore year some practice is gained in
English by writing monthly themes, but these are very often written
carelessly and no permanent good in many cases can result.

" It seems to me that more attention should be given to English
composition in these two foremost preparatory schools of New Eng-
land, and that stress should be laid on the quality of the work done,
as well as on the relative amout of time given to the study of Eng-
lish, especially at , more at and much more at ."

" Preparation in Composition at .

" I think I can best explain the work in written exercises by
answering directly the questions proposed by the Board of Overseers
in English.

"First. What was the number and nature of written exercises?
I do not believe that during my entire course the number of exercises,
of whatever description, amounted to more than twelve or fifteen. In
the preparatory year the written work consisted principally of para-
phrasing, as laid down in Chittenden's Elements of English Composi-
tion. During the Junior and Middle years, there were a few written
exercises required, generally the same in character as those of the
preparatory 3'ear. During the Senior year we wrote synopses and
summaries. For example, after reading Macaulay's Essay on Lord
Clive, we were asked to write a brief summary of the most important
incidents. When we had read Bacon's Essays, we were given several
titles from the essays, and were expected to write in our own language
the substance of the essay we selected. In the same manner, after
reading Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables, we were permitted to
choose from several subjects, such as Clifford and Phoebe, The Old

145

Puncheon House, Hepzibah, etc., and were then expected to write the
story as it occurred in The House of the Seven Gables. One young
man, who ventured to make the criticism that he thought Hawthorne's
depiction of Hepzibah, as an old maid, was faulty from the fact that
Hepzibah did not have a cat, was ridiculed by the instructor for men-
tioning something foreign to the character of the composition.

u There is really no original composition required at , and from

such a preparation we enter English A at Harvard, where a great deal
of original work is required.

" Second. What is the relative amount of time devoted to English
composition? There are only two recitations in English literature per
week, while the number of recitations in other branches will average
five per week. I should say that the proportion of the number of
written exercises to the recitations in English was about one to
seventeen.

" Third. Did you pass entrance examination in English? I did."

" After graduating from the high school, I took a two years course
at , and there I received an excellent fit for Harvard in every-
thing but English. Our course in English there took but two hours a
week, while Greek and Latin each occupied four hours, with a great
deal of outside work. We never looked at our English books outside
of the recitation room, unless we had some poetry given us to learn ;
and as for essays, they were almost unheard of. I say ' almost,'
for about once in two months we were called upon to write an
account of the plot of some book we had Deen reading. Our work
in class amounted to little more than reading aloud either some of
Scott's poems or of Emerson's essays, and a fellow with an ordinary
reading-knowledge of the English language, or in other words less
cumbersome, a fellow who knew how to read distinctly, could easily
get a ' B ' and a good recommendation for Harvard. We had a little
work in rhetoric during our Senior year, but with a teacher who made
the remark in class concerning a word of doubtful etymology, ' It
isn't hardly necessarily a conjunction,' our instruction was of little
avail. Doubtless, our instructor was teaching us as well as he knew
how. . . .

"I was fortunate enough to pass my examination in English for
Harvard. But I attribute this as much to my experience as associate
editor on the literary monthly, during the latter half of my Senior
year, as to my instruction in English received while there."

Five compositions presented by the students who had received their
preparatory education at this institution will be found among the fac-
similes in the Appendix to this report. (Nos. 29-33.)

School XXXIII.
A paper prepared by one of the two students who received their
preparatory education at this institution will be found amoung the fac-
similes in the Appendix to this report. (No. 34.) The student in
question, it should be added, is a special student.

146

School XXXIV.

This is one of the institutions considered most successful in prepar-
ing for Harvard. The system pursued in it, so far as English educa-
tion is concerned, is set forth in the following papers : —

" My Preparation for English Composition.

"We were obliged, at the School, to write a composition

regularly once a month. But we also had subjects given out to us
in class, on which to write short themes. Our general preparation
in English was as follows : —

"We would read the books, one after another, prescribed for
College English, in class. Each student was called upon to criticise
certain portions of the passages read. Sometimes, after having read
a chapter, the class was told to write out during the remaining por-
tion of the hour a summary, or more generally a criticism, on that
chapter. Then again the students might be told to write a summary
or criticism upon the next chapter, which was to be read at home, and
brought in at the next English. These were not to be carefully
written, but were to be read in class, and the class was to criticise
these productions.

" Once a month, however, subjects were given out to us to write
upon one week or more in advance of the time the composition should
be due. The subjects were greatly varied, but they all had some
bearing on the school work in English. Several subjects were given
at a time for us to choose from. We might have to write an essay on
the author whose books we were reading or a criticism on one of his
works. There were many other subjects of a different character,
which time does not allow me to enumerate.

"These compositions generally covered seven or eight pages.
The}' were carefully criticised in red ink by the teacher, who used the
Harvard abbreviations, were to be corrected and handed back to him.
Our teacher taught nothing but English, and had our class in English
three hours during the week. Latin and Greek occupied five hours a
week, French, German, and Mathematics generally three.

" I passed the English examination at Harvard College."

" English Composition for College.

"My preparation for college was at the School where there

was a good deal of stress put upon English. We wrote com-
positions regularly, once a month, and when the compositions were
corrected, they were rewritten and improved as much as possible.
English, throughout the school course, came three times a week ; of
this about one hour a week was devoted to English composition, both
to the writing of themes and to correcting and criticising them. In
the other two hours there were usually rules and examples of rhetoric
given.

"The subjects were varied : such as descriptions of places, inci-
dents in your life, and subjects which required arguments. The aim
seemed always to be to have the student use his own thoughts and
expressions, and not give him subjects which he could copy from

147

books. Of course, Dear the Harvard examinations, themes were
written on the books and the principal characters, like the themes we
would be called upon to write.

kt The criticisms were very numerous and as thorough as could be,
the same mode of marking being adopted as is used at Harvard.

"The proportion of English to the other studies was: Latin and
Greek from four to five times a week and the other studies from two
to three times. English composition, strictly speaking, came once a
week. But in the other two hours of English during the week,
matters were given and discussed in direct relation to English com-
position.

" I passed in the entrance examination in English."

As a rule, so far as method is concerned, the papers presented by
students who had received their preliminary education at this school
are better than the average. A facsimile of one, as little to be com-
mended as any, will be found in the Appendix to this report.
(No. 35.)

School XXXV.

Five papers were presented from students who received their ele-
mentary education at this school, four of whom had passed the en-
trance examination. A facsimile of one of these papers will be found
in the Appendix to this report. (No. 36.) The writer of this paper

says that at School, "every paper we wrote from Latin or

Greek," &c, was " brought as much as possible under the sway of
good English." The examination paper in advanced Latin of the
same student, prepared by him as a candidate for admission to
College, is also printed, and will be found in the Appendix to this
report (page 159). It is not suggestive of " good English."

School XXXVI.

The system pursued in this school is sufficiently described in the
following two, selected from thirteen papers : —

" My preparation in English composition at School consisted

in writing about seven compositions during the year. These composi-
tions were simply outlines of the story in each one of the books ap-
pointed as subjects for the Harvard examination in English. I was
also required at one recitation a week to correct four or five faulty
sentences. The time devoted to my school work in English composi-
tion averaged, I should say, about one hour and a half a week, per-
haps less, and bore about the same ratio to the time spent in the study
of Greek, Latin, and Mathematics as 1 does to 8. In addition to
this required school work, I did considerable voluntary work, as I was
elected into a literary society and was also made an editor of the
school paper. In these positions I aimed at being a universal genius,

148

writing, or trying to write, poetry, essays, and stories. Although I
fell somewhat short of my ideal, I think that T was helped by this
voluntary work more than by my prescribed work. I did not have
very much difficulty in passing the admission examinations."

"The time and care given to English in preparing for Harvard
College is not more than is actually required to enable the average
student to feel moderately certain of passing the English examination.

The time given to this study at School is about one hour a week

during the school year. In this time a large amount of the books
can be read, but each person is required to finish all the books and
write a composition on each one outside of the class room. About
one of these compositions is written every month. The student was
permitted to treat the subject in his own individual way. In a com-
position on such a book as ' Lord Clive,' as a rule, the life of the man
was described, as told by the author, while such a book as Hamlet
was described not with regard to the plot, but the style of the work
and the characters of the chief persons figuring there were told of.
In other words each one wrote on such parts of each book as he
thought were likely to be given as one of the subjects for the exam-
ination.

"Great care was taken in correcting these essays, and advise was
given as to' the best manner of overcoming the defects.

" Toward the close of the year, when the examinations were close
at hand, a few hours were given to preparation for the other part of
the English examination. Old Harvard papers were corrected and
sentences from books were also used, but to this there was not as
much time or care given as to composition writing.

"I think that all the fellows thus prepared at School passed

their examination last spring."

The writer of another paper says that in his final year at school : " I
had very little prescribed work in English Composition, but I was
forced to do a good deal of it outside of my studies as I was one of

the editors of the School monthly paper." The paper handed in

by him bears in its general character evident marks of this fact.

Two facsimiles of compositions of graduates of this school will be
found in the Appendix to this report. (Nos. 37 and 38.)

School XXXVII.

Of the papers handed in nine were prepared by students who
received their preparatory education at this school. Facsimiles of
three of these will be found in the Appendix to this report. (Nos.
39-41.) It is unnecessary to repeat that they are not facsimiles of
the best papers. They are merely intended to give an idea of that
weak, because untrained, element in every class which has been re-
ferred to in the earlier portion of this report.

14<)

School XXXVII I.
But three papers were presented by students who had been prepared
for college at this school. The following, one of the three, is printed
for reasons which will appear later in the course of this report. It
clearly sets forth in the italicized words what, in the apprehension of
the Committee, is the correct system of instruction in English Com-
position : —

" I come from a small private school where no set amount of regu-
lar work in any study has been done ; therefore it is hard to answer
accurately the questions about n^ preparation.

"During the last five years I have read each year a large number
of the prescribed books for the examinations of that year, and have
written several compositions on subjects taken from those books.
Some months I have written several compositions, others none at all.
During the whole year, however, I think a good deal of work would
be done.

' ' The preparation of English was carried out in every other subject :
my translations from other languages were carefully criticised for their
English; my geometry propositions I have rewritten many times on ac-
count of poor English.

" I cannot give any statistics about the proportion of the work done
on all subjects for this reason ; but I think a great deal of attention
has always been paid to my English. Having only one teacher, he
has been able to follow up carefully any weak points in my English.

" I passed my examination in English."

School XXXIX.
Four of the students included in the Freshman class were prepared
at this institution. A facsimile of the paper handed in by one of
the four will be found in the Appendix to this report. (No. 42.)

XL.

Among the facsimiles will be found one (No. 43) , by a student
who had been prepared b}7 private tutors. It is printed as an object-
lesson merely, showing how slight an acquaintance with the elements
of English Composition will enable a student to pass successfully the
entrance examination to Harvard College.

XLI.

Another student fitted by a private tutor writes as follows : —
"During this last year, while studying with a tutor, I handed
themes in occasionally. English was allowed to go by the board,
because of several other studies being more important, and because of
so much time being taken up with them.

I passed in the admission examination in English.'

150

XLII.

Another student, also fitted by a private tutor, who, not without
justifiable self -congratulation, writes "I passed," presented a paper
which will also be found among the facsimiles in the Appendix to this
report. (No. 44.)

In order, if possible, to avoid reaching a wrong conclusion as to
the courses of study in English and English Composition and the
amount of time given thereto, both absolutely and relatively to other
studies, the Committee endeavored to verify the statements made
in many of the foregoing papers by reference to the printed pro-
grammes of studies in the schools or academies referred to. To a
certain extent this was done ; though, at the outset, serious doubt sug-
gested itself as to how far the programmes were in practice regarded,
and the possible extent to which, under pressure of time, etc., one
study might be sacrificed to another. Neither did such a process of
verification seem likely to affect the results. These spoke for them-
selves in the form and substance of the papers examined ; and, in the
judgment of the Committee, it mattered little whether all the state-
ments made in those papers were or were not correct, or in accord
with the programmes of the institutions the systems of which were
described. It is possible, also, and even probable, that in many of
the papers presented, and in several of those printed or reproduced,
injustice, intentionally or otherwise, may have been done to schools
or individual teachers. All names, therefore, have been omitted, as
the printing them seemed calculated to draw discussion away from
facts to personal controversy.

Finally, it was possible that the papers handed in, especially those
facsimiles of which are submitted with this report, might not fairly
present the attainments of those whose names were attached to them.
To assure themselves on this point, the Committee caused the original
entrance examination-books of the writers of the letters in facsimile
to be hunted up, and carefully examined them. These papers showed
clearly that the instructors in the English department had good
grounds for cautioning the Committee that the body of papers pre-
pared for it, and on which this report is based, were for reasons they
gave "decidedly above the general average of work done by those
whose names were signed to them." The Committee do not consider
it necessary to increase the bulk of this report by reprinting in con-
nection with it any considerable number of these examination papers,
much less by reproducing them in facsimile ; but, in order to fortify
the conclusions reached, they have selected a few of them at bap-hazard

151

as specimens of the whole, and included them in the Appendix (pp,
159-104). Those thus selected are written translations of passages
from the Greek and Latin classics. They show both the educational
system pursued in the schools, and the degree of mastery of their
mother-tongue possessed by those responsible for the papers ; and,
did space admit of their reproduction in facsimile, it would further
be apparent that they are no more creditable in form than they are
in expression. This body of evidence, corroborative of the state-
ments made and the conclusions reached in this report, is still in
the hands of the Committee and open to examination.

The inferences drawn from the 450 papers specially prepared
for the examination of the Committee by the 1891 students in
English A have been further confirmed by the report of the results
of the examination of candidates for admission to the Freshman
class in June, 1892. English Composition papers were then pre-
pared by 414 applicants. Of these no less than 47 per cent., or
nearly one half of the whole, either passed unsatisfactorily or were
conditioned. In other words, it may be said that one half of the total
number of candWates for admission to the Harvard Freshman class
who presented themselves in June of the current }^ear were unpre-
pared in the department of elementary English for admission to the
College. They could not write their mother- tongue with ease or
correctness. On the other hand, out of the 414 applicants, but
nine, or 2 per cent., were marked as passing the examination " with
credit," as against 20 per cent, who failed wholly.

Basing a judgment on the body of evidence thus presented, the
conclusion which in the opinion of the Committee must be reached is
that the system of instruction in written English now pursued in the
preparatory schools is, almost without exception, limited to the
requirements for admission to college. In that system, as developed
in the material examined by the Committee, can be found only here
and there the trace of an idea that the end of preparatory instruc-
tion in English Composition is to enable those taught to write the
English language easily and well, so that the writer may be able to
use it as a tool familiar to his hand, as speech to his tongue, in
the further process of education and in the subsequent pursuits of
life. The Committee cannot speak of other departments, but in the
matter of English Composition the scholar in the preparatory school
receives, indeed, nothing which can with any propriety be called an
education : he is trained to pass a given examination ; that and
nothing more. The present system, therefore, is radically defective.
The difficulty also, so far as your Committee is advised, is by no
means confined to the advanced schools which fit for college. It

152

permeates in another form the whole American grammar-school sys-
tem. Some years since, for instance, in the course of the examina-
tion of certain schools in the country towns of one of the counties
in the immediate vicinity of Boston, the examiner, an official of the
State Board of Education, made the usual inquiry of the scholars : —
"What is the object of the study of English grammar?" The
answer of the scholars was immediate, that it was " the art of read-
ing and writing the English language correctly." The examiner
thereupon told the members of the class in question that he wished
them, having then studied grammer for several years, to show what
the results of their instruction had been by at once sitting down and
writing to him an ordinary letter asking for employment, — such a
letter as they might, and, indeed, certainly would, be called upon to
write at some time in subsequent life. The teacher of the school
promptly interfered, stating that the test was one of a most unheard-
of character, and that, in justice to himself, he objected to having
his scholars subjected to it, — " They had not been taught in that
way ! "* In other words, the children in this school had been taught
to parse, as it is called, and to repeat after the mSnner of parrots
certain rules as to gender, and subjects and predicates, and to dis-
tinguish orally parts of speech. They had never had any practice to
enable them to make use of their knowledge ; and so the}T could not
compose a letter of the most ordinary character, or, indeed, express a
thought in writing.

The course now pursued in the classical academies fitting for
Harvard would seem to be defective in a way only slightl}T
different from the foregoing. The theoiy is, and long has been,
that the proper way to learn to write English is to translate orally
Greek and Latin. One great object of the study of the classics
undoubtedly is to perfect the student in the use of his native tongue.
Meanwhile, in not more than two instances do the preparatory schools,
the methods of which have been described in the papers submitted to
the Committee, seem to have adopted the ordinary and apparently
obvious practice of causing the students to do two things at once : —
that is, to translate their Greek or Latin and learn to write English
simultaneously. It goes without saying that the classic, as compared
with modern languages, are in their modes of expression much the
more concise. An obvious way of acquiring the familiar use of
good concise written English would, therefore, seem to be to compel
students, as a daily exercise, to make written translations of por-
tions of tho§e Greek or Latin authors in the study of which they are

* Report of Examination of Scholars in Norfolk County, in Forty- third Annual
Report (1880) of the Massachusetts Board of Education (pp. 132, 146, 158).

153

engaged ; but, so far as the systems in vogue in the schools which
prepare for Harvard College are concerned, the papers printed in the
Appendix (pp. 159-164), while a sample only of the similar papers
in the hands of the Committee, show conclusively that in America,
under the educational systems prevailing in the preparatory schools,
no attention whatever is paid to the rendering of Greek or Latin into
concise written English. Now, as forty years ago, the reflex influ-
ence on the student's English of translating Latin or Greek into the
mother tongue seems, when subjected to a practical test, to amount
to nothing.

Accordingly, if the great mass of papers examined by the Commit-
tee can be accepted as evidence, the rule seems to be almost universal
that the difficult work of writing the mother-tongue is to be taught to
a sufficient degree by having an exercise of an hour each month, or
possibly an hour in each fortnight, devoted to it.* So far as writing

* " The work done in the preparatory school was very limited. Indeed it was
almost entirely neglected. I never wrote an essay until the time of my gradua-
tion, and even that was done without any aid from the faculty. We had no
regular instructor in English. So that I can truly say I never had any direct
training in English composition." — p. 123.

" During the Senior year two essays had to be written, which was all that
we had to do that year." — p. 124.

"All I had to do in English at— — was to write two essays of about five
hundred words each." — p. 125.

" ' Composition day' came once a week." — p. 126.

"The amount of time taken by [themes] was perhaps an hour a month." —
p. 128.

" The whole number [of compositions] for a year would amount to only four
or five." — p. 129.

" A composition about once in two weeks." — p. 129.

" It would be safer to reckon [the written exercises] in months than in
weeks." — p. 131.

"Twice a year we wrote compositions, . . . not more than five hours a year
was given to actual English composition." — p. 131.

"One hour a week was supposed to be devoted to English, but it averaged
nearer one a month, . . . until the last year English was almost ignored." —
p. 132.

" When I entered upon the work of the fourth year . . . the only hour which
had been set apart for the study of English was now devoted to Algebra and
Geometry." — p. 132.

"We had compositions every three weeks." — Facsimile No. 19.

" One written composition was required from each student every four weeks."
— Facsimile No. 20.

•' One written composition in four or five weeks." — p. 137.

" We wrote compositions once a week, the time for the composition was one
hour." — Facsimile No. 22.

" One written essay or composition every two weeks."- — p. 139.

154

English is concerned, therefore, the grammar-school theory would still
seem to be the one enunciated by Dogberry some centuries ago, that
"to write and read comes by nature" ; while, in the collegiate pre-
paratory schools another, not very dissimilar theory obtains, under
which the scholar who passes hours each day in the oral translation of
Greek or Latin authors, is supposed, when a pen is put in his hand and
a sheet of paper before him, through some mysterious mental sleight-
of-hand, to apply without practice his familiarity with the classics to
the work of English Composition, — an educational process which is
in fact calculated to produce the desired result in much the same way
and just about as rationally as that adopted b}^ the gentleman who,
proposing to discuss Chinese metaphysics, read up in the encyclopae-
dia under the two heads of China and Metaphysics, and combined his
information.

Satisfactory results, except perhaps so far as getting boys through
an examination and into college is concerned, cannot be expected
from such a method. Its crudeness is apparent; it is in no sense
education.* Indeed, there is not an instructor in any one of the
academies, the systems of which have been described in the papers
submitted to the Committee, who would not receive with derision
the mere suggestion that the process through which instruction in
English Composition is imparted should be used in the acquirement
by a boy of a reasonable degree of facility in any outdoor game or
form of amusement. To write English correctly and with ease is
something not quickly or easily to be acquired. It is a good deal
more difficult to acquire than, for instance, a fair degree of pro-
ficiency in the games of base-ball or lawn-tennis, or than riding on

" It seems to me that much more was said that would be done, than was
actually done. We were to write a theme every two weeks, but during the
whole [four years] I handed in only two exercises." — p. 140.

" The English work of those preparing for college was done at odd moments."
— p. 141.

" I considered English my easiest study, and the reason given by the instructor
was that the requirements and examinations set by Harvard College in English
were not as severe as those set for other studies." — p. 141.

" About one in two weeks, and sometimes not so often as that." — p. 142.

"During the Middle and Senior years we had two compositions to write. . . .
Sometimes, perhaps once or twice a term, we had a written exercise in class." —
p. .143.

" Perhaps once a month we wrote compositions." — p. 143.

"About once in two months we were called upon to write an account of the
plot of some book we had been reading." — p. 145.

* "This neglect of the fundamental principles ... is in itself a disgrace to
the name of education." — p. 138.

155

a bicycle or sailing' a boat, or than skating or swimming. Yet nearly
every boy from the academy can do some one at least of these things
with ease, and a degree of skill calculated to excite admiration. How
is this facility acquired? It certainly is not acquired by studying
rules in treatises, or by listening to lectures on curves, equilibrium,
buoyancy of bodies or science of pitching and batting. The study of
underlying principles is here discarded in favor of practice ; and the
practice is not at the rate of an hour in a month, or even an hour
in two weeks, — the mere suggestion of such a thing would excite
derisive surprise, — but it is daily and incessant. It is only through
similar daily and incessant practice that the degree of facility in
writing the mother-tongue is acquired which alone enables student
or adult to use it as a tool in his work, — the way in which it ought
to be used in the course of a college career. It is there not an end ;
it is an instrument.

What is English Composition ? It is the art of writing the mother-
tongue. Not infrequently it is said that certain persons have a natu-
ral facility in composition, while others are unable to acquire it.
Undoubtedly, the power of composing, like everything else, is ac-
quired by some much more easily than by others. But it is, in the
judgment of the Committee, little less than absurd to suggest that
any human being who can be taught to talk cannot likewise be taught
to compose. Writing is merely the habit of talking with the pen
instead of with the tongue. People are apt to forget that facility in
talking is acquired only by incessant practice, — practice daily and
hourly pursued from infancy throughout life. If children were taught
to talk as the scholars in our schools are taught to write, what
facility of oral utterance would they ever attain? Sitting in dumb
silence, with the exception of one hour a month, or, in the schools
disposed to be more thorough, one hour in two weeks, — as is now the
case with written utterance, — the}' would ultimately speak English
with about as much fluency and about as correctly as the average
American college graduate now speaks French or German. On the
other hand, if, as part of the necessary school discipline, the scholar
were compelled to use his pen instead of his tongue for one or two
hours a day, what skill in composition would he not attain? What
he wrote would, it is true, probably not repay reading, just as what
he says is, as a rule, not worth listening to ; but that, as a result of
practice, any youth could be trained to express himself in writing
with as perfect an ease and facility as he does in speaking, cannot
well be gainsaid. »

This would seem to be obvious ; and yet, judging by the papers
printed or quoted from in this report, such a method would seem in

156

hardly a single case to enter into the recognized curriculum or system
of any one of the scores of schools and academies which now under-
take to prepare youths for entrance to Harvard College.

What is the result? That result can be studied in the papers and
facsimiles submitted as part of this report. There are eight printed
papers and forty-two facsimiles, — the facsimiles being nearly ten per
cent, of the whole number of papers handed in. In the judgment
of your Committee the writer of no one of those forty-two facsimiles
had received adequate, or even respectable preparatory training in a
branch of instruction undeniably elementary, and one accordingly
in which a fair degree of excellence should be a necessary requisite
for admission to a college course : for no young man who has not
acquired a certain facility in writing his mother-tongue is in condition
to derive advantage, such as he should derive, from such a course :
that is, he cannot use a tool necessary to doing the work he has in

hand to do.

The College, consequently, instead of being what its name implies,
-—a seminary of higher education, — becomes, in thus far, a mere
academy, the instructors in which are subjected to the drudgery of
teaching the elements. On the other hand, the remedy is within
easy reach. At present a large corps of teachers have to be engaged
and paid from the College treasury to do that which should have
been done before the student presented himself for admission.
While teaching these so-called students to write their mother-
tongue, these instructors pass years correcting papers a mere
glance at which shows that the present preparatory training is
grossly inadequate.

° As a result of its inquiries, therefore, and on the evidence set forth
in this report, the recommendation of the Committee is distinct and
emphatic, — it is that the College should forthwith, as regards English
Composition, be put in its proper place as an institution of advancd
education. The work of theme writing ought to be pronounced a part
of the elementary training, and as such relegated to the preparatory
schools. The student who presents himself for admission to the
College, and who cannot write the English language with facility and
correctness, should be sent back to the preparatory school to remain
there until he can so write it. The College could then, as it should,
relieve itself of one of the heaviest burdens now imposed upon it,
while those admitted to College would be in position to enter imme-
diately on the studies to which they propose to devote themselves ; and
if, during the College course, they take English Composition as an
elective they should pursue it in its higher branches, and not, as now,
in its most elementary form.

157

Presumably it may be urged by those in charge of the preparatory
schools that the requisites for admission to the College have been now
so raised that the schools cannot, with due regard to other and more
necessary work to be done, devote more than an hour a month, or,
at most, two hours a month, to a branch of instruction so crude,
so unimportant, and so easily self-imparted as English Composition.
The answer to this objection, if it is made, is obvious and conclusive :
written English, like spoken English, must be taught as an incident,
and not as an end, — collaterally. Exercises, especially in translat-
ing the classics or books in foreign tongues, should be in writing, as
well as oral, and the student would thus acquire by daily practice a
facility which he never can by any possibility acquire under the
time-wasting systems now in general use. The Committee have
called attention by the use of italics to the statement of one student
that in the " small private school " in which he was fitted for College
— ' ' the preparation of English was carried out in every other sub-
ject ; my translations from other languages were carefully criticised
for their English ; my geometry propositions I have rewritten many
times on account of poor English." The Committee see no reason
why this most rational system thus said to be applied in one school
should not be applied in all ; nor does it seem any act of hardship so
to alter the present tests for admission as to compel the adoption of
such a system.

The Committee recommend that a sufficient number of copies of
this report be printed for the use not only of the Board of Overseers,
but of the Facultjr of the College, and the instructors in the prepara-
tory schools. They would further recommend that steps be taken in
relation to the standard of English Composition required for admis-
sion to our colleges which shall compel the preparatory schools to
change their present systems, and raise the standard to the required
point. While the Committee are confident that this result could
easily be brought about, the only injury which, apparently, could
ensue would be to keep out of college, possibly for one term, a
certain percentage of young men whose presence there now acts as
a mere drag or hindrance upon those more adequately prepared.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

CHARLES F. ADAMS, 1

E. L. GODKIN, f Committee.

JOSIAH QUINCY, J

APPENDIX.

Specimen examples of written translations in advanced Greek and
Latin, from the examination papers of candidates for admission to
the Freshman class, June, 1891. The passages translated are from
Cicero's speech for Cornelius Balbus, and from the Iliad of Homer.

LATIN.

No. 1.

"Therefore, for these reasons he was given over from the state by
Cnaius Pompe}7. The accuser does not deny this, but blames it.
Thus the}7 wish the fortunes of a perfectly innocent man, and the deed
of a most excellent general to be condemned. Therefore the life of
Cornelius, the deed of Pompey is brought (called) to trial. You grant
that this man was born of a very honorable family in that state in
which he was born, and from his }Touth up laying aside everything
else, he spent his time in our wars, and with our commanders, and
was absent from no task, no siege, and no battle. All these things
are not only full of praise but also the peculiar traits of Cornelius, nor
is there any blame in these things. Whence therefore is the charge ?
Because Pompey gave him over from the state. A charge against
this man ? Surely least of all, unless honor is to be considered a dis-
grace. Against whom therefore? In actual fact against no one, but
in the argument of the accuser against him alone who did the giving.
If he led on by influence had gained over b}7 reward a less worthy man,
nay even if a good man, but not so deserving : if, finally he said that
something had been done not contrary to what was allowed, but con-
trary to what was fitting, nevertheless all blame of this kind, ought
to be rejected by you, O judges. Now indeed, what is being said?
What does the accuser say? That Pompey has done what was not
allowed him ? This is more weighty than if he said that that had been
done by him which was not fitting. For there are some things which
are not fitting, even if they are allowed. But whatever is not allowed,
certainty is not fitting."

No. 2.

"Therefore, for those reasons, he has been given the citizenship by
Cnaeus Pompey. The complainant does not deny that, but demands
it back again ; thus they wish the fortunes of a most innocent man
and the deed of a most eminent commander to be condemned. There-

160

fore the head of Cornelius and the deed of Pompeius are called to
judgment. For you acknowledge that my client was born of most
honorable rank in the city in which he was born ; and that from his
boyhood he has left all his own business and, with our commanders,
has been engaged in our wars, and that he has been ignorant of no
toil, no siege, and no battle. These things are all not only full of
praise to Cornelius, but also due to him, and there is no accusation
in them. Where, then, is the accusation? That Pompey gave him
the citizenship? Pompey's accusation? Least of all, unless ignominy
is to be considered an honor. Whose then ? In truth no one's : it is
at the instigation of the complainant, and of the man who gave it.
But if he influenced less by favor, should bestow a reward upon a
worthy man, nay even if upon a good man, but not so deserving a
one ; if, finally it should be said that something had been done not
contrary to what is allowed, but contrary to what is right, neverthe-
less, Judges, all such taking back ought to be rejected by you. But
now what is said ? What says the complainant ? That Pompey has
done that which he was not allowed to do. And this is more serious
than if he said that that had been done b}r Pompey which ought not
to have been done. For it is something which ought not to be done
even if it is allowed. But whatever is not allowed certainly ought not
to be done."

No. 3.

"Thus he was given the freedom of the city a Cn. Pompey for these
reasons. This, the accuser does not deny, but takes up ; thus they
wish to condemn the fortunes of a most innocent man, and the deed
of a most preeminent general. Therefore, into court is called Cor-
nelius, (the head of C.) the deed of Pompey. For you concede that
this man, in this state in which he was born, was born in a most
honorable position, and that from an early age, having put aside all
his own affairs, had been concerned in our wars, with our generals,
that there had been a shunning of no work, no obstacle, no battle.
These things are not only full of praise for Cornelius, but they are
his own, nor is there any crime in these things. Where forsooth is
the crime ? That Pompey gave him the freedom of the city. Is this
his crime? Too little, unless honor must be thought ignominy. For-
sooth whose is it ? By the true affair of no-one : by the action of the
accusor, of that one who gave the freedom of the city. Who indeed,
if heaped with favors, would have the less conferred the reward on a
suitable man, so that even if it was not a good man, but thus it was
not merited : if next it was said that something was done not against
him and was allowed, but against him and allowed, nevertheless all

161

blame of this kind must be refuted by you, judges. Now indeed what
is said? What says the accusor? What is of more importance than
that if he said it was done by him, that which ought not to have been.
For there is something which he ought not, even if he is allowed.
That which is not allowed, certainly ought not to be."

No. 4.

"For these reasons, therefore, he was enriched by the state of Cneus
Pompeius. This the accusor does not deny but claims ; so they wish
to condemn the fortunes of a most innocent man, the deed of a ver}r
famous general. Therefore the head of Cornelius the deed of Pompey
ma}7 be called into court. You will allow this one to have been born
in a most respectable station in this state in which he was born and
from his very youth, leaving all his affairs was trained in our wars,
with our generals was experienced in no labor, no uprising, no
battle.

All these (wars) were full of praise and flatteries of Cornelius nor
was there any crime in these affairs. Where therefore is the crime?
Because Pompey enriched him with the state. The crime of this one?
Least of all unless honor must be thought base. Of whom therefore?
The truth of nothing by the act of the accusor who enriched this one.
Who if having been lead on by gratitude should help the less worthy
man with a reward even if a good man but not so wortfry.

If in short anything should be ordered done not on the contrary as
he allows but as he ought (to do) nevertheless every claim of this
kind Oh Judges should be repudiated. Now in truth what is said?
What does the plaintiff say Will it not have been permitted him to
do what Pompey has done Which is more grave than this he said
was done by him which did not behoove him (to do)

For there is something which he ought not to do even if permitted.
Whatever in truth does not permit certainly he ought not to do."

No. 5.

"For these reasons therefore he was presented with citizenship by
Cn. Pompey. The accuser does not deny that, but seizes upon ; thus
they wish the fortunes of a most innocent man, the deed of a most
illustrious commander to be condemned. Therefore the life (head)
of Cornelius, the deed of Pompey is called into trial. For you grant
that this man was born of very honest family in that state in which
he was born, and that, as he grew older, his own affairs having been

162

left he was engaged in our wars, with our commanders, and that he
was skilled in no labor, no blockading, no battle. All these things
are both full of praise and appropriate to (lit. of) Cornelius, and
there is no charge in these matters. Where, therefore is the charge?
That Pompey presented him with citizenship. Is it the charge of
this ? Very small, unless shame must be thought honor. Of what
therefore? The thing being true of no one : (it being) the action of
the accuser, of him only who presented it. Who, influenced by favor,
he had made the man less favorable by reward, nay even if he had
made him a good man, but not so worthy : if at length, anj^thing
could not be said, and was not said against the deed, but ought to
have been said, still every arrest of this sort ought to be looked upon
with scorn by you O Judges. But what is said now? What saj's the
accuser? Does he say that Pompey did what was not allowed him to
do? Which is more serious than if he said that that was done by him
which he ought not to have done. For there is something that is not
proper even if it is allowed. But whatever is not allowed is certainly
not proper."

GREEK.

No. 6..

"But up, if you are courageous and help the sons of the Greeks
cooped up from being destroyed by the din of the Trojeans. You
will be grieved afterwards nor to any extent does the priest find evil
in the sacrifice.

But much before do }Tou consider how you shall ward off an evil
day from the Greeks.

O my lord, so your father Peleus commanded you on that day when
he sent you from Phthia to Agamemnon.

" O my child, Athene & Hera will give the reward if they wish, but
do you curb your great mind in your breast. For kindliness is better.
Withdraw from mischief making strife in order that both }'oung and
old of the Greeks shall honor you the more. So commanded the old
man and you heard him. But yet now also stop, and forbid grief-
causing strife.

Agamemnon will give worthy gifts to you ceasing from your wrath.
If you do, now hear me and I will relate it to you, such gifts Aga-
memnon promised in the tent, seven tripods untouched by fire, and
ten talents of gold and twenty copper cauldrons and twelve strong
horses prize winners, who win prizes with their feet. He would not
be poor to whom these things become nor lacking gold cause of strife,
such prizes the horses of Agamemnon win."

163

No. 7.

"Moreover Achilles lamented the father and then again Patroklos,
and the lamenting of them went (arose) throughout the house. More-
over when godlike Achilles had satisfied himself with weeping, to him
from nis hair came sweat and from his limbs and immediately he rose
from his seat and took the old man by the hand gray beard and gray

head and and addressing him he spoke winged words :

*'0 wretched one indeed you have many bad things in your heart.
How did you endure alone to go to the ships of the Achaean s in the
eyes of a man who killed for you many and noble sons ? There is a
heart of iron to you. But come sit down on your chair and let us
allow sorrows to lie firmly in our hearts allthough grieving, for not
any deed is of chill weeping for thus the gods allot to wretched mor-
tals to live sorrowing, but they themselves are without care."

No. 8.

"But rise, if you have been here and heard the tired sons of the
Greeks speak, under the din made by the Trojans. Anger against
yourself will be put aside nor is it possible to find and remembrance
(knowledge) of the evil performed, or anger ; but consider much first
in order that you may not ward off the evil day from the Trojans.

Alas, surely your father Peleus gave commands to you on that day
when he sent you from Phios to Agamemnon. (Saying) 'My child
let Athenae and Hera give offence if they wish, but }^ou keep a cheer-
ful heart in your breast ; for kindliness is better. But withdraw from
evil planning wrath in order that the sons and old men of the Greeks
may honor you more.'

Thus the old man (your father) ordered, but you did not obey.
But yet even now stop, and desist from anger, leaving grief to your
mind. But Agamemnon is going to give worthy gifts to you if you
cease from your anger. But if you do, hear me and I will tell you,
what sort of gifts Agamemnon has kept for you in his tents ; seven
beautiful tripods, and ten talants of silver, and twenty beautifully
wrought garments, and twelve strong prize bearing horses, who carry
costly trappings on their heads nor would a man be poor, who had
such things nor would he lack much prized silver, so many beautiful
trappings do the horses of Agamemnon wear on their heads."

NOTE.

In the following facsimiles the papers of the students are reduced to one half
of their original size. This reduction, as is usual in such cases, materially
improves their general appearance. In examining them this fact, together with
the statements on page 120 of the present report, should be borne in mind.

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XXIX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ANCIENT
HISTORY, MEDIEVAL HISTORY, AND ROMAN

LAW.

June 15, 1892.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee on Ancient History, Mediaeval History, and
Roman Law respectfully submit the following report : —

It is unneccesary to go into a detailed description of the objects
and methods of the several courses of study that invite the attention
of this Committee. A few points, however, may be noted down.

The introductory course, numbered One, attracts a class even
larger than before ; but this multitude, now counting more than three
hundred students (of whom two-thirds are Freshmen) proves quite
manageable in the hands and under the direction of Professor Chan-
ning, who continues to have charge of it. At the mid-year the course
regularly passes, still under the same instructor, over to Modern
History, with which this Committee is not formally concerned. And
in the second half-year of 1891-92 a course (numbered Four) has
come in, so placed as to form, by way of sequel to the first period
of course One, a suitable foundation for more extended study in
Mediaeval Historj'. This also attracts a large class, which under
the teaching of Professor Emerton has on its list at the outset one
hundred and twenty members, more than one-half of whom are
Sophomores.

Few other changes, except as to time or order, appear to have
been ver}T lately (that is, down to the end of the College year
1891-92) made within the range assigned to the cognizance of this
Committee. Ample and appreciative attention has been given in the
department to Mediaeval HistoiT. Definite regard has been paid also
to the period of transition to the Middle Ages ; but, bej'ond this, little
that answers to the word " Ancient" has offered itself for two years
past in the series of courses actually conducted by instructors in the
department of History. An important course in Roman Hiskny was
indeed twice entered In the list of studies, but only to be expressly
omitted. It seems singular that necessity or convenience should
have left so little definite room for ancient times in a formal schedule
of historical study. The fact, that in a rudimentary way the history
of Greece and Rome forms an alternative part of the outfit required
for admission to the College, might naturalby enough have suggested

166

some stable provision, if possible, for riper study in the College
itself. The student, to be sure, has been regularly referred for addi-
tional instruction in certain directions to the classical departments.
Highly valuable as such collateral service may from time to time
prove to be, the connexion with these departments is somewhat
casual and uncertain.

Looking forward, however, it appears that the scheme of study for
1892-93 proposes to restore the omitted course in Roman History.
Two new half-courses are added, at least one of which may well bear
more or less on Ancient History. There will, therefore, on the whole,
be adecided gain in this part of the field with which this Committee
has had to do.

Two or three variations of former historical courses lying within
the scope of the duty of this Committee appear in the schedule for
1892-93, and a few entirely new titles, including those already
mentioned, are introduced. Mr. Schofield, whose way of teaching
Roman Law has been found by the Committee an interesting one,
now retires. His successor, Mr. Williams, has paid much attention
both at home and in Germany to the stud}T of Jurisprudence.

At the beginning of the next college year an important alteration
in the organization of the department of History will take effect.
The existing departments of History, Political Economy, and Roman
Law have been fused or welded into one, under the name of History
and Political Science, embracing the three categories of History,
Government and Law, and Economics. This arrangement may
necessitate a corresponding change in the designation of the present
Committees on History.

For the Committee,

HENRY W. TORREY, Chairman.

XXX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
MEDICAL AND DENTAL SCHOOLS.

November 16, 1892.
To The Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee appointed to visit the Medical and Dental Schools
respectfully reports that : —

Members of the Committee have visited both schools ; have
attended lectures, recitations, and clinics, and have inspected the
laboratories and museums ; professors and instructors have been
conferred with, and the acquaintance of many of the students has
been made.

THE MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Several preceding reports of Committees to visit the Medical
School have given information concerning the voluntary fourth-year
graded course, and have invariably referred to the great importance
of establishing a compulsory fourth year in place of the voluntary
fourth year. The report for the year 1888-89 refers to this in the
following words: "Your Committee reiterate their previously ex-
pressed conviction, that more time is needed for the study of medicine
as it should be taught to-day than the present course of three years
affords : — that a compulsory four years' course is required to bring
the Harvard Medical School to the proper level of medical education
as understood and recognized at the present time, and, especially,
that the stud}' of medicine must begin at an earlier age. This can
only be effected by some change made in the undergraduate depart-
ment of the college."

It is our privilege to be able to report to you that this important
change was voted by the Medical Faculty in May, 1891, and went
into actual operation this September, so that, from the year 1896 the
degree of Doctor of Medicine conferred by the Harvard Medical
School will represent four years of study of nine months each,
preceded by an entrance examination, with graded courses and stated
examinations of each years work. Other schools — as the medical
department of the University of Pennsj^lvania and of Columbia
College — when first contemplating a similar step, made it contingent
upon raising a certain sum of money or the expiration of a certain

168

limit of time. The University of Pennsylvania has finally decided to
have a four years course, beginning 1893-94, and Columbia College,
the medical department of which is better known as the College of
Physicians and Surgeons, has not yet decided to have a four years
course. Seven years at either of these institutions will give an
A.B. or S.B. degree and the medical degree.

The Harvard Medical School has boldly taken this step, and the
Faculty has shown that it has the courage of its convictions. The
School has done#what it thought was necessary and right, without
waiting for a suitable guarantee fund and without waiting for that
change to be effected in the undergraduate department of the college
which your previous Committee considered to be essential. The
School relies upon the intelligent appreciation of the public for the
support of the best in medical training when it is offered. In this,
the Faculty has not, thus far, been disappointed, though it was felt
that the first few years would be critical ones. The entering class
this 3Tear is a large one, the largest but one in the history of the
School.

The necessity for a four years course in medicine will probably be
more and more generally recognized. If men can have both the A.B.
and M.D. degrees they would prefer to take them, but rather than
spend eight years in their acquisition many will probably take onty
part of the academic course, two or three years, sacrificing the A.B.
degree to an earlier acquirement of the other. This is indicated by
the change in the proportion of those entering the Medical School
with the A.B. degree. This proportion, the Committee is told by
the Dean of the Medical School, is not as large as it was seven years
ago, but the number of those who have taken part of an academic
course before coming up to the Medical School is quite large. There
were twenty-four such among those matriculating this autumn. This
will be shown more full}7 in the annual report of the Dean of the
Medical School to the President.

The Medical School has been, is, and probably will continue to be,
self-supporting, and, instead of a burden, it is a very great credit and
source of distinction to Harvard University. The School desires and
requires money, and a good deal of it, to attain its proper develop-
ment — we have yet to hear of a department of the University which
does not. It needs large sums for the endowment of professorships,
and smaller sums for the establishment of scholarships. There are
indications that the receipt of such sums ma}7 from time to time be
realized. $15,000 were given within a year for fellowships by a
living benefactor, $10,000 were bequeathed very lately as an unre-

169

stricted fund, testifying to the l(yyal interest of a laborious physician
who gave his life to the zealous pursuit of his profession, and some
of the fruits of it to the School which taught him.

Next to endowed chairs and scholarships, the School needs for the
fullest and freest success of its clinical teaching a hospital, the
appointments to which should be under its own control. For the
establishment and maintenance of such a hospital a very large amount
of money would be required. In the not distant future it is not
impossible that some solution of this problem may present itself.
However that may be, the immediate needs of the School are, as has
been said, endowed chairs and scholarships. A school without the
control of a hospital is restricted in the selection of its clinical
professors. In other departments, the Harvard Medical School is
already in a position to draw distinguished teachers from other
schools, and has this year strengthened its Faculty- by a Professor of
Pathology taken from the Johns Hopkins, and an Associate Professor
of Physiology taken from the University of Michigan.

Since the last report made to this Board, summer courses of study
have been established by the School in many branches of practical
and scientific medicine. The clinical courses were given at the
hospitals and dispensaries of the city by the physicians and surgeons
on dut}\ Practical instruction was also given in several of the
laboratories at the School by the instructors in charge. These
courses were open to both graduates and students in medicine.
Forty-one such courses were offered during the past summer. Occa-
sional courses are also offered to graduates during the winter months.

The amount of clinical instruction has been largely increased in
the last two or three years, and previous criticisms in regard to this
particular are much less applicable. The clinical instruction at the
Harvard Medical School now compares very favorably in all depart-
ments of clinical medicine, whether as to quantity or qualit}', with
that to be found at any other centre of medical education in this
country. The laborator}^ instruction was previously acknowledged to
be, and continues to be, excellent. The Faculty has constant^
added to the number of teachers giving instruction under the auspices
of the School, and in this way some of the benefits of the extra-mural
system are secured. No less than forty-three teachers contribute to
the instruction given at the School at the present time. This large
corps of teachers, notwithstanding that many of them receive very
meagre salaries, and the maintenance of laboratories make the sup-
port of a good medical school so expensive in comparison with other
departments of a university — with a law school for instance.

170

Your Committee regrets that there is no Professor of Therapeutics.
So important a department should not be left permanently without a
head. At the same time, it is doubtless better to wait the advent of
the right man rather than to appoint someone merely that there may
be such a professor.

The new Sears building, the gift of a graduate of the School,
which provides admirable laboratories for research and instruction
in pathology and bacteriology, has now been occupied for two
y ears. Much may be expected from the facilities which it affords
for the pursuit of those branches of medical science to which it is
dedicated.

In general the teachers of the School are serious, earnest, devoted,
and highly competent. If your Committee were to make any criticism
it would be to suggest that the manner of presenting a subject is only
second in importance to the matter. Medical men do not, as a rule,
study the art of speaking; but training w' in those arts which are
indispensable in a democracy for gaining a just influence over the
public mind and conscience," to which reference was made in a recent
report of the President of the University, is not to be neglected as
contributing much to the usefulness of the successful teacher.

THE DENTAL SCHOOL.

The Dental School has still further raised the standard of its course
by requiring an attendance of three full years. Time spent with a
practising dentist outside of the School is no longer accepted as part
of the school course. The entering class is not quite as large as last
year, perhaps on account of this change, but it is not thought that
this will continue to be the case, as the value of the degree will meet
with increasing recognition. There are fifty-four students in attend-
ance this year.

The situation of the school building is not a very favorable one,
and the building itself does not now, and will not in the future, afford
the space and the convenience desired by the instructors for the best
results of their self-sacrificing work. With the cooperation of the
Alumni Association, modelled after those of the Law and Medical
Schools, the Faculty have under consideration a plan for raising
between one and two hundred thousand dollars for a new building to
be erected somewhere on the Back Bay. About twelve thousand
dollars have already been contributed by one donor. Good work is
now being done by the School, but still better work would be done
with increased facilities.

171

The words with which Dr. Shepard closed his address at the twen-
tieth aniversary of the Dental School are no less true now than then :
"This school has a double claim upon the public; first, as a trust-
worthy place of education for a profession which is now recognized as
indispensable ; and, secondly, as a charity which, like hospitals,
infirmaries, and dispensaries, ministers to the suffering poor."

GEORGE B. SHATTUCK,
H. H. SPRAGUE,
C. F. FOLSOM,
MORRILL WYMAN,
ALGERNON COOLIDGE,
J. S. BILLINGS,
W. S. BIGELOW,
G. V. L. MEYER.

XXXI.

KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GREEK.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

As it has been determined by the Board to consolidate the separate
Visiting Committees on Greek and on Latin into a general committee
on The Classical Department, this seems to be a suitable occasion for
the outgoing Committee on Greek to present a brief final report, con-
trasting in a general way certain particulars in which the present
methods of instruction in Greek at Harvard differ from the ancient
practice, and giving a succinct account of what the actual system is.
It will not be necessary to dwell upon any evils or short-comings of
the old system from the student's standpoint, as they were exhaus-
tively illustrated some ten 3Tears ago in Mr. Adams' <£. B. K. address.
Only those, however, who were directly concerned with the instruc-
tion, given or attempted, could know of the discouraging influence of
former conditions upon the teacher. How was it possible for any
high standard of scholarship, anything better than bare mediocrity, to
be expected of the student, when a whole class was held in check by
the dead weight of all its dull and lazy members ? When the instruc-
tor's mind was distracted by a conscientious effort to assign a just
mark for each individual performance of the student, how must the
freedom and the stimulating power of his teaching, of necessity, have
been impaired ! As the teacher's function was mainly restricted to
hearing lessons, it is not strange that the lessons were speedily for-
gotten by the student. What a sheer waste of time was the whole
business for both ! In the judgment of my classmate, Professor
Goodwin, in which I fully concur, in our time fully three quarters of
the recitation hour was wasted, for the better scholars, in hearing those
who knew nothing of a subject attempt to talk about it.

The first step, accordingly, in the great reform that has been
wrought in the college system, so far as the methods of instruction in
Greek are concerned, was taken, when the custom of giving a mark
for each recitation was abolished, and written examinations were
substituted to ascertain the student's progress. The results of these
examinations were made the basis of college rank, and the passing of
them satisfactorily became the decisive test whether any particular
.study was to count towards the student's obtaining a degree. B}r
this method the neglect of study was no longer punished directly,
but simply became a hindrance to attaining a degree, and successful
shirking of the daily work ceased to be attractive.

174

But the complete application of this principle could not be made so
long as most of the college studies continued to be required ones, and
thus the way was directly paved for the introduction of the elective
svstem, the final cause of all the improvement in the method of teach-
ing Greek. At once all parties felt themselves emancipated. The
ill-prepared, incompetent, or lazy student could attempt some course
which he believed to be easier. The conscientious student might
devote himself to whatever subject he believed to be more for his
future advantage than Greek. While the teacher, at last, could give
his whole time and strength to lending the best assistance in his power
to those who were really striving to learn, and to helping them to
understand the immediate subject of his instruction. The old fashion
of parading unreal knowledge in the recitation room came to an end.
In its place the student asks questions as well as answers them, and
ioins in the discussion of the topic in hand. The greatest advantage,
however, made possible by the elective system, has been the mult.phca-
tion of courses, especially in the higher branches of learning, and the
consequent reduction in size of the classes receiving instruction to-
eether By this the personal influence of the teacher is brought to
bear directly upon the pupil, and intercourse between them is greatly
facilitated. No subject of instruction in the college has been more
benefited by this change than Greek and in consequence the standard
of scholarship in that language has been greatly elevated. To ac-
complish this, of course, has required a large increase in the teaching
force, rendered possible by the steady growth of the resources of the
college When Greek and Latin were both required stud.es five
teachers sufficed for both. Now there are three professors of Greek,
three professors of Latin, a professor of Classical Philology, an
assistant professor of Greek and Latin, an instructor in Greek and
Latin a tutor and two instructors in Latin, and an instructor in
Greek -thirteen in all. Whereas formerly one regular course in
Greek and one in Latin was provided for each of the four classes, now
twenty-two full courses, and nineteen half courses, of various grades,
are offered to all who are competent to take them.

There are four essential particulars in which the modern system of
instruction in Greek at Harvard will be found to differ from the old

™ 2%*,' fa the introduction of the practice of reading an author at
si<*ht, in order to insure a real command of the language.

Secondly, As a result of this, in the establishment of courses of
reading which include the entire works, or large portions, of an
author, -mainly from the point of view of literature.

Thirdly, In a better coordination of the different courses of instruc-
tion, so that the various authors may be read with a wider scope

Fourthly, in the attention now given to subjects, winch, although

175

they are a direct means of interpretation of the authors read, never-
theless are pursued as topics distinct in themselves, such as ancient
philosophy, antiquities, and the like.

A little more of detail under each of these heads will perhaps be
advisable to make the advantages of the present method more plainly
manifest.

I. About eighteen years ago the practice was introduced of requir-
ing members of the Freshman class to read at sight a passage of
Homer not previously studied. This was read aloud, in the original,
without translation, and, if it was not thoroughly understood, was
read a second, or a third time, if necessary, before any assistance was
rendered by the instructor. This course was pursued, until event-
ually from fifty to a hundred and fifty verses were read at each lesson.
The same method was carried into the Sophomore and Junior classes,
and large amounts of Xenophon and Herodotus were read. It was
continued in all the upper courses, until such a habit of reading had
become familiar to the student, and it was only discontinued when
found to be no longer necessary. The student had learned to read
an author, depending first upon his own resources, before turning to
lexicons and other subsidiary means of information. Practically it is
found that a much larger amount of Greek is read now than under
the old system.

II. Up to some ten years ago the undergraduate courses in Greek,
following the traditional college method, were all, with one exception,
composite courses, made up of portions of several different authors.
To this method there is this objection that no sooner has the student
begun to grasp an author's manner, and to acquire some insight into
his literary style, than he is shifted into another, and compelled to
begin the process de novo. Its advantages consist in familiarizing
the student in some degree with many masters of style. At the pre-
sent time as the result of the increased power of reading now acquired
by the student, in addition to such composite courses others are given
covering the entire works of authors, such as Aristophanes or Aes-
chylus, and it is intended to extend these so as to include all the plays
of Sophocles and Euripides. This would represent the highest attain-
ment aimed at in the amount of reading by the new methods. But
there are also courses in which large portions of an author's works,
like Homer, or sets of authors, such as the Greek Lyric Poets, are
studied.

III. There is now a regular progression in the courses in Greek,
both in reading and in composition, during the first three years. To
take the courses in reading, by those who have offered at admission
only elementary Greek, small amounts of Herodotus are read and the
Iliad is begun. By those who have passed at admission in advanced
Greek, and by Sophomores sufficiently prepared, the study of Homer

176

is continued, a beginning is made of the study of Athenian oratory
and the drama, and the student is introduced to the works of Plato,
and to a knowledge of the character of Socrates. This represents
the regular course in Greek formerly required in the Freshman Year.
To candidates for Second-Year honors in Classics instruction is given,
partly by recitation and partly by lectures illustrated by the stereop-
ticon in representative works of the three great dramatic poets, and
in some interesting portion of Greek history, as narrated by Thucy-
dides The first half of the third year is devoted to the study in
detail of Greek oratory and of the career of Demosthenes, with illus-
trative reading. The second half is given to a more exclusively
literary study of the Greek drama. During this year special reports
are called for from the student upon topics suggested by the work of
the course, literary, historical, biographical, and so forth.

For candidates for Final Honors in Classics special courses are
provided, which it is unnecessary to specify.

In all the courses of reading at present it is possible for the in-
structor to take a much wider outlook than was in his power formerly.
He is no longer confined to a simple catechising on the mere elements
of a subject, but can deal systematically, chiefly by means of lectures,
with its' larger aspects, whether of literary criticism, history, philo-
sophy, antiquities, or the like.

IV Fifteen years ago twenty lectures on Classical Literature were
given to the Freshman Class. There was also a course in Compara-
tive Philoloo-y ; one in which Greek Philosophy was especially studied ;
and one on Homeric Philology. This was all the instruction given at
Harvard at that time in Classical Philology. Now an introductory
course of forty lectures in Classical Philology is given to Freshmen
and Sophomores. There are five courses in Greek for undergradu-
ates and graduates. For graduates there is besides the Seminary of
Classical Philology, and six additional courses in Greek Among
the various subjects treated in these different courses, although not
necessarily all in the same year, are the following : -ancient philo-
sophy, political and literary history, religion, life and manners art
and archeology, comparative philology, scientific grammar and dia-
lects, epigraphy, pateontography and others.

Finally the Classical Seminary has been established for the special
technical training of classical teachers, particular in methods of
research. It is resorted to by graduates of many other colleges, and
even by those who have already been teachers in them.
For the Committee,

HENRY W. HAYNES,

Chairman.

XXXII.

KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE MUSEUM
OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The Committee on the Museum of Comparative Zoology naturally
does not include within its duties any report upon the extension of
that building to provide for the departments of botanj* and mineral-
ogy, the whole structure being denominated the University Museum.
The department of geology, which forms an integral part of the
Museum of Comparative Zoology, not only is itself cramped into too
small a space, but encroaches upon room needed for the zoological
department, beside endangering the collections by the dust and dirt
incident to a large crowd of students.

A calculation of the probable rate of growth of the university, when
provisions were made for the departments of zoology and geology,
made the present building large enough for the needs of more than
half a generation. It is already so crowded, that students in the
higher branches of zoology must be turned away for want of room,
and the classes in geology are too large to be properly accommo-
dated.

It appears to the Committee to be necessary, in the near future, at
least, and now, if possible, to extend the University Museum, at an
expense of about $100,000, so that the department of geology can be
thereby provided with sufficient space, including larger lecture rooms
than those now in use, and in order that the Museum of Comparative
Zoology proper may be reserved for the zoological department alone,
including, of course, the rooms open to the public, to which has been
added, since the last report of the Committee, the collection of South
American fossil Vertebrates, now mounted and on exhibition.

Twenty years of generosity on the part of the curator of the Mu-
seum, and more than twenty years of devotion to science, in which he
has been ably seconded by his fellow-workers in the Museum, have
given to the University a collection, in many respects unrivalled in
any part of the world, and have built up a Museum, the plan of which
has been imitated in all the leading museums of like character in
Europe.

The publications of the Museum, as well as the work done there,
have added greatly to the reputation of the University, and cover.

178

beside the annual reports of the curator, since 1859, twenty-two
volumes of bulletins of one hundred and sixty numbers, and seventeen
quarto volumes of memoirs, of the greatest scientific value. _ There
are, also, in press partly, the Reports of the Dredging operations^
the "Blake" in 1877, 1878, 1879 and 1880, and those of the Alba-
tross Exhibtion of 1891, both in charge of Mr. Agassiz, which each
include twenty-three monographs by experts. The cost of pubhcation
of the Reports of the Albatross Expedition alone, with illustration,
will be about $50,000, for which we are not called upon to provide.

Since 1887, the private munificence by which the University has
reaped such vast material benefits and gained so much well-earned
fame, has been directed, in great part, to other and more pressing
needs of scientific research; and the generosity upon which the
University has so long depended must be supplemented from other
sources, or we must see Chicago, New York, Baltimore and Washing-
ton soon taking the lead in original investigation and such purely
scientific work as could be better done in Cambridge, and drawing
to themselves bright, young, scientific men, who would do cred.t to
our University by carrying on their investigations here.

The Committee finds that we have to do with needs of two classes :
first, on the part of the Museum ; second, on the part of the Oniver-

SIThe first need of the Museum is an aquarium and vivarium, for
which there is ample room in the basement story, for the use of
students in the zoological department. This will probably require an
endowment of $50,000, to include the salary of an assistant. But a
first expenditure of $5,000, and thereafter $1,500 a year, might prove

^Second, there should be in the Museum a collection of fossils from
our Western States and Territories, to obtain a typical systematic
and stratigraphical representation of them, for which from $3,000 to
$5,000 a year, for ten years, will be necessary.

Third, two of the four rooms for the exhibition of fossils now in
the Museum are partly arranged. To complete the arrangement of
these two, and to place the other two in the same position, will neces-
sitate the expenditure of from $15,000 to $20,000.

Fourth, it is quite important that there should be a marine zoologi-
cal laboratory, in order that the students may work with a continuity
of direction and purpose throughout the year. The curator of the
Museum has, for sixteen years, at his own expense, maintained at
Newport such a laboratory, for his own private use, to which a small
number of students is admitted. Neither this nor the marine
biological laboratory at Wood's Holl, however, is fully adequate to

179

our needs. The cost of a suitable laboratory would be $15,000, and
the annual expenses $2,000.

Fifth, an assistant is needed in the palseontological department,
with a salary of $1,500, to take the place of Professor Hyatt, who
has been obliged to resign his valuable service there, for want of
funds.

Sixth, there should be six assistants appointed : one in osteology,
one in birds and mammals, two in palaeontology, two in invertebrates
and alcoholic preparations. These six assistants are to be placed in
charge of special rooms, when required for persons who wish to
examine the collections. They would probably serve for salaries of
$500 a year, each ; or an annual aggregate of $3,000.

We should, also, call attention to the fact that there are no funds
available for preparing an exhibit in the geological and geographical
rooms. Professors Davis and Wolff have brought together a few
models, as well as photographs and specimens, ultimately intended
for those rooms. But, for want of funds, no systematic attempt has
been made at bringing together collections which might be interesting
to the public.

From the point of view of the University, it seems a great misfor-
tune that such magnificent facilities as have been got together in the
past twenty years, at an enormous outlay of labor and time and
money, should be allowed to remain, to so great a degree, unutilized
for want of teachers and assistants. It is also to be regretted, that,
for the instruction of undergraduates and beginners, an expert should
be obliged to spend his time in teaching rudiments, for which
a less highly-trained instructor would answer every purpose. It is
not the judgment of the Committee that it would be well to devote
the Museum and its corps of experts to purely scientific research, and
to exclude students, as is done at the astronomical observatory, for
instance. But it is, at least, doubtful how long we can keep the best
talent if it continues to find itself so handicapped, as compared with
men of similar position in other universities.

The University should have, in the opinion of the Committee, five
highly- accomplished men, not necessarily men who have achieved
distinction, at salaries of $2,000 each, annually, for the higher
instruction of advanced students in entomology, in both vertebrate
and invertebrate zoology, in palaeontology, and in marine zoology,
with the care and direction of a marine laboratory, if we are fortunate
enough to secure one.

For routine class-work in biology, it is reasonable to suppose that
further provisions must be made, in the near future, in order to supply
a greater demand for such courses of study, which we must expect

180

from raising the standard of education in the Medical School, and
through the natural growth of the University, as well as by reason of
the exceptional facilities for study. This will involve the necessity of
more teachers in the rudiments, some of whom we would do well to
appoint now, in order to relieve, at least, the professor of anatomy,
from being so driven by his classes as not to have the time for original
investigations of his own, or for conducting researches through others
and helping higher work.

Of course, the same need exists in the department of geology,
which, it is hoped, may soon be removed to larger quarters ; and the
Committee reserves itself the privilege, on another occasion, of call-
ing attention, in greater detail, to the needs of that department in
connection with the Museum.

Since 1874, the Museum has received no addition to its endowment,
other than that from the curator, who has, also, freety given his own
services without remuneration, except one recently of $5,000 for a
scholarship. Possibly, we should except, also, $500 a year for one
of the professors, from one of his friends, and from Mrs. Leconte a
a collection of insects, with $500 for cases. In the meantime, as
classes grow or otherwise, the demands upon the Museum increase,
while its income really grows less.

Members of your Committee have given much time to the matter
of raising money for the requirements which they have outlined, but
thus far with no tangible result.

The Committee regrets to report the continued illness of Professor
Hagen, and the loss of his valued services in the professorship of
entomology.

CHARLES F. FOLSOM,
ABBOTT LAWRENCE,
A. LAWRENCE LOWELL,
LOUIS CABOT,
FRANCIS L. HIGGINSON,
ARTHUR J. CABOT.
Presented January 11, 1893.

XXXIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
BUSSEY INSTITUTION.

To The Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee appointed to visit the Bussey Institution submit the
following report : —

The Bussey Institution offers to the young man an education in the
sciences of agriculture, horticulture, and arboriculture.

The officers and instructors are distinguished in their several de-
partments. The Institution is pleasantly and conveniently situated,
the building is commodious, and the fine old Bussey Farm, for so
many years cultivated by the present venerable instructor in farming,
if properly availed of, offers the best opportunities for teaching the
art of practical farming. The Arnold Arboretum, which is being
rapidly developed under the skilful hand of its accomplished Director,
affords an unequalled opportunity for acquiring a knowledge of trees
and shrubs, of their comparative usefulness and value, as well as of
the best methods of planting and propagating them. Indeed, the
facilities for obtaining the knowledge most useful to a farmer or
horticulturalist are found at the Institution, but are availed of by so
small a number of students that it must be very discouraging to the
instructors, and detract from that espr it-de-corps which is so necessary
to teachers and pupils for the effecting of the best results.

The reasons for this are that the education is purely agricultural
and horticultural, while at Amherst, and at other agricultural schools
and colleges, a general education is offered, which must always prove
more attractive to the class of young men who seek an education in
agriculture.

While it is true that various courses of lectures are open to him at
the college, yet these are generally of too advanced a character for
the average agricultural student. Then again, the College is too far
from the Bussey Institution for him to faithfully attend both of them.

Another reason for the preference given to other agricultural
schools, which is very apparent, is that there are no proper dormi-
tories, no life in common, nothing of that daily intercourse which is
ever so dear to the hearts of young men. The atmosphere is cold and
forbidding. Instructors and students come for a brief hour or two,
and return to their several homes. So lon<* as this is the condition

182

of life at the Bussey Institution, it must continue to be what it is
now. We cannot expect the number of students to increase. The
Professor and Instructors may continue their valuable contributions
to the science of agriculture and horticulture, but the Institution as a
School of Agriculture cannot be expected to advance beyond its
present position.

For the Committee,

L. SALTONSTALL.

Presented November 23, 1892.

XXXIV.

EEPOET OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
JEFFERSON PHYSICAL LABORATORY AND
THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS.

January 11, 1893.
To The Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

We, the undersigned, members of the Committee appointed to
visit the Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics,
having attended a duly notified meeting at the Laboratory Building
on January 4th, 1893, have the honor to report as follows : —

We find a marked improvement in the arrangement and administra-
tion of the Laboratory since the date of our last report, and are
pleased to note evidences of valuable original research by the
Director and his associates. The apparatus connected therewith,
and with the ordinary class work, bear witness to the mechanical
ingenuity of the experimenters and the efficiency of the Laboratory
work-shop.

We recognize the very great importance of the instruction in
physical science now given by the Laboratory to the teachers of the
Cambridge grammar schools ; and admire the ingenuity displayed in
the contrivance of simple apparatus for this special work.

We find the Laboratory library sadly in need of such standard
books of reference as should be at the hand of every teacher and
student of physics. The suggestion that such books are in the
College Library does not meet our criticism ; and we respectfully
urge a special appropriation which may ensure to the Laborator}'
a fair working library.

We are satisfied that "The Joseph Lovering Fund for Physical
Research " is bearing good fruit, and that in no wajT can physical
science at Harvard College be advanced more surety than by a
substantial increase in this fund, the present income of which is
barely four hundred dollars per annum. The Director, in his report
to the President of the Universit}', indicates clearly the best conditions
for research in the Physical Laboratory ; and these conditions could
be established immediately if a sufficient income were at his disposal.

FRANCIS BLAKE,
EDMUND WETMORE,
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH,,
ERASMUS D. LEAVITT.
Presented January 25, 1893.

XXXV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT.

To The Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The Committee on Government submits the following report for
the calendar year 1892: —

At sundry times several members of the Committee have visited
the Dean's office in Cambridge, and have personally examined the
workings of the disciplinary system now in use, and the records of
attendance. In our opinion, the system is working fairly well. The
students are kept up to their work, and it is possible at once to deter-
mine, with reasonable accuracy, from what exercises any particular
student has been absent. To carry out this system, however, requires
not only good judgment and fine discretion, but also a large amount
of purely clerical work. At times the force in the office has been
insufficient. The Dean and the Recorder have been compelled to
give time to matters of detail which should have been left to clerks,
and, in consequence, these excellent officers have been considerably
overworked. We are glad to be informed that at present the condi-
tion of affairs is improved ; but we desire to reiterate the opinion
expressed in our last report, that the present system is so valuable
that its success should not be risked by overworking those called
upon to administer it. In fact, the present system of doing the
necessarjr clerical work at the offices in University Hall is a survival
from the days when there were only a few hundred students in the
College, and when the conditions of study and discipline were far
simpler than the}7 are to-day. The amount of purely clerical work
now needed to record absences, to prepare for examinations and to
tabulate their results, to send out notices and circulars, to answer the
proper inquiries of parents and guardians, etc., is enormous. The
machinery which does this work, hopelessly antiquated, patched in
one place and added to in another, so as to meet the absolute neces-
sities of the case, should be replaced. It is not for us to frame a
new system ; we have not the necessary knowledge, but we desire to
urge upon the proper authorities the need of arranging the clerical
work in the offices of the seve:al Deans and Chairmen of Committees
of the Faculty, the Recorder, Secretary, Regent, etc., in such a
manner that it may be done promptly and without conflict, and that
those officers may be free to devote themselves to the important
duties which devolve upon them.

186

We have had a conference with the Regent concerning the scope
and execution of his duties. He has been able to exert considerable
influence upon the officers and members of the College societies, and
in some cases the advice which he has given privately has been found
far more effective than stringent rules or public discussion. No doubt
there must be disciplinary rules, but, in our opinion, they do much
less good than wise and tactful advice given by an officer of the
College commissioned for the purpose. The College has a right to
expect that the efforts of the Regent in this direction shall be
strongly supported by the influence of all teachers in the College.

During the past year, the Regent has visited all students who have
been ill, including many whose illness was slight and who had not
seen a physician. In many cases he has induced these men to call
one, and he informs us that the relations into which he has been
brought with the students have been not only pleasant, but profitable
in guiding them at other times.

This sort of work has never before been done systematically and,
in our opinion, is necessary ; but we find that the Regent, the Dean,
and the Recorder are all of opinion that the appointment of an expert,
as suggested by the Committee on Physical Training, might do much
good both to the health and the morals of the students.

For the Committee,

FRANCIS C. LOWELL, Chairman.

Presented January 11, 1893.

XXXVI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GERMAN.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University :

The undersigned Committee beg leave to submit the following
observations :

The Committee on German held a meeting with the Department of
Instruction in German in March, 1893. The members of the Com-
mittee and the members of the Department unanimously agreed that
it was essential to proper progress in German and in many other
studies in the University that the changes suggested by the Report
submitted by the Committee in 1892 should be made at the earliest
practicable moment.

The Committee does not ignore the fact that those changes are
radical, but nevertheless urges them as fundamental to a reasonable
government of the University and as a necessaiy part of the reforms
in education already begun there.

C. SCHURZ,

J. ELLIOT CABOT,

CHARLES E. GRINNELL

Presented September 27, 1893.

XXXVII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BOTANIC

GARDEN.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University :

The present report will confine itself to a consideration of the
condition and needs of the Botanic Garden, Botanical Laboratories,
and Botanical Museum.

The Herbarium is to receive attention in a subsequent report, since
the Curator desires to postpone the presentation of the case until
autumn.

The Botanic Garden is at present in a very attractive condition.
The Director, Professor Goodale, is fortunate in having hearty
co-operation from the Head Gardener, Mr. Robert Cameron. The
changes which have been made in the arrangement of plants are all
designed to increase the facility with which teachers and pupils, both
in our College and our Public Schools, can utilize the specimens. It
is a pleasure to note that the Garden is visited by increasing numbers
of interested visitors, and that the specimens are used by them in a
most satisfactory manner.

It was the original intention of Professor Gray to emplo}' the
treasures of the Garden (as far as possible) not only for the Uni-
versity but for the community ; and this plan his successor is carrying-
out as fully as possible. The community appreciates this to a large
extent, but there is still a serious drawback to complete success. An
unruly element, coming chiefly from our foreign population, renders
it necessary to have police protection for the Garden at certain times ;
but it is hoped that this evil will ultimately be remedied.

Extensive repairs upon the greenhouses have become imperatively
necessary, but it is hoped that these have now been placed in a con-
dition which will render it possible for the Garden to avoid further
outlay for repairs until the time comes when strong, iron greenhouses
can be erected.

The Botanical Laboratories, equipped chiefly through the gifts of
Mr. H. H. Hunnewell and Mr. F. L. Ames, have been filled with
earnest students during the past year. The large elective has con-
tained about two hundred men, while the students in all the other
electives would bring the total up to nearly three hundred. It is not
thought likely that any outlay will be required for the Laboratories
for some years.

190

The Botanical Museum comprises :

First, the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models, which is
rapidly growing under the benefactions of Mrs. C. E. Ware and Miss
Mary L. Ware. The beautiful displa}T of incomparable models is
one of the chief attractions to visitors to our University.

Second, The Economic Museum, which is steadily increasing in
importance and value. The Director has already placed on exhibi-
tion specimens in one or two of the important groups of economic
products, but more cases are needed for the display. It is the belief
of the Committee that the construction of these ought to be under-
taken at once. The cases, together with a much-needed library of
economic botan}*, would require the immediate expenditure of about
eight thousand dollars.

The Committee are gratified at being able to announce that several
gifts have been made to the Museum during the present year, the
most important of which was a sum of money by an anonymous bene-
factor for the purpose of del raying the expenses of a check list of
the North American plants described in Gray's Manual. This check
list is believed to be an important addition to the appliances of the
department.

Miss Anna C. Lowell has continued the generous contribution of
one thousand dollars to the permanent Lowell Fund for the Botanic
Garden.

Among the interesting gifts has been a Giant Tree Fern, from
Australia, presented by Baron von Mueller, who has defrayed all
expenses from Melbourne to Boston. This superb specimen is placed
in the Australian house, and proves an important addition to our
means of illustration.

Hon. George W. Hammond, of Maine, has given three hundred
dollars towards the purchase of a set of colored lantern slides illustra-
tive of the vegetation of Japan. Gifts have also been received from
Mr. F. H. Peabody and Mr. Walter Hunnewell for defraying the
expense of princing descriptive labels and a catalogue of the Museum.

The only immediate need of the establishment appears to be a sum
of money sufficiently large to permit the Director to construct the
additional cases and to proceed with the purchase of a library of
Economic Botany. For this imperative need, for the present year it
is believed, as we have said above, that the sum of eight thousand
dollars would suffice.

For the Committee,

HENRY LEE.

Presented September 27, 1893.

XXXVIII

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE LAWRENCE
SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College: —
The number of pupils at the Lawrence Scientific School is to-day

whl it " T 8Teater thaD What * WaS laSt ?ear' three ««*

and th ,, 7 yea[S ag°' S6Ven timeS What * was five I*™ -go,
and thn- een times what it was six years ago. Also the number of

speed students ,s gradually becoming less in proportion to the number

n a ffivlt ntS' WMle " 1888-89 the SPecial «***« were
nea.ly five t.mes as many as the regular students, to-day the regular

students are m the majority. Where in 1887-88 there were 14 srfee M

am. 6 regular students, the School this year has 131 special and HO

wr!ttnrtt ra tofcal of m students- ^since ais r^« *■

written the number is increased to 279 )

This sudden revival of the School from a dormant condition to one
of greater actmty, ^ ^ ^ fa ^ Qf

I theTTflT, "; Unh'erSity- U haS SUdde"^ be— a fact

^r ion of the'lT ° ^^ ^ ^'^ te" ^^ of «>«

portion of the Umyemty which receives instruction at Cambridge

wrth every prospect that next year it may claim a much larger prj I
tion of the University population. - P '

The primary cause for this rapid increase in the number of students
at the School ,s of course to be found in the energy and devotion o

teachds. These have acted upon a demand, which evidently exists

Ken! sss? rry' for technicai "*«* * -S

a!es tt S^n g r J aSSened !tSe,f aS °fferi»g certai» '^van-
tages, the School now draws students in these largely increase num

bers. They are attracted partly by the excellence of the oppo tu," ies
n the School itself, partly by those it shares with the Co Z p y

FcllSeXfyS. ^ "' ~* * - -AS 2
It seems fair to judge of the future by the recent past, and there

Pom,r?<hn\qUeSti°n ^ tbat the S««ool will grow very apd y
Popularity has been attained. Your Committee now feel 22
eerued that what is oifered to its stndents should be be e id more
thorough than they can elsewhere obtain.

192

At present the crying need that confronts the School is room in
which to instruct these large numbers. The increased fees meet for
the moment the calls for extra teachers and apparatus, but the quar-
ters that have answered for a slumbering school are absolutely inade-
quate for the large and increasing classes. Professor Shaler tells us
that the School has before it the alternative of raising the standard to
such a degree as to stop the increase of numbers or of obtaining in
some way a suitable building. Present needs for a few 3-ears might
be met by a comparatively small three story building to accommodate
the Department of Mechanical Engineering, but this should be one
wing of a future complete structure that could in time have one addi-
tional section for Civil Engineering, another for Electrical Engineering,
with a smaller section for Mining Engineering. On the completion of
this new building the present School building would serve for the
Mathematical, Astronomical, English, and other courses.

It is our duty to report to the Overseers the condition and needs of
the School. We accordingly urgently point out that while the condi-
tions are in the highest degree favorable, the needs are of the most
absolute and peremptory kind. The School, in short, is afflicted with
prosperity.

ROBERT S. PKABODY,
MORRILL WYMAN,
ARTHUR ROTCH,
HIRAM F. MILLS.
ELIOT C. CLARKE.
Committee to visit the Lawrence Scientific School.

Presented November 15, 1893.

xxxrx.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE SEMITIC
LANGUAGES.

In the death of its revered Chairman, Rev. A. P. Peabody, D. D.,
the Committee has lost a member whose interest in the work was ever
active and whose wise counsels are sorely missed.

During the year two meetings were held, the Professors in the
department also being present by invitation.

Assistance in the teaching was given by Mr. Reisner and Mr. Chester,
who were also carrying on their own advanced studies in Semitic.
Mr. Chester continues as assistant for the year 1893-94, while
Mr. Reisner spends the year in study abroad, having been appointed
to a traveling fellowship.

All the courses offered by the department were taken last 3'ear
except the Aramaic and the General Semitic Grammar. There were
two courses of research given for the first time, one in Assyrian and
one in Arabic.

There was a marked increase in the number of students choosing
Semitic subjects, particularly of the historical courses. The latter do
not require a knowledge of Semitic languages. Some of these are of
such large general interest, specially those relating to the Old Testa-
ment, that the}' are worthy of the attention of every student in the
College. A growing recognition of their value and the improved
facilities of the department explain largely the increased numbers in
the classes. The numbers electing Semitic topics were as follows : —
I. Language Courses: Hebrew, 18; Assyrian, 7; Arabic, 5;
Phoenician, 4.

II. Historical Courses: Hebrew history, 100; Hebrew litera-
ture, 17; Hebrew religion, 5; Assyrian history, 22; Bagdad Cali-
fate, 29.

Total, 20G.

The fortnightly meetings of the Semitic Conference were well
attended. At these meetings papers were read and discussed by the
instructors, the students, and invited guests.

In May a course of four public illustrated lectures was given b}T
Professor Lyon on Babylonian-Assyrian history.

Two of the students presented acceptable theses of the Ph.D.
degree, Mr. Reisner and Mr. Hazard. The former passed also a

194

rigid oral examination, and received the degree; but Mr. Hazard
was prevented bj^ serious illness from doing the same.

Valuable additions were made during the year to the equipment of
the department. Among these may be mentioned a series of oriental
wall maps and a stereoptieon with several hundred oriental views.
The Semitic Library, which was much used by the students, received
many valuable new volumes. The Semitic Museum likewise grew by
the arrival of several cases of casts from abroad, and by the purchase
of a fine lot of Phoenician glass and two lots' of modern Bedouin and
Palestinian objects.

The Committee has felt more strongly than ever the need of secur-
ing suitable quarters for the department. Last year the instruction
was given in the different buildings, while the Museum occupies a
room in a fourth. The problem of bringing the apparatus and the
instruction together into a Semitic building has been under serious
consideration. It appears that a structure adequate for present needs
could be erected for fifty thousand dollars, and conditional pledges
to this cause have been made to the extent of twenty-six thousand
dollars. It is believed that this building would be most effective for
its immediate object and from the general educational point of view
if it might be grouped with others of a similar nature devoted to the
other departments represented in the instruction of the University.

The vacancy now existing in the Committee should be filled at an
early day, so that an efficient interest in the work of the department
shall be kept alive.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

JACOB H. SCHIFF, Chairman.

Presented November 15, 1893.

XL.
REPORT OF THE COMMITEE ON ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers : —
I have the honor to report as follows :

On different occasions I visited the zoological laboratories and
lecture, rooms at Harvard, as also the galleries of the Museum adja-
cent. In the laboratories there were a number of students at work
the more advanced entirely alone, the others more or less closely
supervised by the head of the department and his assistants, who
evidently realize the necessity for training students to do their own
thinking and their own work, while yet exercising enough supervision
over them to keep them pointed in the right direction. In the lower
classes composed chiefly of undergraduates, the supervision of course
has to be much closer, and there has to be very much more of actual
pedagogic instruction. The theses and papers produced by the
higher students often possess real value, and not infrequently take
rank among the writings that have to be consulted bv specialists in
different lines of work.

There should, however, be a very much fuller and later set of
apparatus used. The University ought to pay the head of each of its
departments well, and allow him an ample staff of capable, well-
trained young assistants to take the routine work off his hands ■ and
the University should not allow itself to fall behind its competitors in
the kind and quantity of appliances used in the work of the students.
Harvard should ;„ every ^^ kegp ^^ rf ^ ^^ ^

fellow umversities, whether here or in Europe, and should profit by
every improvement made. J

In the Zoological Department special attention is devoted to micro-
scopic work, particularly in connection with anatomical studies and
studies into the earliest and lowest forms of life, and every effort is
made to profit by the experience and teachings of the Germans in this
kind of scientific investigation. This is good as far as it goes ; but
it must be remembered that it is only a small part of zoology. It will
no do to neglect the work of the systematist and the outdoor faunal
naturalist for purely closet work.

In addition to the present course in zoology, I believe that system-
atic work should be done in a number of widely-separated groups,

196

comprising the higher vertebrates as well as invertebrates. Field
work also is necessary, and if impracticable during the college year,
it may be carried on in vacation. Careful attention should be paid
to the study of the habits and life histories of animals. In the case
of advanced students, original systematic work should be encouraged
— such as revisions of genera. Another important element to which
sufficient heed is not paid is the study of the distribution of life,
which should be taught in lectures, covering both distribution in time
(paleontologic distribution) and distribution in space- (geographic
distribution) . Such questions ought by rights to be considered more
or less in connection with one another.

The anatomical microscopist has a high and honorable function to
fill in the scientific word ; but it is certainly no more, and is probably
decidedly less, important than that of the systematist and the outdoor
collector and observer of the stamp of Audubon or Bachman, Baird
or Agassiz. The microscopist is merely one of many scientific
workers, and proper biological work must include very much more
than the study of microscopic anatomy and embryology. It is abso-
lutely necessary for the student to be grounded in the use of the
microscope ; but both instructor and student should keep steadily in
mind the fact that in biology, properly so called, the position of the
microscope by no means answers in importance to the position of the
telescope in astronomy. Yet this is a mistake into which many of
our modern biological investigators are prone to fall.

The highest type of zoologist is the naturalist, the man who loves
outdoor work as well as the work of the laboratory, and who studies
and delights in animals and plants, considered with reference to
nature as a whole, and with regard to their own habits and inter-
relationship of structure. In all our colleges, and in Harvard among
the number, the modern tendency is to pay attention almost solely to
work with the microscope in morphology and embryology, chiefly
with regard to the lower organisms. This is a great mistake ; such
work should be treated merely as a portion, perhaps the preliminary
portion, of the course ; for this division of the science of biology is
merely a division after all, and not the whole science. Until thirty
or forty years ago its importance as a branch of zoological study was
not recognized ; now we go to the opposite and equally pernicious
extreme of regarding it as the only important branch of the study.
In Harvard the student should have practical training in systematic
zoology, being taught to work out for himself, of course at first under
competent supervision, the innumerable , problems surrounding the
question of genetic and specific affinities and differences, as affected
by food, environment, and ancestral descent; together with the

197

evolution, individual variation, and distribution of species, genera and
families.

It is a pity to adhere too blindly to German methods ; we should
take what is best in them, as in those of any other country, and
profit by them, but we should certainty not take all, good and bad
indiscriminately ; and even the good that we do choose we should
assimilate to our own ways and habits of thought.

Thoroughness, appreciation of minute investigation, and attention
to detail are indispensible ; and we must beware of the tendency
towards hasty and superficial work, which has been the bane of
certain sides of American development. On the other hand, we must
strive to avoid the besetting sin of many industrious and otherwise
useful investigators, that is, the inability to see the matter as a whole
because of his very capacity to see the molecules of which it is com-
posed, and the tendency to lose all capacity to do general work or
draw general conclusions, and to regard the heaping up of innum-
erable small observations on innumerable small points as. the one
final end of scientific study. It is quite as important for the scientific
man as for the historian to possess the power of discrimination and
rejection. While he should beware, above all things, of generaliz-
ing from insufficient data and of starting to build his superstructure
before having laid a solid foundation, he should also take heed not to
spend his whole time in lading the foundation, and not to fall into the
error of thinking that laborious and minute care in shaping a single
brick is the equivalent of building a wall. Though the collection of
innumerable facts is absolutely necessary as a preliminary to doing
any great work, yet this great work can never be done b}T the mere
collection of such facts ; they only form the data upon which to base
it. In creating specialists we should not lose sight of the fact that
we must also create the conditions which may enable the greater
general writers to profit by the work of these specialists ; and while
recognizing fully the need of the laboratory worker, we must not
forget the need also of the man who can collect, observe, and record
his observations, in the open ; who can work both in the laboratory
and afield ; who is a naturalist, in the fine old acceptation of the
wrord, and not a latter-day "biologist" — a mere histologist and
embryologist.

Special attention should be paid to the Museum of Comparative
Zoology in connection with the zoological courses of the University.
I went over this museum with some care, and consulted Mr. William
Brewster, the ornithologist, in reference to the question how it can be
used and developed so as to aid in the most effective manner not onry
the students of natural history themselves but also the general public,

198

upon whose intelligent interest in scientific questions so much of the
po sibility of successful scientific research depends. The value of
the collections in the museum to the students of the zoological courses
hardly needs to be more than pointed out; indeed it would.be more
fair to call the collections invaluable to them. Of course for these
students alone there is less need of paying special heed to the arrange-
ment of the specimens than when the needs of the general public are
concerned. In most cases the student can work best from a zoologi-
cal specimen which is not set up in the way that it would be apt to
strike the eye of an outsider. Ordinarily the scientific investigator
who wishes to make a special study of some given animal will try to
get as full a series of specimens as possible, from different localities,
and collected in different seasons, and will prefer, if the animal is a
snake or a frog, for instance, to have these specimens in alcohol ;
while if it is a warbler or a shrew-mouse he will wish to have before
him hundreds of skins and skulls or skeletons prepared in the ordinary
style, with a few alcoholic specimens likewise. But even the student,
and especially the 3'oung student, can be greatly benefited and can be
taught to generalize with accuracy and discrimination and to look
out for certain kinds of facts by having before him as object lessons
specially prepared series of animals of various kinds, arranged with
reference not only to their systematic position, but also to their
geographic range, associates, and environment. These special series,
moreover, offer in some wa}Ts the only method of appealing to the
outsider who is not a zoological specialist, but who is an intelligent
observer and delighted to take an interest in scientific questions, if
the}T are presented to him in a clear and attractive form. Under our
democratic system of life it is difficult to overestimate the desirability,
for the purpose of securing scientific work of a high character, of
having a well-informed general public intelligently interested in
scientific questions and with that general knowledge which would
enable them to appreciate the highly specialized work of the men who
stand foremost in the ranks of our scientists.

These special series, arranged on such a plan, would serve to
interest and educate both the public and the general student. They
might be arranged on some such plan as the following, taking at first
only mammals and birds, as being the most interesting and important.
Every care should be taken to give the groups of mounted specimens
artistic value, rendering the beasts and birds as lifelike as possible,
without losing anything of scientific value ; this is a most important
point. The different series should be arranged : —

1. To show the s}Tstematic position of certain groups and their
relationships to one another. Both genera and f amity could be used

199

for this purpose; the genera of short-tailed am] long-tailed shrews
and the whole family of the insectivora or some gro„p°of rodent 2
as meadow-m.ee and their allies, for instance, or the thrashes, wrens,
hnches, and warblers. '

2. To show the effect of surrounding conditions on the genera and
spec.es of mammals and non-migratory birds which range uninter-
ruptedly oyer large geographical areas. Faunal maps should be used
.n connection with the specimens. Such genera as the chipmunks
andspern.oph.les, and among birds the horned larks and snowbirds •
and such spec.es as the ordinary wood rabbit and white-footed mouse'
these tol s tU''key' WMsky-jack and sP™ce §™»se could be used in
3. To show by the grouping of the mammals and birds exhibited,
he ™,ous phases of appearance in any given species, correlating
with sex, season, age, etc. Such species as the indigo bird, orchard
ono e bobolink, and the varying hares and ermines8 could be used
. lor tnis purpose.

4 To show the relations of mammals and birds to their breeding
feeding, and general life economics. These groups would have to be
prepared with special skill. They should show the denizens of the
desert, the forest, and the swamps, of mountain and lowland'; they
should show the different kinds of homes and nests, as the house of
the muskrat the burrow of the woodchuck, and the widely varying
ness of wood-peckers, mourning doves, song sparrows, barn-, wallows*
Baltimore orioles, magpies, and the like, with the eggs and young
|hn different species should be shown foraging for food -minks
Jeld-m.ce, hawks, dueks, vireos, yellow-birds, summer yellow-birds

Ls'orT6' ^ b/ttleS °f male m°°Se' °r the ^ <J»oing
nng of cock pra.r.e fowl in the breeding season could be exhibited

Fmally, spec.al groups might be made for such species as packrats
and cow-buntings, with extraordinary or aberrant habits

o. To show the dichromatic phases which occur in many families of
mammals and birds ; as among certain owls, egrets and squirrels.
L T° f°W\hat ™y be PWPerly regarded as the primary life

tlloft eeheT SUrfaCe' ^ bringiDg t0gethel' ^P-l repres'enta-
tives of the higher groups peculiar to each.

7. To show, by association of genera, the essential elements of
he great c.rcumpolar boreal region, with speeial reference to the

resemblances and differences between the American and Eurasian

8. To show more in detail, in connection with faunal maps asso
c.at.ons of the genera and species characteristic of each of the 'faunal
divisions of North America.

200

Visitors to the World's Fair can gain some idea of at least certain
of the kinds of groups to which I refer by examining the various sets
of mounted mammals and birds in the Government exhibit, and also
those prepared by Mr. L. L. Dyche, in the Kansas State exhibit.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Chairman.

II.

The Chairman of the Committee on Instruction in Zoology having
sent in his individual report, the other members of the Committee
be£ leave to submit the following : —

After visiting the laboratories and conferring with the instructors,
we are of the opinion that the present scheme of courses in Zoology
is both well conceived and well carried out. The plan restricts the
student's freedom of election to certain combinations of courses.
This restriction is imposed on account of the inter-relations of these
courses with one another and with certain of the courses offered by
the Botanical department. A wholesome restraint is thus put upon
the student who is disposed to abuse the freedom afforded under the

elective system.

The more elementary studies deal with the general morphology of
animals These courses are succeeded by those adapted to more
advanced students - courses largely devoted to embryology and
histology. From their disciplinary value, the adaptability of their
method's to sedentary laboratory work, the important place they hold
in the present phase of Science, and the wide field they offer for
original investigations, it appears to us that these subjects are rightly
given a place of paramount importance in the advanced instruction
offered by the University. The success of the methods employed is
attested by the large number of memoirs of original value produced
by the students and published in the Bulletin of the Museum of
Comparative Zoology. . 7^Wv

Still, it seems to us that the programme of courses in Zoology
mio-ht well be rounded out by adding an elementary course in system-
atic zoology (classification) and the distribution of animal life upon
the Earth's surface. The large collections of the Museum in the
exhibition-rooms adjacent to the laboratories are specially adapted to
subserve such a course, which would be a valuable collateral to t
morphological courses now offered and would have the further advan-
tage, for students wishing to pursue work in systematic rather thai

201

morphological Zoology, of serving as a preliminary to individual
researches carried out under the supervision of the curators in charge
of the special collections of the Museum.

The equipment of the laboratories appears to be fairly good though
not equal to that of two or three recently established American
Universities. The most pressing need in the way of equipment is a
good aquarium to supply the requisite material for study.

Respectfully submitted,

CLARENCE J. BLAKE.
WALTER FAXON.

Presented November 15, 1893.

XLI.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT.

The Committee on Government herewith submits its report for
the calendar year 1893: —

As in earlier years, the Chairman and other members of the Com-
mittee have visited the offices in University Hall from time to time,
and have examined the books in which are recorded the choice of
students' electives, the attendance at lectures and recitations, the
marks at examinations, etc. The Committee had one long confer-
ence in Boston with most of the officers connected with the discipline
of the College, and individual members of the Committee have often
talked with the Dean and Regent about matters committed to their
charge. In our opinion, the discipline of the College is not only
good, but constantly improving. The students are properly looked
after without being spied upon too curiously, and we believe that
their feeling for the College and their instructors is at least as friendly
as in the days when discipline was unduly lax. We have been
informed that the time of the members of the University foot-ball
team during the months of October and November is so fully occu-
pied with foot-ball that few, if any, of them have considerable time
left for study. Apparently this difficulty is not seriously felt by the
members of the other teams. Limited though it is to twenty or thirty
men during about a quarter of the academic year, it deserves attention
from the Athletic Committees and others entrusted by the University
with the management of athletics.

In other reports we have noticed the insufficient clerical force in
the Dean's office, and the antiquated methods in use there. In the
past year there has been an improvement. The records have been
better kept, and the entries in the books have been made more
promptly. Nevertheless, in some matters, there has been consider-
able delay. The present want of system is exceedingly wasteful of
the time and energy of men like the Dean, who can be employed more
profitably than in running errands, and we believe that it is wasteful
of money as well.

Thirty or forty years ago, as we are informed, the clerical work
connected with the government of the College was done by the Presi-
dent and Regent. On extraordinary occasions some one from the

204

Library was called in to help them. Such simplicity of administra-
tion is possible no longer. To begin with, there are at present ^the
Dean of the College, with an office on the second floor of University
Hall, the Secretary, who has a desk in the room used for the meetings
of the Faculty, and Professor Morgan, with another desk m the same
room. In an office on the same floor, next that of the Dean, and
open to students and to the public, sit the Recorder and a clerk,
incessantly interrupted and quite incapable of any systematic clerical
work In a recess not far off, and almost as much exposed to inter-
ruption, sits the Assistant Recorder, who has very important clerical
duties. We understand that the health of this officer was once
endangered through his working in close proximity to the only wash-
bowl in University Hall. As the plumbing is now in good order,
however, his position is no longer hazardous, but only extremely
uncomfortable. When the Recorder wishes quiet he sometimes takes
refuge in the adjoining Dean's office. When the public office is over-
crowded, and even at other times, the Dean's office » no secure
against interruption, and if he wishes to talk with a student in pn-
vate he is compelled to retire into the President's office.

In the third story of University Hall is the office of the Dean of the
Faculty, and the Dean of the Graduate School, who haye between
them one clerk for the half of each day. The rest of the day this
clerk is the Assistant Secretary.

In another room on the same floor are two stenographers and a
clerk- the latter making entries in books which are constantly used
by the Dean, the Recorder, and others on the floor below and which,
therefore, occupy much of the time of the office boy, besides wasting
much of the time of all the administrative officers. Often the Dean
is compelled to leave men with whom he is talking on matters of he
utmost importance to themselves, and of real importance to the
College, and to hunt for the necessary record through half a dozen
rooms on one floor of University Hall, and two or three rooms on the
floor above, interrupting in this pursuit several busy- officer s and
clerks. Such methods in any office in Boston would be considered

PrTheStcMeT'clerk in University Hall, if there is any, is the officer
called the Recorder. This gentleman is expected to direct the clerks
scattered about University Hall, taking his orders from ^ *— ,
the Deans, the Regent, the Secretary, etc. During many hours of
every day he must be ready to talk to the students and their parent ,
and he must listen to and examine all excuses for absence from Col-
we exercises and for tardiness in written work. He it is who assigns
Stne rooms to the several professors and classes -a tremendous

205

task at the beginning 0f every College year. When the Recorder is
engaged with the students, or is otherwise busy, officers and profes-
sors having clerical work to be done must get the attention of some
clerk, always interrupting him, and often taking him from other work
even more important.

When the amount of work becomes absolutely overwhelming, stu-
dents are hired, to whose training the Recorder must devote himself ;
as the last resort, a real clerk is engaged, not to do any definite work,
but to pick up the odd jobs which the clerk last hired has been forced
to drop. No one unfamiliar with the routine work of the Dean's
office has any idea of its extent, particularly at the beginning of the
year. The elective courses taken by each student must be noted in
the absence book ; the elective list of each student must be checked
to secure a legitimate choice of courses and hours ; the freshmen
admission records must be transferred from the sheets to the Year
Book ; the enrollment cards of each course must be alphabetically
arranged and sent to the printer ; the names of all students must be
entered alphabetically in the absence books ; the registration cards
and enrollment cards should be compared ; the results of the hundreds
of petitions filed on the opening days of the term must be recorded in
the proper books. All these things should be done in a few days.
Some of them are scarcely accomplished by Christmas, some are
hardly done at all. Without them the discipline of the College, upon
which the College spends so much time, money, and energy, is defec-
tive. One clerk is continually answering questions ; one records the
changes of elective courses ; one remains for everything else. The
regular jobs coming in from day to day, the irregular jobs set by
committees or single officers needing statistics, the annual jobs —
such as entering examination marks, and preparing tables for the
reports of the Dean and others —get done when, where, and by whom
they can.

We do not think the Overseers will be surprised to learn that in the
past two or three years the health of nearly every officer connected
with the government of the College has given way once or oftener.

What is needed in University Hall is not one additional clerk, or
five, but a system. In a college, even in a large college, where the
course of study is fixed, rigid discipline can be maintained with a
simple system. A college in which all studies are elective, if it
allows the students to do as they please, may dispense with a system
almost altogether. Harvard is trying to maintain both the discipline
of its students and elective studies. To do this is no easy matter, for
it requires not only sound and delicate judgment, but a large amount *
of highly-systematized clerical work. To illustrate the almost incredi-

206

ble stupidity of the present arrangements : the dumb waiter connect-
ing the floors of University Hall is much too small to carry the record
books, which must be constantly moved from one floor to another.
Intelligent redistribution of offices, some changes in partitions, the
occupation of two or three rooms now used for instruction, and a
dumb waiter to carry books quickly from one floor to another, would
afford great relief.

More important than these physical changes is the appointment of
a chief clerk, who shall be chief clerk and nothing more, without try-
to add to his duties those of an adviser of students or of an errrand
boy. Under his sole direction should be gathered the whole clerical
force in a suitable room conveniently situated but quiet, absolutely
inaccessible to the public, and nearly so to the other officers of the

College.

We do not believe that such an arrangement will involve the College
in any considerable additional expense. A clerk working in favor-
able conditions without interruption, responsible only to one supe-
rior, can accomplish much more than under the very unfavorable
conditions now existing in University Hall. Even if additional
expense be required to carry it out, however, a change is absolutely

necessary.

In concluding we ought to say that the Dean and other adminis-
trative officers not only have made no complaint of the conditions
which make their work unduly burdensome, difficult, and unhealthy,
but have tried to apologize for their own hardships.
We recommend the passage of the following vote : —
•' Voted that, in the opinion of the Board of Overseers, better pro-
vision should be made in University Hall, or elsewhere, for the
accommodation of the officers having charge of the administration of
the College ; and that the clerical force connected with the administra-
tion should be reorganized, and its work thoroughly systematized."

For the Committee,

FRANCIS C. LOWELL, Chairman.

XLII.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GEOLOGY.

The work of the department of Geology is under the charge of four
members of the Faculty. Professor J. D. Whitney gives lectures in
Economical Geology and in Mineral Veins and Metalliferous Pro-
ducts, in alternate years. This year he gives also a half-course in
Geographical Methods ami Results. Professor Davis has charge of
the elementary aud advanced work in Meteorology and Physical
Geography, and takes part also in the direction of the advanced
Geological field work. Professor Wolff has charge of the instruction in
1 etrography, both the elementary and advanced work. He also has
a share ,n the direction of the field work which is noted in the
Catalogue as Geology 22. The other courses in the department are
conducted by Professor Staler, and the instructors and assistants "who
collaborate with him. These courses include numbers 4, 5, 8 d 14
15 and 24. Professor Shaler also shares with Professors Davis' and
Wolff and Dr. Harris in the supervision of the advanced field work.

Ihe project of these courses which are under the direction of Pro-
fessor Shaler is directed to the end of giving the student first, a general
knowledge of the subject, which is provided in courses number 4 5 8
and 9, and second, a provision for special training in a knowledge and
nee of fossils such as is required in the theory and practice of the
science.

The elementary course consists of lectures to a large class of about
two hundred and fifty men. These lectures are intended to afford
such a knowledge of the subject as may reasonably be desired by
those who intend to make the science only a small part of an academic
education. Beside the lectures, students in this course are required
to attend special exercises conducted by Mr. Griswold and Mr. Dodge
1 hese are partly recitation and partly occasions for the elaboration of
diffieut points. From time to time in the progress of the course
special hours are devoted to the illustration of the subject matter by
means of the lantern. The materials for this use are abundantly
provided for by the Gardner collection of photographs and slides. A
parallel curse known as Geology 5 affords a laboratory training
covering essentially the field of the general lectures before named "
Students who complete the above-mentioned courses may then
enter either the courses in General Critical Geology, or in Structural
and Dynamical Geology, which continue the same subject matter, but
» a critical and somewhat investigative rather than in a didactic way

208

After the above-mentioned work, which generally requires two years,
and after the summer school work known as Geolog}' 82, the students
who wish to obtain a knowledge of the subject such as is fit for those
who wish to plan careers in the science are admitted to course number
22, i. e., the advanced field work.

The summer courses under the charge of the department are three
in number, and consist of elementary, secondary and advanced field
work, though in the elementary course there are some laboratoiy
exercises. Experience has shown that this grader! work in the field
is extremely advantageous to students, as well to those who pursue
the subject merely for an academic end as for those who intend to
follow it in a professional way.

In the portion of the department under the charge of Professor Shaler
the instruction seems to be in satisfactory condition. The work, how-
ever, is seriously hampered by lack of space in the lecture room and
laboratories. The instruction in five courses is necessarily given in
one room, wherein the men and the materials for teaching are most
inconveniently crowded.

It seems most desirable that the courses above-mentioned should
be supplemented by others which may prove a much more extended
instruction in Mining Geology, and the related work in Metallurgy,
than is now afforded. A considerable number of students now in the
University expect to be engaged in mining or in the smelting of ores,
and are pursuing their studies in Geology with reference to such ends.
With the addition of this comparatively small amount of instruction,
the department will be able to afford, when the work is supplemented
by summer experience in mines, a very fair preparation for a career
in the economic branch of the subject.

The needs of room which must seriously hinder the development of
the department can only be adequately provided for by the construc-
tion of the southern section in the main front of the Museum, which
is intended to serve the demands of the department.

Under the direction of Professor Wolff, two courses were given
last year, as usual, one a lecture and laboratory course for beginners,
and the other an advanced course in original work. The first course
had eighteen students and the second course six students. This is
the largest number of students that have as yet taken up this branch
of geological work, Petrography. Eight of these students were grad-
uated in the scientific school and nine were undergraduates. Most of
these men study this special subject for use in geological surveying,
teaching or mining. Two scientific papers were published by students,
and the amount of original work completed and laid aside for the
present. The equipment is much improved by the addition of an
electric motor for running the machinery used in preparing these

209

sections of rocks and fossils, and a small dynamo for use with an arc
light for projection to microscopic slides and ordinary photographic
slides. The collections of rocks and slides was somewhat augmented.

The needs of this sub-department are especially now with the
equipment of a chemical laboratory in the basement, so that analyses
of rocks can be made here and the arrangement of the exhibition room
for Petrography be made to form a part of the exhibition for general
geology. The rooms are ready and so is some of the material,
especially part of the Chicago exhibit.

As far as regards general instruction in Physical Geography,
including Meteorology, this department is in a very satisfactory con-
dition. The rooms at its disposal are not used for any other purpose,
giving exceptionally good opportunity for the collection and display
of illustrative material, the fund collected from laboratory fees and
received by appropriation from the corporation enabling the buying
of a large variety of maps, views, models, etc. Two assistants are
allowed Professor Davis : Mr. Ward in Meteorology, Mr. Griswold in
Physical Geography. They make it possible for him to follow the
work of the students in the elementary half-courses from week to
week, and thus to assign grades at the end of each course with con-
siderable accuracy, instead of determining that by occasional pre-
announced examinations for which the students too often injudicious^
cram under experienced tutors and thus defeat the real intention of
the instruction. As regards higher instruction in these subjects, an
advance could be made by instituting a course on the Physical Geog-
raply of the United States and of Europe, the two to be given in
alternate 3'ears. There is at present no such course in college, indeed,
no course in which the geography of the more important parts of the
world is properly described. Such courses always make part of the
higher university curricula in German}', where much importance is
given to it. This will be of great value to students of history and
economics. The collections of maps, books of travel, geographies,
etc., is ample for the needs of such a course.

In the opinion of the visiting committee, a course on the Ph}rsical
Geography of the United States should be at once established if pos-
sible, and the course on the Physical Geography of Europe should be
established the following year.

This is the most important recommendation the visiting committee
have to make in their report on the condition and needs for the whole
Geological Department. For some years past there has been an
opportunity given to the students for research in Physical Geography
and in certain branches of Meteorology. This is gradually being
recognized as a serious and desirable course for students who expect
to become teachers or investigators in geology or geography. It is

210

now taken by a small number of advanced men, and will probably
grow slowly. The large collections of the department give it strength.
A number of the theses presented have been published as creditable
essays.

The geographical exhibition room in the Museum allotted to this
subject by Mr. Agassiz is at present practical!}' empty. About
$5,000 will be needed to fit it up with proper cases, tables, drawers,
etc., for the exhibition and storage of materials. Such a room would
be of great educational value, practically unique in this countnT, and
could be so arranged that others might pattern after it. The visiting-
committee, however, cannot hope to do more than call attention to
this at present, for in the present financial condition of the community
they feel that begging for subscriptions would be a hopeless task.
There is also- great need in the department for a development in the way
of applied or practical geograpln*. For this purpose a young man
having proper training in geography and geology, with good experi-
ence in field work, and combining with this a sufficiently artistic skill
to enable him to draw and model, might be selected. He could give
useful courses in this kind of work and thus educate men to become
map makers in a proper sense. Such men are greatly needed by pub-
lishing houses for whom map drawing is now done by draftsmen who
manifestly know very little of geography.

An instructor of this kind would go far towards preparing geograph-
ical materials for publication, and would thus contribute towards the
elevation of general school teaching.

In conclusion, the visiting committee wish to state that as a whole,
as things generally go, the Geological Department is in excellent
condition. The points enumerated in the report, it will be noticed,
are points in which advancement rather than changes are desired.
But if the Universit}' is to move onward towards an ideal condition
and maintain the leading position it now possesses in geography, the
two courses mentioned above, Physical Geography for the United
States and Europe must be added. The applied side of the study
must be developed by the employment of an instructor for this sub-
ject alone, and the exhibition room must be filled with the best
geographical material in the world, which teachers, students and pub-
lishers may consult ; the}T will be quick to realize and appreciate the
fact that it is to Harvard they must turn and go in order to use
and get this information ; and the University will be benefitted
proportionately.

JOHN SIMPKINS,
CHAS. FAIRCHILD.

XLIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENGLISH
LITERATURE.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

Gentlemen, — In pursuance of our duties as defined in section 28
of the rules and by-laws of your honorable body, we have had a con-
ference with the members of the English Department, and by this and
other means have endeavored to ascertain what relation the study of
English literature bears to other studies in the Universit}^ curriculum,
how it is pursued and what practical means, if any, can be taken to
make it more effective as an educational force.

We find a very general agreement that those who present them-
selves for examination at entrance are less conversant, than was once
the case, with great literature ; that the habit of reading seems not to
have been formed, and that it is impossible to count on any familiarity
with literature which may serve as a basis for specific academic study.
There is little evidence that the secondary schools at present regard
an equipment in English as an important element in their work.

The University cannot, perhaps, formalty correct this evil ; it is
doubtful if by any requirements for admission it could ver}' greatly
stimulate the zeal of boj^s who are looking forward to college life. It
might even be contended that the present system of specifying certain
books tends still further to limit the familiarity with great literature,
since by concentrating attention on these, it reenforces the habit of
mind which asks for the minimum of work in preparation for admis-
sion to college. But we are convinced that the University should
lose no opportunity which may offer for throwing its influence into
that movement in common school education which looks to the enrich-
ment of reading courses ; which demands that the pupil should at the
very earliest stage be brought into immediate contact with great
English literature, and should be held steadily to this view in all the
years from the primaiy school through grammar and high school, so
that a generous acquaintance may be had with the classics of English
literature, both of English and American origin, before he crosses the
threshold of the University. With an entering class thus equipped,
the English Department might hope to invite at once to a spirited
study of the development of literature, to an examination of the great
laws of literary art, and finally to a survey of English literature in its
comparative aspects.

212

In the absence of any such preparation for what ought to be col-
legiate work in literature, the students who come to the University
require, for the most part, to be introduced to the body of literature
itself, and two methods are in use to this end. There is a prescribed
course of lectures on English literature which must be taken by all
Freshmen, except the few who may have passed the admission exam-
ination in English with high credit. This course varies from year to
year, but in general is occupied with some marked historic period.
Its chief purpose appears to be to interest students in the general
subject, and it is a lamentable sign of the defect of our whole educa-
tional system that young men of nineteen or twenty, who have been
at school since they were six, should need this initiation into the
most splendid achievements of their race and language.

In addition to this prescribed course, we find a voluntary course
whicli does not count for a degree, but does in a slight measure repair
the defect of which we have been speaking. One of the instructors
in this department has been giving, from time to time, lectures and
readings, open to all members of the University, covering in a desul-
tory way contemporary literature, with some glimpses of the con-
temporary stage. The theory of the instructor appears to be that b}'
taking up those books and plays which are most likely to be familiar
to his hearers, he may be able to give intelligent direction to their
appreciation and criticism, and help them in the formation of a taste
for reading. It is, in a measure, an unacademic exercise, but it is a
healthful and stimulating one. It is clear that under existing con-
ditions one of the most important services to be rendered by the
English Department is in arousing enthusiasm and inspiring an ardent
interest in literature ; and it is encouraging to be told that the students
who come under the direction of the department show themselves very
open to advice as to the books they should read.

We shall not attempt in this brief report to touch on the work done
in the more special study of literature through the college course, pre-
ferring to confine ourselves to the single point of contact which the
University makes with the students who enter the Freshman class.
"We might rest with the statement we have made of a generally recog-
nized evil, but that we may not be absolutely silent regarding the
possible correction of this evil, we venture, not so much to make a
positive recommendation, as to offer a suggestion which is an infer-
ence from the working of the present system.

If the main purpose of the prescribed Course Aa is to give Fresh-
men a general survey of some period of literature, and to excite their
interest in the study, and if the voluntary course such as Mr. Cope-
land has been giving, by its freedom and its familiar character attracts

213

large numbers of men and starts the mind in this direction, what
would be the effect if dependence for this result were to be laid wholly
upon the power of the department to stimulate interest and awaken
enthusiasm b}r courses of lectures upon which attendance should be
voluntaiy, leaving the special academic work to be done by elective
courses ? If such a plan were pursued the University would recognize
the fact that students come up with indifferent knowledge of litera-
ture, and would seek to meet the want of bringing its best force to
bear in liberalizing the minds of the newcomers and inviting them,
through the attractiveness with which literature may be set forth, to
enter upon this great department of human endeavor, hitherto scarcely
known to them.

It ma}T be objected to this scheme that it would be futile to look for
any definite or satisfactory results from what might prove to be merely
popular lectures, such as should have no place in a strictly academic
curriculum. But it may be questioned whether the present system of
enforced lectures, even when accompanied by examinations, goes very
far toward producing that exact knowledge which distinguishes the
end of academic training from that of popular illumination, and it has
been fairly well demonstrated by many experiments, such as the even-
ing readings in great authors, the courses of lectures given by Mr.
Black, and the readings and lectures by Mr. Copeland, that there is
a large body of students always eager to take advantage of such
opportunities to acquire a cursory acquaintance with literature and
literary history. These means belong to the University by virtue of
its humanizing function, just as the library offers browsing ground to
students quite aside from their formal occupation.

Having offered then this generous aid in supplying the defect of a
previous training — a defect which we hope is but temporary — the
University would be justified in offering to those students in every
Freshman class who were qualified by their previous studies to under-
take them, courses in the specific, academic stittty of single authors.
If it be assumed, as we think it may be, that the reading of the stu-
dent in the higher literature, up to this time, has been rather in
American than in English authors, might it not be possible to offer
courses in these authors which would serve not only to render this
earlier reading available for purposes of scientific study, but to offer
in the simplest most natural mode, an introduction to the analytical
enquiry into literary power? The student who in his first year should,
for example, take a course in Hawthorne, of whom he already knew
something, and who was native to his thought, would thereby pass
later more intelligently to the study of Shakspere, who was less
familiar and more foreign.

214

Moreover, the opportunity afforded by such courses would be a
standing invitation to students in the preparatory schools to qualify
themselves for such work. The work done in secondary schools
should have distinct relation to the work that is to be done in the
University, rather than to the fulfilment of the requirements of en-
trance examinations, and if the University offered at once courses
which supposed a fuller preparation in English than now exist, the
stimulus thereby given to secondary education would be healthful and
natural.

In conclusion, we note with pleasure the fact that more men than
formerly are working in college with reference to the teaching of
English, showing both that the demand in this field is increasing, and
that the English Department is developing a genuine interest. It is
true that these men have college rather than the secondary school in
view, but the impulse can scarcely fail to be felt in both quarters, as
the college and the secondary school come into closer relation with
each other.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

HORACE E. SCUDDER.
HENRY A. CLAPP.
CHARLES E. L. WINGATE.

Cambridge, Mass., April 19, 1894.

Note. — Mr. J. B. Warner, the fourth member of the committee, took part in
the conference, but is at this date out of the country.

XLIV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE
OBSERVATORY.

The most important event in the past year is the completion of the
new fire-proof brick building, and the transfer to it of about 30,000
stellar photographs.

The second expedition to the Peruvian observing station has
returned, and the third expedition has begun work successfully.

The expense of the second Peruvian expedition proved much greater
than was anticipated, and has caused a considerable deficit in the
Boyden Fund.

Fortunately the entire income of the Paine Fund is this year, for
the first time, available for the use of the Observatory. Mr. Picker-
ing's report states that : —

" Until recenth7 the highest meteorological station in the world has
been that established 03" this Observatory on Mt. Chachani at an
elevation of 16,650 feet. After making a careful examination of the
volcano El Misti, Professor Baile}' has succeeded in establishing a
station upon its top at an elevation of 19,200 feet. A path has been
constructed by which mules have been led to the summit, and beside
the meteorological shelter a wooden hut has been built upon the
summit. A survey of the craters has been made, and a stone hut
has been erected on the side of the mountain at a height of 15,600
feet. The temperature, pressure, moisture, and the velocity and
direction of the wind are now being recorded at the summit-station
b}r self-registering instruments. The sheets are changed at intervals,
thus giving a record of atmospheric conditions at a height hitherto
unattempted. The use of beasts of burden at these heights offers an
opportunity in the future of carrying instruments and conducting
experiments at altitudes heretofore regarded as inaccessible for these
purposes. The mountain, as seen from every direction, is an isolated
sharp peak. It is, therefore, especially suited for the study of the
upper atmosphere."

Mr. Pickering states that certain observations at Cambridge are
each year rendered more difficult. The introduction of electric lights,
especially in the vicinity of the Observatory, greatly interferes with
the observation of faint objects. Additional trouble is anticipated
from the proposed introduction of electric cars on Concord Avenue,
which forms the southern boundary of the grounds of the Observa-

216

tory. A more serious difficulty is apprehended from the proposed
widening of Concord Avenue, which, if carried out, would bring the
cars still nearer the instruments, and would necessitate cutting down
the row of large spruce trees by which the instruments are now par-
tially protected from the dust of the road. The Committee, whilst
regretting this state of affairs, sees no way of preventing the evil,
which is caused by the growth of the city of Cambridge, which has
surrounded the grounds of the Observatory formerly in an isolated
position.

The Observatory of Harvard College now occupies two permanent
and well-equipped stations, one at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and
one at Arequipa, Peru. At both stations the same general system of
photographic investigation is pursued, which enables a uniform plan
of research to be extended to the entire sky. The examination of
the photographs thus collected has led to the discovery of a large
number of interesting objects, including one new star, which appeared
in the summer of 1893, many variable stars, and many stars having
peculiar spectra.

The need of a safe place for storage for this collection of many
thousands of photographs has been met by the erection of a fire-proof
building, provided by the generous contributions of friends of the
Observatory, where the negatives can not only be securely kept but
also conveniently studied. The importance of this building is in-
creased b}T the recent construction of tne Bruce Photographic Tele-
scope, now mounted at Cambridge, but subsequently to be sent to
Arequipa. The large photographs taken with this instrument require
a convenient and safe place of storage even more than the smaller
negatives obtained previously. The new telescope is constructed as
a photographic doublet, upon the plan first tried here with smaller
instruments and found superior to that generally used elsewhere.

Besides the photograph work mentioned above, the visual work of
the Observatory is continued at Cambridge with the large equatorial
telescope and the meridian photometer, and at Arequipa with the
13-inch Boj'den telescope.

The amount of material published is greater than usual, both as
regards the volumes of Annals and the contributions to astronomical
periodicals.

We have but to express our satisfaction at the manner in which the
Observatory is conducted and at the energy and devotion of the
Director.

T. JEFFERSON COOLIDGE,

Chairman.

May 23, 1894.

XLV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

PHYSICAL LABORATORY AND THE

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers : —

We, the undersigned, members of the committee appointed to visit
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics, having
attended a duly notified meeting at the Laboratory building on March
23, 1894. have the honor to report as follows : —

We find ample evidence of a continuance of the zeal and efficiency
in administration to which we bore witness in our last annual report.
Our opinion in this regard is corroborated by the fact that Second-
Year Honors in Physics have been conferred this year on seven
students — the largest number so distinguished in any one 3-ear up
to the present time.

We note with regret that nothing has yet been done toward pro-
viding the Laboratory with a suitable reference library ; and we
suggest that the recommendations of our last annual report in con-
nection with this subject are worthy of consideration.

In compliance with the request of other members of the Committee,
Professor Thomson has prepared the subjoined notes with reference
to scientific investigation carried on at the Laborator}^ during the
current year.

During the past year, the work of scientific investigation carried on
at the Jefferson Physical Laboratory under the direction of Professor
Trowbridge has been closely connected with the most advanced work
in electricity. It has often demanded that new methods should be
devised, and that special appliances should be invented for carrying
on the researches. Among the subjects studied may be briefly men-
tioned the following : —

1st. A study of the methods of measuring the factor of "impe-
dance " in electrical circuits, together with new methods for deter-
mining this quantity. A paper on this topic, describing the work
carried on, is ready for the printer.

2d. An investigation by Professor Trowbridge upon the theory of
"electrical resonance." This is a comparatively new field of work
in electricity, and the results cannot fail to have greater and greater
practical value. The results obtained in the photography of electrical

218

beats are most interesting and instructive ; and, at the same time,
are evidence of great skill, not only in devising methods, but in
obtaining the results of their application, and in photographically
recording them. This work has included a consideration of the
damping out of electrical oscillations, and the experimental results
and photographs are of the greatest scientific value.

The methods are akin to those which, in the hands of Professor
Trowbridge, have given most beautiful results when applied to the
study of the oscillatory character of condenser discharges. By means
of a rapidty revolving mirror, discharges of Leyden jars in one circuit
are compared with those induced by such discharges in a neighboring
or parallel circuit, the capacity in which, as well as the turns of wire,
may be varied. BjT such variations, conditions of resonance may be
brought about and recorded in the photograph of the spark discharge.
When a condition of complete resonance is absent, the phenomena of
beating are clearly shown.

Other curious and, at the same time, most interesting and instruc-
tive actions and relations are exhibited. The scientific value of such
work in a new field is verjT great.

A paper describing this work has been sent to the London Philo-
sophical Magazine.

3d. A study has been made of the change of period of electrical
oscillations on iron wires. This work and its results form the
subject of a paper by Professor Trowbridge for the American Journal
of Science.

4th. Work is being carried on concerning the behavior of dielec-
trics under rapid oscillations, including the measurement of their
dielectric constants. This is an extended work, and involves the use
of new methods obviating errors present in older methods. Practi-
cally very little is known of the subject with which this research
deals, and there is room for much new and valuable work in this
direction.

5th. Professor Trowbridge is also at work devising a crucial test
of Maxwell's theory of displacement currents. The method of the
test is to measure the work done by such displacement currents in
cutting lines of magnetic force. Professor Trowbridge has confidence
that his work in this direction will prove to be a valuable and impor-
tant addition to the electro-magnetic theory of light due to Maxwell,
and which has received so much experimental confirmation in the
hands of Hertz and others within recent years.

6th. A study is being carried on by the aid of photography con-
cerning the nature and actions of long electric sparks. This is
particularly with a view to obtaining some indications of the behavior

219

of air under great electric stresses, such as exist with sparks of
twenty to thirty inches leaping between the terminals of the appara-
tus. Considerable light should be thrown upon the character of gases
and the state of their molecules under great electric stress.

Fortunately, we are now in possession of simple means for obtain-
ing sparks of many feet if desired, whereas a few years ago great
expense would have been involved in any such attempt. By utilizing
the principles of high frequency induction, produced b}T condenser
discharges over a comparatively few feet of wire, assisted by a spark
gap and air jet playing thereon, there is no difficulty in meeting the
conditions demanded in this research.

7th. The Committee were much interested in experimental work
being carried on by a graduate student, Mr. St. John, in connection
with the propagation of electric oscillations along wires, and the
nodal points therein exhibited.

In this instance, a modified Hertzian spark oscillator was con-
nected with two long parallel horizontal wires connected at the far
end through a vacuum tube. After exploring the wires for the nodal
points, it was shown that although the parallel wires were completely
connected at the nodes by short wires, this did not prevent the
vacuum tube from lighting by the discharge.

A very ingeniously applied method of mapping the waves on the
wires, involving the use of a sensitive bolometer for indicating the
intensity or energj- of the waves at various points of the wires was
shown, and the diagrams of wave distribution so obtained were quite
interesting.

The above is an outline of the experimental work involving new
methods in fields of research which are of the utmost importance in
the science of physics and electricity

FRANCIS BLAKE,
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH,
ELIHU THOMSON,
E. D. LEAV1TT,
WILLIAM H. FORBES,
16 October, 1894.

XLVI.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GERMAN.

To The Board of Overseers : —

In order either to confirm or to correct the opinions held by the
undersigned as to the position which instruction in the German lan-
guage should occupy in the general scheme of the University, the
following questions were addressed to teachers of every grade active
in the various branches of the institution :

1. Is any of your work, or of the work of any student in the
University under you, determined, or limited, or in any way affected
by knowledge or ignorance of the German language on the part of
such student, and, if so, how?

2. Is knowledge of German required of any student in the Univer-
sity for admission to, or for continuance in, any study under you,
and, if so, how much knowledge, and how much is it used, and for
what study or studies ?

3. What proportion of the published work of yourself, or of any
student, or students, in }-our department, is published in the German
language, and, if any, in what books or papers?

4. What remedy or remedies can you suggest for any evil suffered
by the University or any student or students thereof through ignorance
of, or imperfect knowledge of German.

We beg leave to submit the answers received in the original ; but,
for the sake of convenience, we present also in this report, grouped
according to the different branches of study, abstracts of opinions
expressed, especially in response to question 1, to which we respect-
fully and urgently invite the attention of the Board of Overseers. It
will be found that while a few of the professors, instructors or lecturers
consider the knowledge of German as of little consequence to their
students, an overwhelming majority of them, representing all con-
ceivable varieties of study, agree, with singular concert of judgment,
as to the desirability of that knowledge, differing only in the degree of
their appreciation of it, some declaring the ability to read German
merely helpful, while others pronounce it to be absolutely indis-
pensable.

We shall now let them speak for themselves :

222

Professor H. P. Bowditgh, Professor of Physiology.

1. I always advise students to familiarize themselves with the Ger-
man language as an essential condition for keeping themselves posted
with regard to the progress of medical science.

Original researches in my own department (Physiology) would be
impossible without at least a reading knowledge of German.

Dr. W. McM. Woodworth, Instructor in Microscojjical Anatomy.

1. Yes. Nine-tenths of my reading is German. A knowledge of
German is absolutely necessary to a student of natural science, par-
ticularly biolog3T. Not that nine-tenths of all the work is done by
Germans, but nine-tenths of the best work. This may be an extreme
view, but I believe German to be indispensable to the student of
morphology.

A knowledge of German is necessary to every student doing ad-
vanced work in zoology. This applies to reading. Students are often
delayed or retarded in their work by the lack of knowledge of German
and cases occur where the officers of the department have aided stu-
dents by reading and translating German with them, thus consuming
the time of both officer and student.

Dr. F. A. Davis, Instructor in Physiology.

1. In the work of the department of Physiology in which I am
engaged continual reference to German publications is necessary.
German is absolutely essential to the student of experimental
physiology and to the scientist engaged in original research, as most
of the advances in this branch of science emanate from Germany and
Austria.

Dr. G. W. Fitz, Instructor in Physiology and Hygiene.

1. A student is seriously handicapped if he has not a good working
knowledge of German, for much of the physiological work to which
he must refer is in German.

Professor W. F. Whitney, Professor of Parasites and Parasitic
Diseases, aiid Curator of the Anatomical Museum.

1. Most of the best work is published in German and it is very
necessary that every teacher and student of human or veterinary
medicine should have a good practical knowledge of that language.

223

Professor M. H. Richardson, Asst. Professor of Anatomy.

1. Yes. Many text-books and periodicals are written only in the
German language.

Every medical student should be able to read German with facility.

Dr. Benjamin Tenney, Assistant in Anatomy.
1. The work in the anatomical department by the average student
would not be affected b\T a knowledge of German either way. Stu-
dents who desire to do advaneed work must have a reading knowledge
at least.

Dr. John C. Munroe, Asst. Demonstrator of Anatomy.

1. Yes. My own work is decidedly increased by an imperfect
knowledge of German. It is the language — a thorough knowledge
of which is most important in my own reading, and it must be
important to those under me who wish to consult other than English
text- books.

Ever}" graduate in medicine should be required to know German
(and French) well enough to read ordinary medical works, at least,
without any difficulty.

Professor Thomas D wight, Parkman Professor of Anatomy.

1. I do not think it is. I am very dependent on German for my
reading, but ignorance of the language can affect my students only
by limiting the range of their reading.

Knowledge of it is certainly not essential for the average student.

Professor W. T. Councilman, Shattuck Professor of Pathological

Anatomy.
The work of any medical man is seriously hampered by a lack of
knowledge of German. This is particularly the case if. he wishes to
undertake any investigations.

Professor A. L. Mason, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine.

1. A knowledge of German sufficient for reading, at least, is of
great service to students of medicine. Without this, much important
recent medical literature is closed to them.

Professor T. M. Rotch, Professor of Diseases of Children.

1. Some of the best work on children is published in German, and
a knowledge of the language on the part of mj" students would enable
me to refer them to German publications.

224

Professor J. O. Green, Clinical Professor of Otology.

1. A knowledge of the German language is of inestimable value to
students in my department. The majority of the best works in my
department are in German, but the few students able to use them
rarely do so, because their time is so fully occupied while in the
Medical School. The proportion of our students who can read Ger-
man is, I think, small.

Professor J. J. Putnam, Professor of Diseases of the Nervous

System .

For my own work as a student of medicine a knowledge of German
is indispensible, and even for the student it is highly desirable. The
teaching of medicine has fortunately reached a point where text-book
instruction is no longer sufficient for such a knowledge as the students
are glad to get.

All the better students have occasion to consult monographs fre-
quently, and it is a great advantage to them to be able to consult
those written in German and French, and a disadvantage to them not
to be able to do so. It is especially important in the preparation of
theses and reports for chemical conferences.

Dr. P. C. Knapp, Clinical Instructor in Diseases of the Nervous

System.

1. My own work as a student of medicine, an investigator, an
instructor, and a practitioner, is dependent in very large part upon
my ability to read German with comparative ease and rapidity, owing
of course to the well known fact, that a very considerable part of the
most valuable work in my especial branch of medicine, diseases of
the mind and nervous system, is published in German.

As an example, out of eleven medical journals on that subject,
which I take, four of them are German, two French, two Italian, one
English, and two American, and the best of all are the German.
German monographs are also as fully represented in my library.

Dr. G. L. Walton, Clinical Instructor in Diseases of the Nervous

System .

1. A practical working knowledge of neurology may be acquired
without ability to read German. But lack of facility in this direction
offers a certain impediment to the thorough student in my department,
for many of the best publications, from a scientific point of view, are
written in German and not all are translated.

225

Dr. H. C. Ernst, Asst. Professor in Bacteriology.
1 . Yes ; for the reason that a large amount of the literature of the
subject which I teach is in German, and any advanced student is seri-
ously handicapped by being unable to use that language for reading.

Dr. Arthur K. Stone, Assistant in Bacteriology.

1. Until within a few years all the bacteriological literature has
been in German. In the last years, there has been a large amount of
good French and English work done, besides translations of many
German works. But at the present time no one could attempt to do
any original investigation without a working knowledge of the German
language ; it is absolutely necessary, and if one could not read German
he would have to employ some one to do it for him.

4. That every candidate for the Medical School should pass an
examination in both German and French. This would be only a
short step in advance, but would be in the right direction.

Dr. Henry Jackson, Demonstrator of Bacteriology and Assistant in
Clinical Medicine.
1 . I am an assistant in the department of bacteriology. A knowl-
edge of German is necessary to obtain an accurate knowledge of
original work done in this branch of science.

Dr. C. M. Green, Instructor in Obstetrics.

1. The time when the student will need a knowledge of German is
after graduation, when he no longer has his instructors to keep him
informed of advances made in medical science by the Germans.

All college students who intend to study medicine ought to acquire
a good reading knowledge of German. Although they may in no wa}'
suffer from a want of this knowledge while the}^ are in the Medical
School, owing to the fact that most of the teachers are German taught,
they will need German in after years, if they are to keep abreast with
medical progress.

Dr. Myles Standish, Assistant in Ophthalmology.
1. A knowledge of German is essential to any medical man who
wishes to keep up with the literature of any branch of medicine.

Professor O. F. Wadsworth, Professor of Ophthalmology .
1. No. A knowledge of the German language is of much value for
collateral reading in ophthalmology but at present no student in the
Medical School pursues the subject far enough to make such knowledge
of any importance.

226

Dr. Vincent Y. Bowditch, Assistant in Clinical Medicine.
1. The knowledge of German is most important to me in the stud}'
of medicine.

Dr. C. F. Withington, Instructor in Clinical Medicine.
1. Of course a very important part of medical literature is pub-
lished in German and no one who wishes to go into any subject of
medicine exhaustively can afford tg deprive himself of the researches
recorded by German workers.

Dr. Edward W. Taylor, Assistant in Pathology.

1. The work in which I am at present interested, viz. : The micro-
scopic anatomy and pathology of the nervous system, demands an
adequate knowledge of the German language. Recent publications
in this line are written very largely in German, few of which have
been or are likely to be translated into English.

4. A study of German at the University seems to me highly desir-
able for any student who proposes to carry on scientific work later.
Even a little knowledge is often of service and should the study. of the
language be continued abroad any preliminary knowledge will certainly
be of distinct value.

Dr. T. A. DeBlois, Clinical Instructor of Laryngology.

1. So much medical writing and research is now done by the Ger-
man speaking nations, that there is necessarily a great deal of it not
translated. A knowledge of German particularly in my specialty
(Laryngology), is certainly of great benefit to the student.

Although my knowledge of modern languages is limited to French
and Spanish, I believe that a knowledge of German would have been
of infinitely more use to me than either of the above, and I think that
German should be required for entrance to the Medical School from
all students who have not graduated at schools which require it in
their courses of stud}'.

Professor W. H. Baker, Professor of Gynaecology.
1. Scientific research by the student in gjmaecology would be
greatly aided by familiarity' with the German language.

Dr. F. H. Davenport, Instructor in Gynaecology.
4. As a physician I consider that a sufficient knowledge of German
to be able to read medical publications in that language is of advan-
tage to the medical man, not so much in his student days as later.
German is more useful than French in this respect.

227

Dr. E. M. Buckingham, Instructor in Diseases of Children.

1. Yes. Much work bearing upon the subject which I am teaching
is published in Germany ; much of it soon becomes available through
a good French abstract published monthly, and which has the great
advantage of being condensed. I am speaking particularly of labora-
tory work which has a practical bearing on clinical work.

I am constantly asked b}T fourth-year men what to read and it is rare
to find one who is willing to take up anything in German. Very likely
the same men in the leisure of early practice might decide differently.

I doubt if the want of German is a serious loss to undergraduates
in medicine ; but in making a thorough study of sluj subject with
which I am acquainted, such a study as would enable one to write a
paper, one would often be hampered, and would always feel hampered,
unless he could read German. It is necessary to an accomplished
medical student ; it is not necessary to successful medical practitioners ;
but I think the habit of publishing an occasional inquiry, as far as
circumstances allow, puts one into a better state of mind for the
ordinary work of practice. Therefore I think that a good reading
knowledge of German is desirable for all medical men.

Professor E. C. Briggs, Asst. Professor of Materia Medica and

Therapeutics.

1. A knowledge of German would enable students to read many
valuable articles published in Germany and not translated.

Dr. John Homans, Clinical Instructor in Diagyiosis and Treatment
of Ovarian Tumors.

1. Yes. A large proportion of articles on surgery are written by
Germans and the German Medical Journals are very instructive
reading.

Dr. William H. Prescott, Assistant in Pathology.

1. As a great deal of the progressive work in medicine is now
being done in Germany a knowledge of German is of great value and
assistance, although not absolutely necessary.

Dr. T. W. Fisher, Lecturer in Mental Diseases.

1. All use of German scientific and medical authorities must at
present be confined to translations. And this would be the case
until the whole class had a thorough knowledge of spoken German.
Still, I regard ability to read German as of the utmost importance to
all medical students.

228

Dr. E. G. Cutler, Instructor in the Theory and Practice of Physic.

1. My work is the hearing of recitations in a department of medi-
cine, but the character of the work is quite different from ordinary
recitations in that the instructor does three-quarters of it, and illus-
trates b}' reference to the work of others, notably Germans, and uses
sick people as illustrations (object teaching) you may say. The
need of a fair knowledge of German is great, but not absolute. I
would sa}r that such knowledge of German greatly enlarges the scope
of the students' ability.

Dr. Francis S. Watson, Assistant in Clinical and Gen ito- Urinary

Surgery.

1. An important part — perhaps one-eighth — of the best work in
nvy department of Surgery, as it does in almost all medical literature,
comes from the Germans. Most of the progress that they contribute
is sooner or later translated into English and American medical
journals, or into English or American text-books. In the case of
the former (medical journals) the translations are usually only sum-
maries of the originals and are often unsatisfactory. In that of the
latter long delays in translating occur and some of them are never
translated. A third class of writing is very rarely translated at all,
viz. : monographs and essays, and amongst these are some of the
most valuable works of all.

Professor J. C. Warren, Professor of Surgery.

1. German is a most useful language to me in my work. It is to
medical science to-day what Latin was in the last centuiy. «

Most of my medical reading is in German books.

Medical students who are able to read German ought to have a
decided advantage over those who are not able to read the language.

Professor M. H. Richardson, Asst. Professor of Anatomy.

1. Yes. Many text-books and periodicals are written only in the
German language.

4. Every medical student should be able to read German with
facility. I know of no remedy except enough study of the tongue
to enable him to do this.

Professor C. J. Blake, Professor of Otology.

1. Very little, as most of the German text-books (Otology) appear
in English editions.

229

Professor E. II. Bradford, Asst. Professor of Orthopedics.

1. None, directly. Surgical investigations in Germany are of
value ; they are, however, quickly translated and abstracted in Eng-
lish and American medical journals and students are rarely debarred
from thorough and careful investigations which have stood the test of
six months' discussion, though they may not have access to the
discussions.

A teacher, however, in surgery needs to go to the sources of in-
formation and needs German as he needs French.

Professor J. C. White, Professor of Dermatology.

1. A knowledge of German is absolutely necessary to an instructor
in dermatolog}', as the works of the greatest teachers and reports of
the most recent advances in this department are chiefly expressed in
this language. As a means of communication with a considerable
proportion of the patients who make up the material of clinical teach-
ing, it is also essential in these days of free immigration. To the
student with no knowledge of the language some of the most impor-
tant sources of collateral information are closed, and those who go
abroad to continue their medical studies after graduation are most
seriously handicapped through lack of it.

Professor John Trowbridge, Rumford Professor and Lecturer on
the Application of Science to the Useful Arts, and Director of
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory.

1 . A reading knowledge of German is essential to graduate students
in physics.

2. I do not require a knowledge of German at present, but believe
that I must require it in the future for the higher courses in physics.

Professor F. C. Shattuck, Jackson Professor of Clinical Medicine.

1. It is desirable though not necessary that a medical student
should be able to read German.

Professor W. L. Richardson, Professor of Obstetrics and Dean of
the Medical Faculty.

1. A medical student is greatly helped by knowing German.

Professor F. W. Draper, Professor of Legal Medicine.

1 . No. A knowledge of the German language would be a valuable
assistance, but it is not essential for the study of legal medicine.

230

Professor C. S. Minot, Professor of Histology and Human
Embryology.

1. Ignorance of German is a most serious disadvantage. The only
good text-book of histologj' is in German.

For advanced students of histology or embiyology knowledge of
German is indispensable. I think about three-fourths of all the
articles on these subjects are in German.

4. German should be taught thoroughly in every course involving
scientific study or research. In science it equals in importance at
least any other two languages.

It seems to me that no education of an advanced degree is complete
unless it includes master}* of German.

Professor E. H. Hall, Asst. Professor of Physics.

1. In advanced courses of physics the student is expected to be
able to read German. This is true of one or two of my courses.

Professor R. H. Fitz, Hersey Professor of the Theory and Practice

of Physic.

1. I am in the habit of recommending German medical writings to
such students as are able to read them.

A knowledge of German is not essential on the part of the student
but would prove advantageous as enabling him to obtain his own
impressions from writers which must otherwise be interpreted to him
by the mind of another.

Dr. H. F. Leonard, Instructor in Anatomy, and Clinical Lecturer.

4. None. Should any graduate desire to study in Germany, knowl-
edge of the language would be valuable, or if any one cared to read
works from that source.

Dr. Arthur P. Chadbotjrne, Demonstrator of Experimental Thera-
peutics and Pharmacology.

1. Probably three-quarters at least of the literature needed for
original work and investigation in experimental pharmacology and
therapeutics is published in the German language. The laboratory
being intended for such work, is necessarily limited chiefly to students
in post graduate courses as investigators. Any student would have
to be able to read German or else have it translated to him.

231
Dr. Charles A. Porter, Assistant in Anatomy.

mediJnTtf l kDeW' W"ile a" "'lde«'^ that I was to study
med c.ne, there were no courses then which seemed to me just what I
wanted I passed Freshman German on entrance and my st

wa"^ a Ha: T rlled Geman u- pro- •* ^;/(

mv Ge ma^'till 1\ r ""* ^ C0Uree8 l Sho"ld *™ continued
regrettt g ( ^ " WaS J gave U u? a"d »ow much

Dr. H. F. Vickery, Instructor in Clinical Medicine

4— )good books are not avai,abi- «■?•«> (**-* ****

4 For a medical man the knowledge of German is very desirable •
fo a first-class medical man perhaps indispensable. I can make no
valuable suggestions as to changing present methods.

Dr. D. D. Slade, Lecturer on Comparative Osteology.

ofWc W°rk i" mj A^n™ni is ™^J limited by an ignorance
o the German language through inability to consult works and the
ht ature generally on the subjects pertaining to zoology, there be n*

zt^z ed of standard authority ^ L *^z

Dr. James H. Wrzoht, Assistant in Pathology.
1. A practical reading knowledge of the German language would

for thel. ^ '"^ t0 the mediCal St"dent in «* -tody of pftho.ogj
tor the following reasons which occur to me J'

German^ ** leXt"b°°kS °" the ""^ °f ^^ - written in
(b) Because the more earnest students would be led to read in th„

-r:: ;h:fr:r ,nedicai iiteratu'e °f the ^ztxzi^:

owe most of the advances ,n scientific medicine and pathoWv Rv

232

Dr. Algernon Coolidge, Jr., Clinical Instructor in Laryngology.

1. Not seriously. The number of English text-books for collateral
reading in English is more than sufficient for a one-year's course in
my subject. Some of the charts and illustrations which I use, have
an explanatory text in German, but no student is practically ham-
pered by this, especially as most of the anatomical names are Latin.

I believe that a physician needs a knowledge of German much more
after graduating from the Medical School than while in it. If the stu-
dent enters the School without such knowledge it seems hardly advis-
able to spend time on it to the exclusion of other work, but I should
advise him to take it up in earnest after graduating when he has more
leisure. Everything possible should be done to encourage men who
expect to enter the School to devote attention to it.

Dr. J. W. Farlow, Clinical Instructor in Laryngology.

1. A knowledge of German is very useful to me in keeping up with
the literature of laryngology. Most of the original work is done by
Germans and it is a great help to be able to read the works in the
original, rather than some short, and perhaps incorrect, abstract.

I have a good many German patients, especially at the hospital,
who speak very little English.

Dr. G. H. Washburn, Clinical Instructor in Gynaecology .

1. Not directly, but it is a very valuable acquirement for an}'one
studying medicine to be able to use German. Many of the centres
for the study of medicine abroad are German speaking, and there is
much valuable medical literature published in German about which
it is of value to keep informed.

1 should consider it a good thing for anyone contemplating the study
of medicine to take a course in German in the academic course.

Dr. Edward Reynolds, Assistant in Obstetrics.

1. Ability to read German periodicals and other literature is of
value.

Dr. Franklin Dexter, Demonstrator of Anatomy.

1 . My own work could not be carried on at all without a fair knowl-
edge of German. The work of students under me is, to say the least,
limited without this knowledge.

It seems to me that every man about to enter the medical profession
should have a knowledge of German. The greater that knowledge,
the better off he is.

233

While a student, the English text-books may answer his purpose,
but later on he will find that he will meet with great difficulties with-
out a knowledge of this important language.

A student can get on very well with English alone but as soon as
he graduates German becomes essential.

Professor C. P. Lyman, Professor of Veterinary Medicine, and Dean
of the School of Veterinary Medicine.

1 . No ; excepting that its possession is of very great personal
advantage to the student.

Dr. H. S. Parsons, Instructor in Mechanical Dentistry.

1. A knowledge of German would not assist the students in doing
the special work in which I give instruction, and a knowledge of it
would not affect his standing in any way ; neither would it assist me
in any wa}' that I know of.

Dr. H. A. Kelley, Instructor in Operative Dentistry.

1. The men under me are not required to have any knowledge of
German, and the only help the language would be to them is the help
it is to any broadly educated man. The most valuable literature in
my profession is written in the English language and most of the
advance in the profession is made by the English speaking people, so
that German is not the help to our students that it is to the medical
students.

Professor Thomas Fillebrown, Professor of Operative Dentistry.

1. In the Dental School, German is not used nor required, conse-
quently the work of students under me is not affected by knowledge
or ignorance of that language.

Dr. D. M. Clapp, Cliyiical Lecturer in Operative Dentistry.

1. A knowledge of German would give the dental student the
power to read man}' articles and books of a professional and scien-
tific nature published in that language.

The responsibilities of the dentist and the requirements placed on
him by the public are increasing so rapidly that it has now become
imperative that his natural abilities, education, manual and mental
training be the highest and most thorough possible. A knowledge of
German would be the same, or nearly the same advantage to the
dental student that it is to the medical student.

234

Professor C. L. Jackson, Professor of Chemistry.
1. All men working at chemical research must have a good reading
knowledge of German. Without this, work would be very much
hampered, if not limited. I think I might say that really thorough
work would be often impossible without it. German is necessar}* for
the student to obtain a proper knowledge of most of the work which
has been previously done in his field.

Professor E. S. Wood, Professor of Chemistry.

1. It would be impossible for me to keep up with the times in medical
chemist^ and to teach this subject satisfactorily without being able to
read German. The same is true of any teacher in my department.

Every student intending to take up scientific studies of any kind,
and particularly if he intends to study medicine, should be encouraged
to study German so as to be able to read it fluently.

Dr. Wilder D. Bancroft, Assistant in Chemistry.

1. Practically all the work done in physical chemistry has been
published in German, and as very little of it has been translated, a
knowledge of that language is indispensable.

2. As the course of lectures which I give is optional, there is
nothing required. All the references are to publications in German,
as well as all text-books, so that the ability to read German easily
would be required, if I we;e giving a regular course.

Dr. Jay B. Ogden, Assistant in Chemistry.

1. The work of the student in chemistry, more especially medical
chemistry, is to a certain degree interfered with by ignorance of
German, because some of our best medical works are in German, and
comparatively few, one might say, have been translated.

For a more thorough knowledge of his work he should be able to
read technical German. I may instance my own case as a medical
student and the manner in which I was handicapped by an inferior
knowledge of the language.

The current medical literature is largely written in German, and if
a graduate is determined to " keep up with the times" he must have
a knowledge of this language.

Professor H. B. Hill, Professor of Chemistry.
1. A knowledge of German is expected in the more advanced work
in Chenlistry. Most of the current work in organic chemistry is first
published in German periodicals. My pupils have usually had a
sufficient preparation in German.

235

Professor J. P. Cooke, late Eroing Professor of Chemistry and
Mineralogy, and Director of the Chemical Laboratory.

1. 1 think not, — at least in the case of good scholars.

4. I do not think that the reading of literary German is of much
value to the students of chemistry as an aid in chemical studies.

The course in scientific German and a command of the vocabulary
of the usual scientific terms is very important, and I recommend my
students to limit themselves to the reading of scientific books unless
they have a literary taste. I do not think it would be wise to require
more German than is now demanded for the A.B. degree.

Dr. T. W. Richards, Instructor in Chemistry.

1. A very large part of the literature of chemistry is printed in
German, and ignorance of the language is a serious hindrance to the
advanced student. A number of men under me usually suffer more
or less from this deficiency, and in consequence take more or less of
my time for extra instruction.

Mr. Elliot F. Rogers, Instructor in Chemistry.

1. My work is in chemistry and it is almost needless to state that
nearly half of its published work is in German. Therefore a knowl-
edge of the language is absolutely necessary.

Professor N. S. Shaler, Professor of Geology and Dean of the
Lawrence Scientific School.

1. The work of all the men in the classes in geology above the
grade of the first year, or elementary courses, depends in some
measure on an ability to read German ; for the evident reason that
much of the literature is in that language.

Mr. Richard E. Dodge, Assistant in Geology.

1. Inasmuch as the course in which I am an assistant is an
elementary course in geology, the work of the students therein is
in nowise affected by their knowledge or lack of knowledge of the
German language. I would say that I am somewhat personally
bothered in m}- studies by the lack of an ability to read scientific
German with ease. I always found the German vocabulary a difficult
one to master, though I have a veiy good French one. Hence facility
in reading German is an accomplishment I lack. The knowledge of
German is very valuable in petrography and palaeontology, and no
one can be a fine petrographer without a good working knowledge of
German.

236

Mr. R. T. Jackson, Instructor in Palaeontology.

1. As an instructor in palaeontolog}T I would sa}*- that a knowledge
of German is most desirable for students taking courses in this sub-
ject. The best text-book on the subject is a German work and is in
the laboratory for constant reference. While German is most desir-
able for students taking the first course offered in this subject,
namely, Geology 14, it is much more important, I may say essen-
tial, for students taking the course in advanced palaeontology
(Geol. 24).

For the course in historical geology (Geol. 15) as at present con-
ducted, it is not needed as much as in the two other courses, because
American geological literature includes nearly all the books used or
referred to in the course.

Mr. Thomas A. Jaggar, Assistant in Petrography.

1. Unquestionably yes. A student of petrography must under-
stand German in order to read with intelligence the most important
literature of the subject — that published in Germany. The same is
true of all scientific specialties.

It is not " required" in the University schedule of courses, but
should be. For it is rare that the phrase, tc A knowledge of scientific
French and German is desirable," deters students without such knowl-
edge from taking the course.

Professor G. L. Goodale, Fisher Professor of Natural History,
and Director of the Botanic Garden.

1. In my advanced course (research in the field of systematic,
physiological and economic botany) a good working knowledge of
the German language is expected. Without it, our students would
be greatly hampered.

Professor W. G. Farlow, Professor of C'ryptogamic Botany.

1. It is desirable that all students under me should be able to read
German. It is necessary for all in the advanced courses.

Mr. N. T. Kidder, Instructor in Botany.

1 . If any one wishes to keep abreast with the discoveries in the
higher branches of botany, a knowledge of German is very
desirable.

237

Mr. Herbert M. Richards, Assistant in Botany.

1. Ignorance of German would decidedly hinder the work of any
student in special research in Botany.

For the needs of this department a reading knowledge of scientific
German seems to me to be essential.

Mr. Arthur Seymour, Assistant in the Cryptogamic Herbarium.

1. Mj' work is the care for the cryptogamic herbarium and to look
after the literature of American mycology.

There are no students in the University under me, therefore there is
nothing for me to report upon in regard to students.

For my own work German is an every day necessity ; my knowl-
edge of that is not satisfactory but I make it answer. A large share
of the most important books and articles relating to cryptogamic
botany are published in German, as are also a considerable number
of special papers.

Professor E. L. Mark, Hersey Professor of Anatomy.

1. It is next to impossible for students to carry on successfully any
line of research work which they are likely to undertake, without suffi-
cient knowledge of the German language to enable them to get at the
meaning of ordinary scientific prose. It is not often that I have stu-
dents otherwise sufficiently advanced who do not meet pretty well this
requirement.

In the undergraduate courses the students are continually referred
to books and articles in German for information, which often cannot
be had elsewhere. In some courses special topics are assigned ; the
most of these require familiarity with German ; and when the student
pleads his inability to make use of German, topics, the literature of
which is principally in English or French, have to be selected. The
importance and necessity of German is forced upon the student's
attention from the beginning of his zoological work.

Mr. G. H. Parker, Instructor in Zoology.

1 . I have charge of two courses in zoolog}' which are taken mostly
by juniors, seniors, and graduates. In both these courses the best
text-books and man}- of the more important papers to which the
students are referred, are in German. Those students who are
unable to read German are at a decided disadvantage in doing their
work.

238

Mr. Winfield S. Nickerson, Assistant in Zoology.

1 . It is not necessary that students in elementary courses in zoology
shall be able to read German, though it is of advantage to them to
consult text-books in German.

In more advanced courses than that with which I am associated, a
reading knowledge of scientific German is very useful and in research
work in zoology is well nigh essential.

Dr. C. B. Davenport, Instructor in Zoology.

1. My work and that of nry students is in zoology. This science
has developed more in Germany than in any other country ; the best
periodicals are German, so are the best indexes to the literature. The
greatest teachers are in Germany ; the method of the science is being
most rapidly developed there. These facts indicate the way in which
the knowledge or ignorance of German must affect zoological students.
Research students, especially, must have access to the literature of
their work. They are greatly limited if they do not have a full
acquaintance with German. They ought to go to Germany to com-
plete their preparation for research by learning German methods of
teaching and investigation.

Mr. W. C. Sabine, Instructor in Physics.

1. During the current year the work in none of my courses is
affected by the students' knowledge or ignorance of the German
language. In a new course, however, to be given next year, a fair
reading knowledge of German will be desirable but not indispensable.

Mr. Leon S. Griswold, Assistant in Physical Geography and Geology.

1. In my own w"ork it is often necessary to refer to German works
and it is a matter of great regret that I did not give more attention to
the study of German while in College, for it is a difficult matter now
to make up the deficiency.

The course of German " lc" would have been of great benefit to
me had it existed in my time, and I think it should be recommended
to students who intencl to study science. This course should give
sufficient preparation for any needs in courses with which I am
connected.

Professor B. O. Peirce, Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural

Philosophy.

1. I do not see how an advanced student can pursue any subject
in mathematics or physics thoroughly unless he can read German.

239

The results of a large part of the world's scientific work are printed
onljr in German, and for a bibliography of even the English literature
of an}7 part of mathematics or physics one must go to German pub-
lications like the "• Fortschritte der Physik" and the " Fortschritte
der Mathematik" in which all papers on these subjects in whatever
language they may have been written originally are named and
reviewed.

I am compelled to set the students in my courses somewhat below
the height which I might expect my students to attain if I could be
assured that they have some facility in reading "scientific German."
A student of experimental physics ought to get the gist of 30 to 40
pages of plain writing in German in an hour.

Professor W. F. Osgood, Asst. Professor of Mathematics.

1. In work in the advanced courses in mathematics, knowledge of
German is indispensable. In many subjects the text-books to which
reference is made, and nearly all the articles in mathematical journals
pertaining to these subjects, are in German. A "reading knowledge "
of German, as it is often called, such a knowledge as the student who
takes up German in his Freshman year acquires at the end of that, or
perhaps even the Sophomore year, is inadequate, for such a student
is obliged to translate what he reads instead of understanding it in
the original, and thus the language demands so much of his attention
that it is difficult for him to understand the substance of what he
reads.

Mr. J. L. Love, Instructor of Mathematics.

1. My work is mainly the conduct of the courses in pure mathema-
tics in the Scientific School, and covers the subjects, algebra, solid
geometry, plane trigonometry, analytic geometry, differential and
integral calculus. For my immediate work in these subjects a
knowledge of German is not necessary on the part of the student;
since there are abundant books of reference in English. Yet an
ambitious student who desires to go more thoroughly into the higher
researches of these subjects will find a knowledge of German to the
extent of being able to read the language, of immense value, on
account of the access to memoirs and treatises which are otherwise
closed to him.

But the work of a mathematical student in the Scientific School, is
not in any serious way "determined, limited," or "affected" by
knowledge or ignorance of the German language within the present
scope and aim of these courses.

240

Professor W. E. Byerly, Professor of Mathematics.

1. In one of the higher courses of mathematics which I give
this year the students need to read German with a fair amount
of ease.

Professor Arthur Searle, Phillips Professor of Astronomy.

1. I have no students in charge. In my own work ability to read
German fluently is indispensable. I have no practical occasion to
write or speak the language.

Mr. Willard P. Gerrish, Assistant in the Observatory.

1. In general, my experience has indicated that a knowledge of
the German language is often desirable in connection with abstract
research, in view of the scientific activity in Germany and the pub-
lications resulting therefrom.

Professor J. M. Peirce, Perldns Professor of Astronomy and
Mathematics, and Dean of the Graduate School.

1. I cannot say that it is. I expect my students to be able to
make use of German text-books and memoirs, when necessary. Of
course I should be glad to have the students do so with more ease
than at present, and still more glad if the references could be to
English or French authorities.

Mr. R. DeC. Ward, Assistant in Meteorology.

1. A knowledge of German on the part of the students would
enable them to do outside reading in German text-books and
periodicals, but such reading could not be required, as the litera-
ture in English is more than sufficient for any elementary course
in meteorology.

Mr. A. L. Rotch, Assistant in Meteorology.

1. Not being an officer of instruction of the University, I can only
reply to (1) as it relates to my own work in the science of meteor-
ology. For the study of this, a knowledge of German sufficient to
enable the student to read easily text-books and periodicals is abso-
lutely essential.

Prof. W. M. Davis bears testimony to this in the frequent reference
to German literature in his class instruction.

241

Professor I. N. Hollis, Professor of Engineering .

1. Students of mechanical and electrical engineering find a reading
knowledge of German very useful, but not absolutely necessary.
There is no doubt that a knowledge of German, in so far as it enables
a student to read the technical literature, is one of the elements of
success in the profession.

Mr. G. S. Rice, Instructor in Sanitary Engineering.

1. I think the students would be much better equipped for their
engineering work if they could read German.

Mr. C. A. Adams, Instructor in Electrical Engineering.

1 . It is very desirable for students in electrical engineering to have
a good reading knowledge of German and although they all study
elementary German they are not sufficiently familiar with it to make
any considerable use of it. The best men, however, do make use of
it, even though it be hard work at first. Although, as I have said,
such a knowledge of German is desirable, yet in my opinion the
greatest advantage derived from its study is the better facility in
using the English language thereby derived, rather than the actual
ability to read German intelligently.

Professor J. B. Ames, Bussey Professor of Law.

1. In the near future I shall probably give a course upon "legal
history" in which students will find a knowledge of German useful,
but not essential.

Professor J. H. Beale, Jr., Asst. Professor of Law.

4. Though a knowledge of German is not directly useful to a law
student in this country, one who would get the best knowledge now
possible of the origin and the history of our law, and especially of its
relation to other systems of law, must of course be able to use Ger-
man books. I regret my own inability to do so. If every under-
graduate were given facility in the use of German books, he would be
much better prepared to take up the investigation of any branch of
knowledge.

Professor F. W. Taussig, Professor of Political Economy.

1. In the work of all my advanced courses, and especially in the
course on economic theory, I am hampered by the fact that the stu-
dents, otherwise well equipped, cannot handle German.

242

Professor C. F. Dunbar, Professor of Political Economy and Dean
of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
1. In public finance and banking the work is so far affected that I
feel it practically useless to require the reading of anything which
cannot be parallelled in French or English ; and although I make
references to German sources, it is with the feeling that they will be
used by only a part of the class. This often makes it necessary, in
order to cover a German topic with certaint}^ (as e. g. in Taxation),
to give it a disproportionate amount of time in my lectures. I must
add that the state of things appears to me to be improving.

Professor W. J. Ashley, Professor of Economic History.

1 . In all the higher University work with which I am concerned, in
the study of economic and social history, it would be a great advan-
tage to the men to have a fair acquaintance with German.

2. In "The History of Economic Theory down to Adam Smith,"
to read German is declared in the department pamphlet to be " de-
sirable." In a class last year of some eight seniors and graduate
students, two, if I remember rightly, showed that they could use
German with ease, and one of these did an excellent piece of work
for me and the class which would have been impossible otherwise.

Professor F. H. Storer, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry and
Dean of the Bussey Institution.
1. As a teacher of agricultural science, my work in the University
is largely dependent on that of German investigators. Without the
German language I could do comparatively little as a teacher. I
have always urged upon students at the Busse}' Institution that the}'
should learn enough German to enable them to read readily memoirs
and year-books relating to their profession, and I have induced many
of them to do so.

Mr. George P. Winship, Assistant in History.
1. In general historical work German is most essential. My own
experience is that students who become versed in German before
entering college have a great advantage over those who take it up
later, — although possibly the condition of the German department
during my freshman }Tear may in part account for my feeling.

Mr. Arthur M. Day, Assistant in History.
1. In my own work as a student of history, political science, and
economics, I find myself hampered somewhat by inability to read
German easily.

243

Professor Edward Channing, Asst. Professor of History.
1. Yes. A knowledge of German on the part of all the students
in Government 11 would be of considerable value.

Professor P. H. Hanus, Asst. Professor of the History and the Art

of Teaching.

1. A man who is unable to read German easily is cut off from
nearly all but the most elementary literature in the theory and history
of education.

2. It is impossible to require knowledge of German in my courses.
Most of my students are graduates ; many of them teachers of experi-
ence. In most instances such men are unable to use German as an
instrument, because the modern language instruction offered by col-
leges where these men were educated was inadequate, or because its
importance was not sufficiently insisted upon either in admission
requirements or college courses, or both.

Professor Charles Gross, Asst. Professor of History.

1. At the beginning of the year I ascertain which students can read
German easily. About 10 per cent, of the class, i.e., about five or
six out of fifty1- or sixty, generally answer in the affirmative.

4. I believe the establishment of a course dealing exclusively with
the histoiy of Germany and requiring considerable collateral reading,
would not merely fill a gap in the instruction now offered by the
department of history, but wTould also help to stimulate the study of
the German language.

Professor Josiah Royce, Professor of the History of Philosophy.

1 . All students of philosophy7, after their first year of elementary
work in the subject, stand in very great need of German as a tool to
use in all their further work. I am constantly7 hampered in dealing
with them by their difficulties as to German. Their present frequent
inability in undergraduate years to use it as a tool lowers their work
by a full third from what it ought to be.

Professor Ephraim Emerton, Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History .

1 . The whole teaching of history is very seriously limited by the
almost universal incapacity of our students to use German books. I
continually urge my students to learn to read German by using it in
their historical study.

4. (1) An increased ability in German upon entrance. (2) A
combined effort on the part of other departments to make students
use German books.

244

Professor F. W. Putnam, Peabody Professsr of American Archae-
ology and Ethnology, and Curator of the Peabody Museum.

1. The lack of knowledge of German affects the study in this
department, but does not in any way limit or determine the study.

While I certainly consider a knowledge of German as of importance,
I do not consider that it is in this department of as great service as
Spanish and French. Therefore I should advise the study of German
without requiring it.

Professor G. H. Palmer, Afford Professor of Natural Religion,
Moral Philosophy , and Civil Polity.

1. In my seminary Phil. 20c, and in advanced ethics Phil. 4, a
knowledge of German would greatly profit my students, while I find
many of my students have sufficient knowledge to use German books,
I can never presume this knowledge in the case of any student. If I
could, my own instruction might take a wider range.

Professor Wm. James, Professor of Psychology.

1. For my own work German is indispensable. For my students,
especially in psychology, it is almost equally indispensable, and their
insufficient ability is one of my chief hardships as a teacher.

2. Not required yet, for it would reduce the students to three or
four. It ought to be required however.

Professor Hugo Munsterberg, Professor of Experimental Psychology.

1. The psychological laboratory work which represents in the
catalogue the course Phil. 20a, and which is open only to graduates,
should have as a presupposition a fair ability to read scientific Ger-
man literature. Fourteen graduates take it, most of them for three
courses devoting almost their whole time to it. but only four men,
who have studied in German}*, read German books easil}-. There
is no doubt for me that all the others are seriously hampered by
their insufficient knowledge of that language in which more than
half of the ps3Tchological literature is written. To be sure all the
men had a little German, but as the purpose of the course is original
research, it would be often necessary to go over the literature of a
subject purely as introduction, that is to look perhaps over some
dozen magazine articles, etc., and I cannot expect this from men
who need a whole evening to read ten pages of German ; an insuffi-
cient knowledge is therefore not much better for my courses than no
German at all. I myself don't emphasize these points in my courses
because I am a German, and don't wish to appear to the students as

245

exaggerating the value of my own language, especially as I am myself
a beginner in English ; but there is no doubt for me that a require-
ment of the ability to read German without friction would be for
psychological laboratory courses just and right. We can miss
French much more. For my psychological lectures German would
be desirable but not necessary.

Dr. Benjamin Rand, Assistant m Philosophy.

1. In the years 1891-94 I have examined the work of the students
in Phil. 1 (now Phil, la and Phil. 16), Phil. 3, 12, 15 (1891-93),
and Phil. 4 (1894), and have likewise devoted special attention to
the literature of philosoplrY\

For excellence of work in Phil. 1 (a and b) German is not necessary.
In Phil. 3, 12, 15, and 4, a knowledge of German would always be
of advantage. It is only the occasional student, however, who ex-
hibits in his theses that readiness in the use of German for his philo-
sophical investigations, which is undoubtedly desired alike by your
committee and by the instructors. Possibly all, or nearly all, the
advanced students have some knowledge of the German language ;
but their acquaintance with it, on the whole, does not appear sufficient
to induce them readily to apply their knowledge by consultation of
the German authorities. An unmistakable preference is for the most
part given to English sources of information. Nevertheless, such is
the extent and richness of the German philosophical literature, that
every possible encouragement should be given to a more thorough use
of the German language. Under past methods of instruction the
applied knowledge of German appears to fall just short of effective-
ness for work in philosophy by advanced students. It is this extra
amount of attention necessary for the practical use of the language,
that needs, it would seem, to be supplied.

Professor J. H. Thayer, Bussey Professor of New Testament
Criticism a,nd Interpretation.

1. Some knowledge of German is so important a requisite in a
rounded theological training that the ability to read the language —
after a fashion — has for man}' years been demanded with us of
candidates for the degree of B.D.

Professor D. G. Lyon, Hollis Professor of Divinity and Curator
of the Semitic Museum.

1. For students who intend to become scholars no subject offered
in the University, except English, is so important as German. In

246

citing German works in my lectures I am always aware of a
serious loss on the part of those students who are ignorant of the
language.

While the courses of instruction are so conducted that they may be
pursued by students who are ignorant of German, the best results
cannot be obtained by such students for the reason that many of the
most useful books in my subject are in German.

4. I doubt not that a better grade of work would be made possible
in the higher courses of instruction if a good reading knowledge of
German were a requisite to the pursuit of such courses. For myself,
I lose no opportunity to urge on students the importance of this
language.

Professor F. G. Peabody, Plummet Professor of Christian Morals
and Acting Dean of the Divinity School.

1. Much of m}' work would be more effective if I could freely use
German sources. One course (Phil. 14, Philosophy of Religion) is
drawn almost wholly from German sources. I can demand from the
class, however, only what is translated.

Professor C. E. Norton, Professor of the History of Art.

1. In all advanced study of the histor}' of the fine arts a knowledge
of German is essential. Even for beginners the best text-books are
in German or are translations from the German.

So, too, much of the most important writing on Dante is in German ;
but the language is not indispensable for the student.

Professor C. H. Moore, Asst. Professor of Design in the
Fine Arts.

1. A working knowledge of German is of much value to students
in my subject. It is not, however, in all cases indispensable.

Professor J. K. Paine, Professor of Music.

1. In my courses I find a knowledge of German very desirable,
but the majority of my students are not able to read the language.
It would be a great advantage if the students in music could read the
German text-books on musical theoiy, and, above all, the literature
of musical history and criticism, which in German far exceeds that
of any other modern language.

247

Mr. H. L. Warren, then Instructor in, now Asst. Professor of

Architecture.

Many of the most valuable technical and historical works on archi-
tecture are written in German and it is of great advantage to be able
to refer the students to them. At present I am able to do this only to
a limited extent. In lajing out the new courses it will be my hope
that the student shall acquire a reading knowledge of German as early
in the course as possible. I have some thought of reading a German
text-book on architecture with the students in the architectural depart-
ment during some part of the four-3'ears course, if such a course is
permanently established, in order to familiarize the students with the
technical language of their special Fach. This is done in the archi-
tectural department of Columbia College, I believe, with considerable
success. If it were possible to require a reading knowledge of German
before entering the course, it would be a great help ; but at present
this would probably not be desirable.

Professor F. D. Allen, Professor of Classical Philology.

1. Not only are most of the best manuals in the various depart-
ments of classical antiquities in German, but so are nearly all the
periodicals in which yearly, monthly, and weekly progress in our
science is registered, and a great many of the best explanatory com-
mentaries on Latin and Greek authors.

2. Not formally required. But I always assume it, and those who do
not possess it are seriously hampered. In some courses (as the classical
seminary) it would be impossible to do the work at all without German.
As to the amount of knowledge, I should sa}r that ability to read easy
prose rapidly and without a dictionary, and hard prose with a dic-
tionary is about what is needed. Of course a knowledge of classical
terms, used by writers on classical subjects is necessary, but these are
mostly Greek or Latin terms which explain themselves. As to what
courses, I should answer : All the courses in classical philology marked
." Primarily for Graduates."

Professor M. H. Morgan, Asst. Professor of Greek and Latin,.

1. Every student of the classics must find himself limited and ham-
pered if he is not able to use German works of reference and editions
of the authors with German notes.

Professor J. B. Greenough, Professor of Latin.

1. Two or three courses which I ordinarily give almost require a
reading knowledge of German. A few of the good scholars possess

248

that, but the great majority are as helpless as a fish out of
water.

2. It is not now required, but in view of what I have said under
the last question I hope to require it hereafter in Latin 10 and in
Class. Phil. 20.

Mr. Wm. F. Harris, Assistant in Classics.

1 . To advanced students in the Greek and Latin courses a good
reading knowledge of German is indispensable. Few of the men who
take these courses know at the outset that they should take a number
of German reading courses. I should think that timely announcement
of this would be well, in the German and classical pamphlets, and that
a profitable course or half-course might be arranged to kill two birds
with one stone. Some semi-popular works in philology, history, or
criticism might be read and some classic with German notes and intro-
ductions might be studied, as Kiessling's Horace, Bergk or Christ's
Histories of Greek Literature; or some such books could be read.
Of course, the only trouble would be to find a man who could handle
such a course in a way to do justice to both sides of it. But I imagine
this would not be so very hard.

Professor C. L. Smith, Professor of Latin.

1. In the regular undergraduate courses in Latin, especially the
more advanced, a reading knowledge of German is of advantage, but
is not required. In the graduate courses such knowledge is indis-
pensable, as it is in my own work.

4. The elemental courses should be taught in smaller sections.
The examination in elemental German for admission to college
should include a test in the ivriting of simple German.

Dr. W. N. Bates, Instructor in Greek.

1. My own special investigations into classical subjects are carried
on with the constant use of German books and periodicals. The
ability to use German books of reference and annotated editions of
Greek authors would be of great value to most of my students.

Mr. C. P. Parker, Instructor in Greek and Latin.

1. Often I have some more advanced course, for juniors, seniors,
or even graduates, e. g., Juvenal, Pliny, Roman Stoicism. In these
courses students might no doubt consult German notes, or such a
book as Zeller's with advantage. But most of their work ought to be

249

done with the Latin text itself. Moreover, Zeller is translated. The
same is true of TenffePs valuable history of Roman Literature, which
they need to consult at times.

Professor W. W. Goodwtn, Eliot Professor of Greek Literature.

1 . Every student in the higher courses in the classics here is much
hampered and often seriously embarrassed if he cannot refer to German
authorities. There is hardly a subject which I teach in which the
best books of reference are not in German ; and I constantly tell
students that, if they cannot read German easily, they must be con-
tent with inferior books.

2. They must read Meier & Schomann's "Attischer Process," a
book of about 1000 pages, or a great part of it. There is no other
book from which they can get the required knowledge.

Professor A. R. Marsh, Asst. Professor of Comparative Literature.

1. A reading knowledge of German is absolutely indispensable for
students taking all higher courses offered by me. These are Comp.
Lit. 1, 2, 21, 22. More than half the books used in these courses
are in the German language, and I cannot admit to them students
unable to use these books. Practically none of the books used are in
English, for as yet English speaking scholars have written next to
nothing of value upon the subjects treated.

2. All attention given to writing and speaking German, except for
the sake of obtaining accurate grammatical acquaintance with the
language, is a waste of time for the student so far as my work is
concerned.

4. I do not think, however, that students sufficiently appreciate the
importance of this tool, and I should like to see fuller statements of
it, in connection with our announcements.

Professor C. H. Toy, Professor of Hebrew and other Oriental
Languages, and Biblical Literature.

1. In many cases seriously restricted by ignorance of German, the
best reference books being in certain subjects, in that language.
Almost without exception I refer students for themes and theses
and for general study to German works, without which a full inves-
tigation of the subject cannot be made. Comparatively few students
can do thorough research work on account of ignorance of German
and French.

In research courses knowledge of German is required in the Divinity
School ; it is required for the degree of D.B.

250

Professor LeB. R. Briggs, Professor of English and Dean of
Harvard College.

1. Not now; for now I have no regular classes. I talk to the
Freshmen every other week in connection with their work in rhetoric.
In one of my old elective courses German was useful but not abso-
lutely necessary.

Professor F. J. Child, Professor of English.

1. With my class in old English (English 4) I use Matzner's
" Alt-englische Sprachproben " far the best book for the subject,
and an abilit}7 to read ordinary German is indispensable for those
who elect English 4. German is also desirable for those who take
English 1 (Chaucer), since much that is valuable has been written
on Chaucerian matters in German.

Professor Adams Sherman Hill, Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and

Oratory.

1 . No more than by knowledge or ignorance of any other language
that has a literature.

Dr. A. C. Garrett, Instructor in English.

1. A large part of my own work, most of the more scientific work,
requires intimate acquaintance with German. My facility in it is
none too great (though adequate) because too little time has been
given to acquiring the language.

Of the five courses in which I teach, only one requires knowledge
of German on the students' part, viz. : German Philology 13 (Old
Norse). I have met no serious obstacle in students' knowledge.
Occasionally one would not know the meaning of a German word
which defined a Norse word. In English 3 (Anglo-Saxon) German is
very desirable for comparative purposes, and in both that course and
English 1 (Chaucer) very desirable in referring to philological works
for elucidation, parallel reading, etc., but for neither course is a
knowledge of German required.

Professor G. L. Kittredge, Asst. Professor of English.

1 . This is so inclusive a question that I hardly see how it is possible
for any instructor (except some of those engaged in teaching in the
most elementary courses) to answer it in the negative. Advanced
work in any department must, of course, constantly throw German
books and articles in the students' way, and ignorance of the language
is then, of course, a disadvantage. Even when a student can " get

251

along" in a course without knowledge of German, his work may be
and in most cases will be kt affected " (for the better) by such knowl-
edge. For my own purposes I desire, and, in fact, am obliged in
some courses to require such a knowledge of German as will enable
the students to use German books with facility, not merely occa-
sionally but constantly.

Mr. L. E. Gates, Instructor in English.

1. A reading knowledge of German is required of students who
take English 20<x.

Mr. B. S. Hurlbut, Instructor in English.

1. My work, English H and L, is affected in only one way by
German. Occassionally I find a fellow who has read or talked Ger-
man so much that he brings the German style into English composi-
tion, and his English suffers accordingly. The remed}', however, is
simple. I set him to work to read and write English. Cases of this
sort are not very common.

Mr. W. T. Brewster, Assistant in English.

1. My work being wholly in English composition, the effect of
German on the themes which I correct can be only indirect. I some-
times think that students occasional!}' catch tricks of German style,
but the amount of the German influence can hardly be measured
and is, to my thinking, less palpable and harmful than that of the
Latin.

Professor Ferdinand B6cher, Professor of Modern Languages.

1. The study of French is only indirectly affected by knowledge or
ignorance of German. It is, however, very desirable that every stu-
dent, whatever linguistic or literary studies he may pursue, should
have a knowledge of the German language sufficient to use it. I find
that in general, of late years, students in the higher courses of French
have such a knowledge.

Professor R. L. Sanderson, Asst. Professor of French.

1. No; except inasmuch that the knowledge of one language
beside one's mother tongue may be said to help in the acquisition of
a second foreign language.

4. That no student be allowed to take a course in which German
books are read, — history, philosophy, etc., — unless he has done
the equivalent of two years' German in Harvard. The equivalent

252

might be reading done by the student alone, a thing not so difficult
to accomplish for anyone who has mastered the rudiments, and is in
earnest.

Professor F. C. de Sumichrast, Asst. Professor of French.

1. A reading knowledge of German is desirable for work in courses
on literature. As a matter of fact most students taking such courses
have at least a fair reading knowledge of the language.

Professor B. H. Nash, Professor of Italian and Spanish.

1. In the advanced courses (Spanish and Italian) a fair reading
knowledge of the German language is of great value. Much of the
best critical and expository work on the Spanish and Italian classics
is published in German, and of this very little is translated into Eng-
lish. Valuable works on the history of Italian and Spanish literature,
especially monographs on particular periods or particular branches,
such as " The Drama," " The Origins of the Literature," etc., are in
the same case. If the student can be referred to these works his
resources are greatly enlarged and the instructor is saved the time
that he would be obliged to devote to making the contents of these
books available to the student. The best bi-lingual modern dictionary
of Spanish is Spanish-German, German-Spanish.

Professor E. S. Sheldon, Asst. Professor of Romance Philology.

1. The question only arises in connection with the courses in
Romance Philolog}' in my case. There it is necessary to use German
books somewhat, and I think the tradition is fast becoming estab-
lished that students taking these courses must be able to use books in
German.

4. Much practice in reading at sight in the elementary courses in
German. This is, I suppose, already one of the means employed in
these courses.

In this remarkable array of professional opinion the statement
frequently recurs that a "reading knowledge" of the German lan-
guage on the part of the students would greatly facilitate the work of
the teachers by enabling them freely to refer their pupils to German
authorities, and would also greatly aid the students by enabling them
to enlarge their reading with ease, — yet that such knowledge is in
many cases not absolutely necessary to the students so long as the}*
are still under the guidance of their teachers, for the reason that the
teacher may be assumed to be capable of supplying what the students.

for want of that knowledge, may not be able to find out for them-
selves, — but that the knowledge of the language becomes actually
indispensable to the students, or at least to those of them who have
the ambition of keeping abreast of the progress of the time in the
various departments of science in which they are engaged, as soon as
they leave that guidance behind them and have to fall back upon their
own resources. This is undoubtedly true. It is at the same time a
most cogent reason why the University should see to it that its stu-
dents, before it sends them forth into the world, should be well
equipped with so needful a tool of study. The quantity of positive
knowledge which even the best institution of learning can impart to
its pupils, is necessarily very limited. So much more important is it,
that it should cultivate and develop in them to the highest possible
degree the ability to learn more.

It will be observed that the opinions elicited from the officers of
instruction without the department of German bear almost exclusively
upon the usefulness of a knowledge of German as a means to facilitate
further study. It is hardly necessary to add that such knowledge
will also be apt greatly to benefit the student by introducing him to
German modes of reasoning and methods of inquiry, which enjoy a
well-deserved reputation for comprehensive grasp and conscientious
thoroughness, and by opening to him a literature other than scientific
which abounds in the richest treasures. In both respects it is likely
to aid in the development of tendencies most beneficial to the charac-
ter of the mental activities of our people.

What is actually aimed at and accomplished in the German depart-
ment of Harvard University is set forth in the following statements
made by the professors and instructors employed in it in answer to
the following questions : —

1. Please state generally or particularly the object which you try
to accomplish with the students in your courses in the University.

2. Please state the actual results.

3. In your opinion (and with reference to the German language)
what changes, if any, should be made in methods of instruction or
examination, or in requirements for admission to the University, or
for degrees in any department of the University, and what are the
facts and reasons which lead you to that opinion ?

Professor George A. Baktlett, Regent, and Associate Professor of

German.

Question 1 . Please state generally or particularly the object which
you try to accomplish with the students in your courses in the
University.

254

Answer. I have now (owing to the duties of "Regent"), but one
course, an elementary course composed of Freshmen who passed the
elementary examination for admission. My purpose is a twofold
one.

(1) I desire to teach the students in such fashion that at the begin-
ning of their Sophomore year they may be able to read ordinary
German with some degree of ease.

(2) It is expected that the better men in the course, may, in their
Sophomore 3rear be able to pursue, with profit, course 2, 3, or 4, and
with this end in view they are given a great deal of practice in writing
German and in committing to memory extracts from German authors
(in prose and poetry).

Question 2. Please state the actual results.

Answer. About one-third of the men in Course C learn to read
German well and to write easy translations into German correctly.

Question 3. In your opinion (and with reference to the German
language), what changes, if any, should be made in methods of
instruction or examination, or in requirements for admission to the
University, or for degrees in any department of the University, and
what are the facts and reasons which lead you to that opinion?

Answer. I have no suggestions to make regarding the methods
of instruction or examination in German in the University, believ-
ing they are as good as we can make them under existing
circumstances.

Regarding the entrance examination I have two points to touch.

(1) I believe that the requisition for Elementary German should be
strengthened b}T the addition of a test in grammar and in the transla-
tion of easy English sentences into German, and that the time given
to the examination should be extended to two hours.

My reasons for this are that the present test is an insufficient one
and leads to slovenly and "cramming" preparation.

(2) It seems to me that the whole scheme of our admission ex-
aminations would be improved if the Advanced German were accepted
as a substitute for Elementary Greek.

My reasons are two-fold. (1) A great many students desiring to
devote themselves largely to the study of Natural Science, History.
Sociology, Political Economy, and kindred subjects need an advanced
knowledge of German at the very beginning of their college career.
(2) It would be of advantage to the student and to the language itself
(as a means of mental training) if Greek were begun in college when
the student is already master of Latin, French, and German, and his
mind is mature enough to appreciate and take advantage of the Greek
training.

255

Dr. Max Poll, Instructor in German.

Letter in reply to the said three questions to the department of
German.

In German A I try to teach the student so much German as to
enable him to read esLsy prose or poetry at sight, to acquire a correct
pronunciation, to be well versed in grammar, and to know the most
important rules of the syntax as well as to translate easy English
sentences into German. In order to accomplish this, much time, one-
third about, is devoted to grammar and composition. In reading, my
principle is (1) not to translate a word that has not been read;
(2) in the first months to translate every word of the lesson prepared
at home, later in the year only the difficult passages, and to read at
sight as much as possible. In order to improve the pronunciation
poems are learned by heart and recited in the classroom. As to the
actual results I venture to say that the average student finds no diffi-
culty in understanding a book written in easy German and knows the
principal elements of grammar well. In regard to composition I am
sorry to say the result is unsatisfactory, probably on account of the
insufficient time that we can devote to it.

In German B I pursue the same principles as in German A. As
this course, however, is meant to prepare students for third year
German in one year, the number of books read during the year is
considerably larger and of more difficult style. Not only a great deal
of English is translated into German, but during the last part of the
year the student has to write short themes in German. As the major-
ity of the students of this course enter either 2, 3, 4, or 6, in which
lectures are given in German, in which the}r have to take notes, I try
to make the sound of the German language more familiar to the
students' ear Iry dictating to them short stories. The object of this
course is (1) to prepare in one 3Tear beginners in German for 2, 3, 4,
or 6, or to enable students to use German text-books in other studies.
I think that the intelligent student finds his preparation in German B
adequate to his wants. German 2 is meant to give the student a
detailed knowledge of Lessing, whose principal works are read, while
the minor works of Lessing, or such as are not suitable for being read,
are dwelt upon in lectures. The course, however, does not restrict
itself to the writings of this one poet, but it tries to make the student
acquainted with some of the standard works of other authors and with
the history of literature of the classical period. I am pretty sure that
the average student, after having taken this course, is well able to
read any work in German literature, and I trust that his interest in
German has been sufficiently awakened so that he will continue his
studies in this particular line.

256

Mr. Alfred B. Nichols, Instructor in German.

Question 1 . Please state generally or particularly the object which you
try to accomplish with the students in your courses in the University.

Answer. (1) In German A my methods and results coincide so
nearly with those concerning which Dr. Poll has made a somewhat
full statement, that I beg to refer the Committee to that statement.

(2) In German lb the year is devoted to training in reading more
difficult (historical) prose. Attention is paid to the text in the noting
of synonyms, of derivation, etc , as far as such things have a practical
value towards forming a vocabulary. Much is read at sight, and the
students are constantly drilled in giving in their own words the thought
of the author, both orally and by written work in the classroom.

(3) In German E the object is the study of the grammar and
simple prose composition.

(4) In German 6 the same methods are followed on the whole as
in lb, the course being a more advanced one in the same line. The
subject matter is historical during the first half-year, while in the
second literary and esthetic criticism is taken up. The course deals
with as difficult German as the student is ever likely to come across.
No translating is done, and the student is expected to master the
authors' ideas and be able to reproduce them in his own words.

Question 2. Please state the actual results.

Answer. (1) In German A I will again refer the Committee to
Dr. Poll's account.

(2) In German lb the student is able to read more difficult German
with some ease by the end of the year.

(3) In German E (which is resorted to largely by men deficient in
their grammar) the result is the ability to write simple prose that is
grammatical though not very idiomatic.

(4) In German 6 the men reach a point where the}" feel themselves
sufficiently masters of the language to depend on themselves in their
further prosecution of it. They obtain incidentally more knowledge
of German history and some insight into German habits of thought.

Question 3. In your opinion (and with reference to the German
language) what changes, if any, should be made in methods of instruc-
tion or examination, or in requirements for admission to the Univer-
sity, or for degrees in an}" department of the University, and what
are the facts and reasons which lead you to that opinion ?

Answer. I do not know that I can add anything of value to what
has been already discussed with the Committee. The department is
much at one, I conceive, on the evils resulting from insufficient
preparation, from the size of the sections, and other points, recapitu-
lation of which seems superfluous.

257

Dr. Heinrich Conrad Bierwirth, Instructor in German.

Letter in reply to the said three questions to the department of
German.

As most of my work is elementary and introductory to the higher
courses, I try above all things to encourage the student and to show
him that by dint of a little hard and faithful work from the start he
can soon attain some tangible results, i.e., get so far as to read easy
German without constant thumbing of the dictionary and without a
surfeit of grammar. But, since I am also firmly persuaded that
everj'body who desires to make German really useful as a tool must
sooner or later master certain grammatical forms and syntactical con-
structions, — I never neglect to point out to the student where his
failure to understand the context is obviously due to his lack of gram-
mar, and thus to convince him that he would be none the worse off
for knowing something more about forms and inflections. This argu-
mentum ad hominem if put home kindly and without reproach or
censure, so as not to humiliate the student too much, I find persuasive
and effective. It often reconciles him to the much tabooed subject
of grammar when he comes to see the good and the necessity of it,
and it really prepares him in a more thorough way for difficulties
which he is sure to meet in advanced work and which, if encountered
without such preliminary training in the science of language, are apt
to discourage or even upset him later. In this general method and
practice I have been confirmed by my experiences in German (7, our
intermediate course. Mow easy it is to prepare boys for the minimum
admission requirement in German, where no grammatical knowledge
is insisted on, is evident from the fact that there are always students
in Course C who have prepared for the entrance examination, not in
a year, but in three or four months. This year I even have a student
who managed to do it in three weeks. On the other hand, it is very
hard to make students whose grammatical training has been neglected
for the sake of preparing them quickly (and, of course, only super-
ficially), gather up the loose threads and do in the second year what
ought to have been done once for all in the first. It is disheartening
to botli teacher and pupil. In my opinion, therefore, it would be no
more than common justice to the student if we insisted in our admis-
sion examinations on a modicum of grammatical knowledge which
would oblige the candidate to prove that he is not merely guessing at
the sense of a given passage, but that he also knows what he is about
and is prepared to go through the second year's work without laying
the foundation over again.

258

Dr. Benjamin Lincoln Robinson, Instructor in German.

Question 1. Please state generally or particularly the object which
you try to accomplish with the students in your courses in the
University.

Answer. The object of German h\ the course under my charge,
is to assist scientific students to a ready and practical reading knowl-
edge of average technical German. Experience shows that among
the students who take the course the chief requisite for the end in
view is a more copious and accurate vocabulary. Accordingly, special
attention is given to drill in and discussion of technical terms in Ger-
man with their exact English equivalents. Breadth and accuracy of
vocabulary are the first aims of the course. An effort is also made
to interest the students in the subject matter. When this is done
their German progresses much more rapidly and with much less con-
scious effort. To this end questions and brief and informal discus-
sions are encouraged in the class.

The accuracy of the student's reading knowledge is constantly
tested by translations, both written and oral, of sight selections as
well as set passages. Beside these, diagrams are frequently required
of scientific apparatus described in the German text as well as accurate
chemical formulae, etc.

Question 2. Please state the actual results.

Answer. At the end of the year about half to two-thirds of the
class can read accurately, at sight, the German of average scientific
text-books in the subjects of which they have the requisite scientific
knowledge to understand the subject matter. The remainder of the
class, with few exceptions, can do the same with a slight use of the
lexicon.

Question 3. Answer. No suggestions.

Professor Hugo K. Schilling, Asst. Professor of German.

Question 1. Please state generally or particularly the object which
you try to accomplish with the students in your courses in the
University.

Answer. German A. — Object : To give the students a thorough
knowledge of the outlines of German grammar (accidence and the
main points of syntax) ; to accustom them to correct pronunciation
(on their own part as well as on the part of the teacher, that is, both
in pronouncing German words and in identifying words pronounced
\>y the teacher) ; and to enable them to read simple German prose at
sight and to translate easy English prose into German.

2/>9

German 3. — Object: To give the students a general knowledge of
German classics of the 18th century and a thorough acquaintance
with the life and works of Schiller ; to enable them to understand
connected lectures in German ; to train them to read German classics
intelligently and appreciatively without translating them ; to arouse
in the student an interest in German literature generally ; and to
stimulate independent thought and criticism by means of themes on
literary subjects usually connected with the reading.

German G. — Object: Practice in writing German themes, with
special reference to advanced syntax and to the cultivation of a good
style in addition to grammatical correctness.

Germanic Philology 18. — Object: The elucidation of the texts
most commonly read in the study of the various Germanic dialects,
by means of the discussion of the public and private life of the
Teutons.

Germanic Philology 20?>. — Object : Critical study of middle high
German texts and original investigations by the students.

Question 2. Please state the actual results.

Answer. In regard to the actual results of the work in these
courses, it is safe to say that the objects above stated are, on the
whole, successfully accomplished.

In German A no student is allowed to pass who cannot read simple
prose at sight with considerable facility, or who is not familiar with
the main facts of German grammar ; there are always some students
in each class who will make practically perfect translations from the
German, and into German, in the mid-year and final examinations.
There are also, of course, some who take the course only because it
is required and who do not exert themselves sufficiently to become
very proficient.

In German 3 the students acquire considerable facility in the read-
ing of German classics and in the writing of themes ; they learn to
understand German lectures and to take notes in German ; they do a
great deal of outside reading, of which they have to give an account
in occasional tests, as well as in the general examinations ; in the
class room they answer questions concerning the reading in German
and explain difficult passages, as a rule, without translating them.

In German G the work is, on the whole, very satisfactory, the men
who take this course being, almost without exception, very much in
earnest. The themes are creditable pieces of work, and though even
the best students will occasionally make grammatical mistakes, the
average theme shows on the other hand a gratifying command of
words and phrases, considerable skill in constructing German periods
and a frequently surprising familiarity with idiomatic expressions.

260

Germanic Philology 18 and 20b are new courses and have not yet
been given.

Question 3. In your opinion (and with reference to the German
language) what changes, if any, should be made in methods of in-
struction or examination, or in requirements for admission to the
University, or for degrees in any department of the University, and
what are the facts and reasons which lead you to that opinion ?

Answer, (a) In German A the number of instructors should be
larger; the sections should not contain more than, at most, 30 stu-
dents each ; in elementary work, classes of from 40 to 50, as at
present, are entirely too large.

(b) The present admission examination, requiring, as it does, only
the translation of simple German prose, is inadequate ; the paper
should include at least a few easy English sentences for translation
into German.

Professor Hans Carl Gunther von Jagemann, Asst. Jyrofessor of

German.

Letter in reply to the said three questions to the department of
German.

In reply to the questions asked by the Committee on German con-
cerning the aims and results of my teaching, I beg to state, in the
first place, that my work, as at present arranged, is not so homogeneous
that I could give the same answers with reference to the several dif-
ferent courses I am now conducting.

(1) The most elemental^ of my courses, designated officially as la,
is a course which immediately follows the beginners' course A. The
object which I try to accomplish in this course is to lay a sound lin-
guistic foundation for the higher literary courses to which students
pass from my course, so that when they enter those courses they may
be able to read German classics as literature and not as a series of
sentences illustrating grammatical principles or idioms. I also try,
by exercises in writing from dictation, to accustom the student to the
sound of the language when spoken, so that he may the sooner be
able to follow lectures in German in those higher courses. In addi-
tion to this, weeklj7 exercises in German composition accustom the
student to express himself in German with some degree of readiness
and accurac}T on e very-day topics and enable him to begin, in the
higher courses, the writing of German compositions on easy subjects
connected with his reading in German literature. As regards the
results in this course, they can best be estimated by the grade of
work that can be and is accomplished in the courses of the next

261

grade with the students that puss out of my course into these higher
courses (officially designated us 2, 3, 4, 6). For my own part, I
can onl}- say that I think the results are commensurate with the
labor expended ; they are all that can be expected of the average
Harvard student after a two-years' study of a difficult subject like
Gorman.

(2) My other courses are all of a very advanced grade; their
object is the study of the older stages in the history of the German
Language and literature. They are not intended as courses giving a
student a reading knowledge of modern German, or a practical com-
mand of the language, or an introduction to German literature. They
presuppose a sound knowledge of modern German, and the}- stand in
the same relation to the courses in modern German and modern Ger-
man literature as the courses in Anglo-Saxon, Early English, and
History of the English Language, to the courses in Modern English
Literature and English Composition. They are intended for men
who want to fit themselves to become teachers of German and spe-
cialists in German Philology. It would be difficult for me to sum-
marize the results accomplished in the various courses otherwise than
by stating that in m}T opinion the objects of the courses as stated in
the department pamphlet are accomplished.

(3) In regard to the requirements for admission, I wish to call
attention to the fact that the German department, in connection with
the French department, several years ago proposed to the Faculty to
raise these requirements by the addition of a requirement in grammar
or composition. This proposition was defeated. Since then, the Con-
ference on Modern Languages, under the direction of the Committee
of Ten, of which President Eliot was chairman, have proposed these
same requirements (see their report, p. 102). As it is generally
hoped that the recommendations made in this report will sooner or
later go into effect in all the secondary schools in the country, it
would seem natural that Harvard should be one of the first institu-
tions to aid this movement, by compliance with the above recom-
mendations, in making them the basis of her admission requirements.
These recommendations, both as to Elementary and Advanced Ger-
man, are in accordance with my ideas.

Professor Kuno Francke, Asst. Professor of German Literature.

Letter in reply to the said three questions to the department of
German.

I beg to submit the following statements in answer to your circular
of March 2, 1894: —

262

1. The first question calls for a statement of the aims which guide
me in my work as a teacher of German literature at this University.
Let me say at the outset that my own University training under men
like Giesebrecht and Paulsen, as well as my subsequent position as
kC Mitarbeiter " on the u Monumenta Germaniae Historica," have
forced upon me the conviction that the most fruitful way of studying
a given literature is to look at it as an expression of national life
rather than as a linguistic phenomenon or a manifestation of indi-
vidual genius. The whole aim of my activity at this University I,
therefore, find in giving to the students under m}T instruction as clear
a conception as I can of German literature as a reflex of German life.
In order to do this successfully it is necessary to consider literature
in its connection with other forms of national life, in its relation to
the social and political conditions of the masses, to the great religious
and philosophical movements, to the leading tendencies in the fine
arts, to the ideals of culture dominating the successive stages of
national development. It would be clearly a vain attempt to intro-
duce the student at once into the midst of this complicated organism
of interdependent intellectual forces. The only rational method is
a gradual approach toward it. My work, therefore, begins with a
course (German 4) of a biographical character, of which Goethe is
the central figure, while the other great literar}' men of the classical
period of the 18th century are considered as leading up to him or
revolving about him. The next stage consists in a course (German
5) in which the whole development of German literature from the
earliest times to the end of the 18th century is brought out, mainly in
its relation to the corresponding social and political development.
The old Germanic epics, for instance, are here treated as a reflex of
tribal life at the time of the migrations, the middle high German epics
and lyrics as a reflex of the culture of mediaeval chivalry, the litera-
ture of the 15th and 16th centuries as a reflex of the growth of the
middle classes, the literature of the 17th century as a reflex of princely
despotism, the literature of the 18th century as a reflex of the move-
ment for individual liberty. There follows a course (German 9)
dealing with German literature and art from the 13th to the 16th
century. Here I try to show how the whole literary and artistic life
of the German people for three centuries tends toward the crowning
achievement which is finally reached in the Reformation ; the delivery
of the individual conscience and intellect ; how the inner life asserts
itself against traditional conventions, and the direct truthfulness of
the Volkslied and the Miracle Plays in the satire of the Schwank
literature, in the realism of painting and sculpture from the Van
Eycks to Peter Vischer and Diirer, in the ascetic self -observation of

263

the Mystics, in the joyful self-exaltation of the Humanists, — until
Luther by combining all these single tendencies into one mighty
stream revolutionizes the whole system of mediaeval hierarchy. At
pe end of this line there stands a course (German 11) in which I con-
sider the main public tendencies of German life from the middle of
the 18th to the middle of the 19th century, as reflected in literature.
The transition from the individualism and cosmopolitanism of the age
of Herder, Kant, Schiller, and the early Romanticists, to the collec-
tivism and nationalism of Fichte, Hegel, and the later Romanticists ;
the effects of the Napoleonic wars and of the Restoration upon litera-
ture, and the intellectual movements leading to the revolution of
1848, form the main topics of this course. Somewhat aside from
this whole series of studies there stands a course (Germ. Phil. 19) in
whieh I endeavor to trace the history of the Faust legend through its
multiform ramifications down to Goethe's Faust, except that here also
I emphasize the effect which the various stages of civilization and the
different ideals of culture, through which this legend has passed, have
had upon its character.

2. As to the second question of the Committee's circular, asking
for a statement of the actual results of my teaching, this is a question
which it is impossible for me to answer satisfactorily. As far as the
number of students goes, my courses are natural^ handicapped by
the fact that, with the exception of Course 4, in which at least a part
of the work is devoted to German theme writing and the translation
of difficult passages, the ready use of the German language both in
reading and for the purpose of taking notes, is presupposed in all
nry courses. Keeping this in mind, it seems to me that the attend-
ance in these courses may be called satisfactory. Last year the num-
bers were as follows : —

Ger. 4. Ger. 5. Ger. 9. Ger. 11. Ger. Phil. 19.
68 49 18 14 3

This year they are : —

72 45 12 11 5

The second, *.e., this year's list, includes 10 graduate students.

It seems to me that in gauging the efficiency of the language
instruction given in the department, these figures of the distinctly
literary courses ought to be carefully considered. They certainly
ought to have as much weight, if not more, as the testimony of other
departments about the readiness of their students in using the German
language.

Of palpable results of the instruction in German literature in this
University, I may mention that during the last four years the Sohier

264

prize, a prize to be awarded to the best essay dealing with some phase
of modern European literature, was twice won by a student in the
German department; and that this year's volume of the "Studies
and Notes in Philology and Literature," an official publication of
Harvard University, contains a doctor thesis on "Expressions of
German national feeling before Walther von der Vogelweide," by
one of our graduate students, Professor Carruth of Kansas Uni-
versity.

3. With regard to the third question of the circular, I fully agree
with all that has been said at our various conferences with the Visit-
ing Committee in favor of raising the German requirements for ad-
mission to the University. I would also suggest that the Committee
recommend the gradual abolition of instruction in elementary German
at this University. This is a function which properly belongs to the
secondary schools, and the mere existence of such courses in the
College must tend to lower the position of the department as a whole
in the eyes of the college community. In view of the fact that at
present very little attention is given to German in the schools, a com-
plete and sudden abolition of these courses in College is, of course,
out of the question. But I see no reason why they could not even
now be deprived of their compulsory character. There exists at
present an elective course in elementary German (Course B) which
requires more work than the compulsory course (Course .4) ; and
although it is taken by a very much smaller number of students than
the latter, I have a strong impression that it is on the whole taken by
very much better men.

Finally, I would call the attention of the Committee to the fact that
the reo-ulations for Honor examinations in Germanic languages have
recently been changed so as to include a reading knowledge of Latin
and at least an elementary knowledge of Greek. It seems only rea-
sonable to expect that the Honor examinations in Greek and Latin
will accordingly be changed so as to include at least a reading knowl-
edge of German.

(Second letter.) Allow me to add one more argument in favor of
the abolition of prescribed elementary German (Course A) in Harvard
College, a suggestion of which I made in answer to your circular of

March 2.

According to the President's Report for 1892-93, the total number
of Freshmen in the German department during that year was 2
Of these, 143 took the prescribed course in elementary German
(Course A) ; 141 took elective German courses (B, C, la, lb, h'-
E, F, 2, 3, 4, 6).

265

The total number of Sophomores in the German department during
the same year was 228. Of these, 85 attended courses recruited from
Course A (la, lb, lc) ; 143 attended courses not recruited from
Course A (B, O, E, F, G, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5, 9).

It is clear from this that the vast majority of the students 1 pursuing
second year's studies in German consisted of men who had not taken
Course A.

In the year 1893-94 there were 86 Sophomores in Courses la, lb
Lc,- the courses recruited from Course A, — a fact showing that
more than a third, namely 57, of the 143 Freshmen of 1892-93 who
began German as a prescribed study dropped it in the Sophomore
year.

The natural inference from these figures seems to be (1) that the
German department does not need Course A as a source of supply
for the elective courses offered by the department ; (2) that for a
considerable proportion of students the work spent on prescribed
elementary German is a mere waste of time.

While these reports are calculated to create a favorable impression
as far as they go, it is to be gathered from many of the opinions ex-
pressed that, although a certain advance is to be noticed, a greater
and more general proficiency in German among the students is very
desirable. As to the question how the deficiencies that may exist
might be remedied, the answers received in response to our interoga-
tories differ. They may be divided into the following classes : —

1. Those recommending that students be admonished by way of
suggestion and advice, in the official reports and pamphlets as well
as in personal conversation, to devote more attention to the study of
the German language.

2. Those recommending that the requirements as to German in the
examinations for admission to the University be increased.

3. Those recommending higher requirements as to German for
admission to scientific schools, and for honors and degrees ; and

4. Those recommending special courses for scientific German to be
connected with the different scientific departments.

These different recommendations do not necessarily exclude one
another, as, indeed, they appear grouped together in one or two of
the answers we have received to our interrogatories. The admonition

■ ' I.e., a total of 284 (HI Freshmen, 143 Sophomores); against a total of
85 Sophomores pursuing second year's studies in German, who had taken
bourse A.

266

by su-estion or advice, as well as the establishment of higher re-
quirements in German for certain honors or degrees, might prove
IS incentives under any circumstances. But a careful con-
Jd ation of the whole subject has led us to the conclusion that the
recommendation of an. increase of the initial requirements deserves
he most serious attention. The more Harvard rises to the station
andTlignity of a University in the higher,-that « the true sense -
be less the institution should have to do with that kind of wo* wh ch
naturally belongs to the office of the preparatory school. 1 he student
eft ing Harvard should be required sufficiently to possess what may
be called the mechanical equipment necessary for the p»-o
stadt This, applied to the German language, would mean tha the
Sa^ard stud nt should be beyond the struggle with its struetura
diffi uWes, that he should be able to read it understanding, withou
tbfpamfu drudgery of conscious translation word for word and that
!„ usC H his labor should be reduced to a mere occasional enlarge-

ttSS it may be very difficult, if not impossible, to reach
tbiTobjective point all at once. But it may ultimately ^ rea bed by
^raduS approaches. We venture respectfuiiy to suggest as he «
step a public announcement that the requirements as to German m
^'examination for admission, will henceforth be increased by ^
grees, and that elementary instruction m German at the University

W wte;":gtst that the time for the examination in German

belxte'd d to two* hours and that it include, in addition to the trans-
be extendea g.m k.nfU bnt o( ordinan

affficX JheTnsUt n of a few sentences of simple English prose
tfo German or a simple composition in German, and some ordmary
into dermal , * The examination should certainly be

^^1^0^ L attainment of a satisfactory resu.t

^WeTuef; also that the recommendation made by several of the

JeTof ^ruction concerning the ^^J^S

• u ^i.ntlfio airman" in connection with the respective &^

i: rlervS^e seriously considered «, as.nrces of m=

tion German works are to be read, it is most important that they s ho

Tread understanding,. The meaning ; of write, w*™. tu • £»

authorities should not be merely guessed at. This is one or

in which "a little knowledge" is more dangerous than none at .*.

The particular study of scientific terminologies appears spec ^

necessary with regard to German writers because, as is wel kno

not a few of them -whether writing on science, or philosophy

267

even history, — take great liberties with their language in construct-
ing composite words and in various other ways, thus creating, to
some extent, technical terms, or forms of expression which, when
applied to certain things, are to convey a special meaning — more or
less peculiar to themselves. The courses suggested would, therefore,
serve a useful purpose.

We would also respectfully recommend that in courses in which
recitations form part of the system of instruction, the classes be
divided into sections conveniently small, to contain not above 30
students, and that the number of instructors be correspondingly
increased.

All of which is respectfully submitted .

C. SCHURZ,

J. ELLIOT CABOT,

CHARLES E. GRINNELL,

Committee on German.
4th October, 1894.

XLVII.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MATHEMATICS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University :

The Visiting Committee on Mathematics, appointed by the Board
of Overseers of Harvard University, beg to report that they have
carefully endeavored to ascertain the character and influence of the
instruction given.

They have put themselves in communication with the Professors in
the Department, and have taken what seems to them the best steps
for informing themselves of the progress of the students. While the
methods followed at present are evidently efficient, they are neverthe-
less not such as to lend themselves to easy investigation, since they
consist chiefly in lectures and commentaries by the instructors, fol-
lowed by semiannual written examinations of the pupils.

Your Committee has not evaded labor or trouble, and the Professors
have manifested readiness and a cordial desire to afford the Committee
every facility for fulfilling their duties. After much consideration,
the most practical course which suggested itself to the Committee was
to ask the teachers for a sufficient number of the books written and
handed in at the examinations, to permit correct inferences as to the
attainments and progress of the students. This has accordingly been
done, and a majority of the members of your Committee have inde-
pendently and carefully studied a large number of the examination-
books, furnished by the Professors for the purpose, and comprising,
as they have assured us, a fair selection from those of the best, the
average, and the least satisfactory sort.

In this way your Committee believe that they have acquired a
correct general idea of the results of the instruction given ; and they
beg to report that this appears to them to be of high character and
most creditable to the students in the Department as a whole. In
several cases the examination-books give evidence of eminent mathe-
matical ability, warranting high expectation for the future and quite
comparable with the best results of mathematical teaching in any
institution with which the members of the Committee are acquainted.

The need of a department-library, which should contain the most
important works in various branches of mathematics, for reference
and consultation, has earnestly been urged by different professors.
The germ of such a library already exists, but it is only a germ, and

270

the need of its increase is great. No better opportunity could be
desired for any one desirous of promoting the success of mathematical
teaching in the University by some pecuniary gift within the power of
persons of moderate means, than is here afforded. Even a hundred
dollars, annually expended in the purchase of standard mathematical
works for the use of the department, would probably be of essential
service in facilitating the work of the teachers.

For the Committee,

B. A. GOULD.

November, 1894.

XL VIII.

KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
MEDICAL AND DENTAL SCHOOLS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

The Committee appointed to visit the Medical and Dental Schools

submit the following report :

Members of the Committee have visited both of the Schools • have
attended the exercises ; inspected the laboratories, lecture rooms and
museums; have talked with the instructors and students, — and in
general have endeavored to make themselves familiar with the work
done in those departments of the University which they were appointed
to visit.

THE MEDICAL SCHOOL.

The Medical School, we are glad to report, continues to enjoy an
increasing and deserved prosperity. The compulsory four years'
course went into operation in the autumn of 1892, and there has been
no reason to regret its adoption. The step was taken without any
guarantee fund-at one time proposed - and the result has shown
that none was needed. The entering classes last year and this year
are the largest in the history of the School. The School at present
has 454 students. The only embarrassment apparently caused by
lengthening the course of study is the indaequacy of the accommoda-
tions m the present building, generally known as the new building
This building has only been occupied eleven years and more space is
now required. Steps must before long be taken to enlarge the labora-
tory facilities of the anatomical, histological, and bacteriological de-
partments. Hitherto the classes from the Dental and Veterinary
Schools have attended the exercises of some of these departments
with the first class of the Medical School. This is no longer possible
and separate instruction must be given. A new building for labora-
tory purposes will be required and might be erected on the vacant
land adjoining the present building. It has also been proposed to
put another story on the present Sears laboratory building For
these purposes the. School desires to raise a sum of $100 000

272

During the summer a new cold room was built at the School for
the use of the Anatomical Department, at a cost of more than $3000.
It has now been in use for some months, and accomplishes most
satisfactorily the purposes in view. Accommodation is also provided
for the Pathological Department's material. The air of the interior
of this room is both cold and dry and electric light furnishes an
admirable illumination.

The number of teachers directly or indirectly connected with the
School is very large and is increasing. Perhaps for this reason they
have not the same acquaintance with each other as formerly, lo
bring together all those interested in the work of the School, the
Faculty have arranged for an evening reception at the beginning of
the School year in the School building. There are now eighty-eight
teachers giving instruction in the School. The Faculty have recently
voted to allow other men who wish to give instruction, but who are
not connected with the School, to announce their courses in the School
building. The courses in the Summer School are well attended, and
are exciting increased attention, as is evidenced by the numerous
letters of inquiry, many from distant points in the West.

More scholarships are greatly desired. At present there are three
fellowships and thirteen scholarships. The competition for these by
good and deserving men is very keen.

While convinced that the various departments of the School are on
a healthy basis and conducted with a view to stimulating activity,
your Committee permit themselves to say an especial word of com-
mendation for the work done in the Anatomical Department

There is still no separate department and no Professor of Thera-
peutics; the remarks made iu the last report of your Committee on
this subject are as applicable now as then. In the division of s udies
materia medica aud therapeutics are assigned at the end of the list to
the second year students; they do not appear at all among the
studies assigned to the other three years. Some instruction in thera-
peutics is given by the instructor in materia medica and hyg.ene
His course consists of two exercises each week, the chief part but
by no means all of which has to do with drugs. His directions from
the Medical Faculty were to teach the physiological action of remedial
agents with suck incidental reference to their practical application as
should be deemed necessary, the main facts as to the latter being left
to the teachers in the various clinical departments.

Your Committee have corresponded with all the clinical teachers in
regard to the kind and amount of instruction in therapeutics given by
them individually. The tradition exists that they each and all give

273

such instruction. Your Committee believe that more effort is made
to give such instruction than was the case two years ago. As a
matter of fact, however, your Committee and the students themselves
must still feel that this instruction is entirely inadequate both in kind
and in amount. It is the one really weak spot in the teaching at the
Medical School of the University, and for young men who are to earn
their living by healing the sick or trying to heal them safely, quickly,
and agreeably, there is no branch of medical study more important.

Your Committee will not enter into the question as to whether this
department should be presided over by a practising physician, or by
a physiological chemist, but they do not hesitate to reiterate their
opinion that such a department should be provided for in the School
and that practically the whole of this essential subject should not be
left to the good intentions of the clinical teachers.

A Chair of Therapeutics need in no way interfere with instruction
in therapeutics by the clinical teachers to whatever extent their time
may permit and their zeal may urge them.

THE DENTAL SCHOOL.

The principal change affecting the Dental School has been the
remodelling, at the expense of the School, of the building occupied
by it in North Grove St. This is the old Medical School building
and is loaned to the Dental School by the Medical School. About
$5000 have been spent on the changes. As a result the Dental
School now has accommodations which are light, clean, and con-
venient, whether for operative or laboratory work, and which should
answer the purposes of the School more satisfactorily for some years
to come. The situation is not in all ways ideal, but the proximity to
the Massachusetts Hospital and to a poor population offers counter-
balancing advantages.

The School now has a three years' course, with eighty students and
twenty-eight teachers, without counting those teachers belonging to
the Medical School who also give instruction to the students in the
Dental School.

The last year was a favorable one for the School, which certainly
deserves the support and encouragement of the community.

The Committee append a statement from Dr. T. H. Chandler, the
devoted Dean of the School, received in response to a request for his
views in regard to its present condition and future needs. Dr.
Chandler's unselfish interest in the Dental School gives him a just
claim to your attention : —

274

" The alterations in the old building cost a trifle over $5000 ; other
expenses have been necessitated by these changes, amounting to a
few hundred dollars, which do not seem to come properly under the
head of building expenses.

"Notwithstanding all this cost, which seems to me almost money
thrown away, we are crowded in the mechanical department, and
need more room as imperatively as ever.

" I wish the corporation would come to our aid as they did in Dr.
Keep's time, when he bought the old building on Allen Street. We
paid up that debt with interest and could pay up another with proper
facilities for increasing our numbers. There is no public spirit in
Boston to help Dental Schools. Other cities build large and spacious
buildings for such schools by private subscriptions, while here we
have almost utterly failed so far, and there seems little prospect of
ultimate success. There is a dense ignorance of what we are doing
and of what we have done. I dare say this ignorance extends even
to the gentlemen of your corporation, and that there are but a few
among them who appreciate our work.

"This is our overwhelming and absorbing need.

" The old building is not properly situated, and can never, by any
amount of money spent upon it, be made fit for our uses. All such
money is practically wasted.

' ' Moreover the day is fast coming when we shall not be able to
get a suitable situation even at a big price, therefore there is the
more need of haste.

" I write all this from a full heart, and hope it will not be thought
mal-a-propos."

GEORGE B. SHATTUCK,
HENRY H. SPRAGUE,
CHARLES E. EOLSOM,
SAMUEL A. GREEN,
MORRILL WYMAN,
JOHN S. BILLINGS,
WILLIAM STURGIS BIGELOW,
GEORGE VON L. MEYER.
March, 1895.

XLIX.

REPOKT OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMPOSITION
AND EHETORIC.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College •

In the last report of the Committee on Composition and Rhetoric,

submrtted now three years ago, attention was called to the singular

and most unhappy divergence found to exist between theory and

practice in one most important branch of educatiou preparatory for
College So far as writing the mother tongue is concerned, -a

lung all admit not to be wholly disregarded iu what is known as
the higher education, -the theory, elaborately expounded aud gen-
erally accepted as au established article iu orthodox educational
faith, long has been that the proper way to learn to write Euglish
is to translate orally Greek and Latin. Iu this way, it is argued
and, if not aloue in this way, yet indisputably better in this than in any
other way, can command of a vocabulary, flexibility, and knowledo-e
of construction, in short a terse elegance of pure English expression
be acquired. And, accordingly, it is found on examination that the
programmes of the better class of preparatory schools set forth that
m these institutions, in all cases of translating Greek or Latin into
English, a "free, original and idiomatic rendering" is insisted upon

Discouraged at what seemed the lamentably low average of the
knghsh exercises submitted to them as the work of the younger col
lege classes, the members of the Committee, iu preparing their report
of three years ago, turned to the examination books in which Greek
and Latin were rendered into the native speech. They hoped to find
m them extracts from the classic masterpieces reproduced in that

free, original and idiomatic rendering" upon which the programmes

Xir inl^ T ^ PrMe " We" - ^ *~»* * «» Oratory

distinct!^ ^ thdr T™68 WaS ^ iMpiritin§'- Indeed * ™ s°
distinctly the reverse of inspiriting that the Committee, in place of

merely stating their conclusions, which would natural,; have bee.

challenged on the ground of exaggeration, took the mmsua, course o

Emitting as part of their report a large body of evidence in the

form of original examination papers, as well as compositions, all

276

printed literatim, punctuation et verbatim, and a large part of them
reproduced in fac- simile.

Those papers spoke for themselves ; discreditable to the young-
men, averaging nineteen years of age, who prepared them, they re-
vealed a condition of affairs, combined with methods of instruction
in the preparatory schools, the reverse of satisfactory. Nor was the
state of affairs thus revealed denied. On the contrary, commenting
upon that 1893 report, Prof. W. W. Goodwin,1 speaking with indis-
putable authority, remarked: "Many good people who read the
Committee's report will believe that our mother tongue is singled out
for neglect and contempt by the preparatory schools ; and some will
think that the neglect of English is justified by the high standard of
scholarship in Latin, Greek, and Mathematics which (as they sup-
pose) the college exacts of its candidates for admission. Nothing
can be farther from the truth than both of these ideas. ... A
similar test applied to any other department would disclose a state of
things in the lower ranks of scholarship which would be proportionally
disreputable. ... It cannot be doubted that a similar depth of
ignorance of Geometry, Algebra, Physics, or History might easily
be disclosed."

The Committee on Composition and Rhetoric has, of course,
nothing to do with the Departments of Geometry, Algebra, Physics,
or History ; but, assuming that the condition of affairs in those de-
partments, so far as our preparatory education is concerned, is as
described by Professor Goodwin, and further that neither the College
nor the preparatory schools themselves, but the entity conveniently
known as "the system" is responsible therefor, the question naturally
presents itself whether anything, and, if anything, what can be done
to remedy such a condition of affairs.

That the condition of affairs, so far as the written rendering of
Greek and Latin into English is concerned, should admit from any
quarter of aggressive, or even earnest defence, would seem in face of
the evidence, most improbable. It has, indeed, been suggested, in a
somewhat deprecatory spirit, that things may not be quite so bad as
the examination papers would seem to indicate ; inasmuch as, when
the scholars who wrote those papers sat down to express themselves
for ordinary purposes of life, it would be found that they naturally
threw off the evil influences of their training, and, it might even per-
haps be hoped, would express themselves nearly as well as they
would have done had they not been subjected to that training. In

1 Prof. W. W. Goodwin in Harvard Graduates' Magazine, January, 1892
(vol. I) p. 190.

277

other words the examination papers so far fl« «,a i •

issue, seems to obseT It ^^^rt??£» h **
mental principle, that every senten e cZ1Sts oTa sfh " /^^
dicate, and that clearness in the ^ZjLjT^"^^
essence of good writing. Beyond S^X -cfu ion ^
not to your Committee seem necessarv «t ™ * ™nclusi0n jt d°es
again addnce in this, as in thTEr ~ £" ? ^
evince showing that the conclusion has not been Sed J^f
visedly. The following are some of thP V T lmad-

Advanced Latin **■»« «adTll?IIS7£ ^ b"

entrance examination.

No. 1

we watched over with /^^^ "*"*'
chief command, but by Wee bvYbT my 6Ven without a

but she now is so harassed it I T Uame °f the R°man P80^;

hardly can reca^^^^T^ P°Wer ^ "^ ^ ^
heard this, who does no TnL 7 ?^ TS ^^ Nay who has «*
great fortune to bfttl who, ff • b 7 ^ T^ ^"^ t0 W a
chines were turned over to th, customs of the Dyrra-

of the Byzantinerlst LaM tn PerVTD,0f ^ °" man' *at th* <%
after the'fasion of ^ my how IZT T ^ ^ **» h~*
«.e poverty-stricken S^J^^T^J^ <* *
wretched sent his cohorts into winteLnartZ -n 7 7" £r°m the
whom he thought would be moTf a 1 ? 7 •' PlaCed °Ter them m™
of his cupidity °St d'llgent Satelltes of his ^mes, ministers

-2xs; Sslox:n- he provr wh° makes «-*•* ^

himself to be mofetan hT 00, ^^ 0MzenS' Wh° e™ «**»

tended to be less than he was able ZT Z '" nCTer Pre-

U»t he has accomplished ma short f T^ * some wa^ «*>asts

bought the most able of all **' "* PiS° aI°ne shmM "c

[7%e «60|;e WQ!(5 marke(z C—.~\

278

No. 2.

The lines rush together with equal leaders and with equal strength,
the last lines press close together till neither arms nor forces allow the
crown to be moved. Here Pallas stands and exhorts there and Lusus
there opposed nor much has age diminished from his splendid form but
any return to country fortune denies him. Nor does the ruler of great
Olympus allow these feet to rush together among themselves, soon their
fate threatens at the hands of a greater enemy.

In the meanwhile his noble sister advises Turnus to succumb to Lauso
who cuts the middle rank with swift chariot. Thus speaks he when he
sees the allies. ' Time is to disist from fight, alone I am brought against
Pallas Pallas alone has a debt with me, I wish his father might be here to
view the fight,' then the allies desist at the just command. But the youth
wondered at Rutulus in his fall and now at the haughty order he stands
stunned by Turnus and casts his eyes over that great body and he runs
afar from all sight of slaughter, and with such words goes against the
tyrannic order. ' Either with rich spoils already snatched I will be
honored or with the habiliments of death. My father is content with
either lot. Bring on your threats.1 Having spoken he plunged into the
water. His blood with the cold Arcadis enters his heart. Turnus leaped
from this chariot the

[The above was marked C]

No. 3.

And this Macedonia, neighboring nations now having been overcome
and the barbarian (race) having been repulsed, peaceful and quiet through
its own efforts, this Macedonia we were wont to see held with a garrison
and very small band by lieutenants even with the imperium by the very
name of the Roman people. Now it is so harassed by the Consular com-
mand and army, that it is scarcely able during a long continued peace to
reestablish itself ; while in the mean time, who of you has not heard this,
who knows it not, that the Achaens yearly pay to Lucius Piso an enormous
tax, that all the tribute and harbor duties of the Dyrrachians is turned into
the treasury of this one man, that the city of the Bysantines to you and to
this government most faithful, has been harassed into an unfriendly mood ?
Wherefore this (villian) after he was unable to squeeze anything more
from the paupers ; or by any force wrest anything from the unhappy
creatures sent his cohorts into winter quarters ; over them he placed those
whom he thought would be most thorough participates in his crimes and
ministers to his desires.

[The above was marked C]

279

No. 4.

To you, indeed, conscript fathers, I have given thanks individually and
will give (hanks. In the beginning I gave thanks to all collectively
(universis) as much as 1 was able; in no way can I appropriately return
thanks.

And although I have in mind the especial favors of many, which favors
can in no way be passed over in silence, yet it is not proper at this time
and in my state of anxiety to recount the kindnesses of single individuals
towards me ; for it is difficult not to pass by any one who has done me
harm. 1 ought to cherish you all, conscript fathers, in the number of the
gods.

But just as we are wont not always to reverence and beseech among the
immortal gods the same divinity, but some one others another so among
the men who truly have placed me under a debt of gratitude, all my life
will be spent in heralding and reviving the benefits of those men to me.
[The above ivas marked A.~]

No. 5.

What more glorious legacy could I leave to my descendants than this,
that the senate decided that that citizen who had not defended me, was
unwilling for the republic to be safe ? And so your authority, so power-
ful, and the great reputation of the consul were of such avail that if any
one did not come he thought he was committing some wrong and disgrace-
ful act. And that same consul when that incredible multitude, almost all
Italy, had come to Rome, called you together to meet in a body at the
Capital.

At that time you were able to realize how much strength natural worth
and true nobility had ; for Quintus Metellus, an enemy and brother of an
enemy, perceiving your feeling in the matter layed aside all private hates.

But for you, conscript fathers, I have done and I shall do great kindnesses.
I have done for you all from the first as much as I could. And although
there are especial favors shown me by many which can on no account be
unrecognized, yet at this time of fear I must not attempt to mention the
favors of individuals towards me, for it is difficult not to pass over some
one, wrong to pass over any one. I ought to cherish you all. conscript
fathers, among the number of my gods. But as among the gods them-
selves we are not accustomed always to worship and pray to the same
ones, but worship some at one time, some at another, so for me among
the men deserving divine gratitude from me, there shall be my whole life
in which to acknowledge and cherish their favors towards me.
[The above was marked C + .]

280

No. 6.

Behold however the bull smoking under the hard ploughshare fell and
threw out from his mouth blood mixed with froth and stifled his last
groans. The sodden yeoman departs unyoking the bullock sorrowing at
his brother's death, and leaves his implements fixed in the midst of his
work. ISTor the shades of the lowering groves, nor the soft fields can
move his mind nor the which flying over the rocks seeks the

field by the streamlet * (but his sides are shaken with sobs) and stupor
presses upon his fixed eyes, and his neck by the bending weight looks
toward the earth.

To meet him, attended by the battle line of the Volsci, ran Camilla the
queen and alighted from her horse under the very gates, the queen whom
imitating the whole cohort jumped to the ground, leaving their horses.
Then thus she speaks "O Turnus, if there is any confidence in a man
brave and deserving of himself, I dare and promise, alone to rush against
the followers of Aeneas and to go against the Tyrrenian horseman. Per-
mit me to try the first dangers of the battle with my band. You, a foot-
soldier stand at the walls and guard the fortifications.11 To these things
Turnus responded fixing his eyes upon the frenzied queen. " O maiden
glory of Italy What thanks shall I prepare to speak or what thanks to
return? But now that spirit of yours by far surpasses all things, that
desire of yours to share my labor.

* but the depths of his sides are loosended.
[The above was marked B + .]

No. 7.

What more glorious thing am I able to leave to my posterity than this,
that the senate has decreed that whatever citizen does not defend me does
not wish the republic to be safe. And so your authority was of so great
weight and the great dignity of the consul has availed much that he would
think that he himself was committing mispropriety and crime if no one
should. And likewise the consul, when that incredible number had come
to Rome nearly Italy herself, summoned you in great crowds into the capitol.
At which time you were able to understand how much might the goodness
of nature and true nobility has ; for Quintus Metellus, both and enemy
himself and the brother of an enemy, at your wish, laid aside all his clearly
seen private hatred.

To you indeed, Oh Conscript Fathers, individually I both have given and
shall give thanks. Collectively, I gave you as much as I was able in the
beginning. I am in no way able to give them sufficiently elaborately.
And although there are the particular good deeds of many toward me,
which can in no way be kept silent, yet my time and my fear do not allow
me to try to relate the benefits of individuals toward me, for it is not difli-

281

cult to pass by some-one it is not right to pass by any one. T ouffht to
cultivate you collectively Oh Conscript Fathers, among the number of the
gods But as in the case of the immortals gods themselves, we are accus-
tomed to venerate and to pray to not always the same ones, but sometimes
to one sometimes to another, so among deserving men every age will be
divine for me for proclaiming and cultivating their good deeds on my
account. J

[The above was marked C — .]

No. 8.

And this Macedonia, which was (itself) peaceful and at rest by itself
when at last the neighboring tribes were subdued and their fierceness
checked & held with a guard, and, even without (a commander's authority
and we were defending with a small force, by means of the lieutenants
merely m the name of the Roman people; which now under the consuls'
rule and army is so harassed it can hardly recover (itself) under a Ion*
continued peace ; since meanwhile who of has not heard this, who is ignor-
ant, that the Greeks pay yearly a large sum of money to Lucius Pisorthat
the whole tribute and customs of the Dyrrachinians is to the de-

mands of this one man. that the city of the Byzantians, most faithful to
you and this empire has been wrought into a hostile state of feeling? So
he after he was became unable to extract anything from these&needy
people, or extort by any force anything from these wretches, he sent his
cohorts into winter quarters. He placed ever them those whom he thought
would be most zealous abettors of crimes, ministers to their own avaricious-

ness

Keep therefore longer in the province him who obtains treuces (or
agreements) by the allies with (our) enemies, and by the citizens with
allies, who even thinks he is better than his colleague in this that he (the
colleague) has deceaved you with his sadness and countenance, while he
himself had never pretended to be less than he was. Piso however in a
certain other way one boasted that in a /short time he had brought it about
that Gabenius alone of them all should not be thought (to be) the most
good-for-nothing (?)

[The above was marked C]

No. 9.

The battle lines rush together, both equal in respect to leaders and
strength. The ends of the lines thicken nor does the thron* allow the
weapons and arms to be moved. Here Pallas presses on and cheers on,
here Lausus against him nor do their years differ much, illustrous in form,
but to whom Fortune denied a return to their native land. The ruler of
great Olympus did not suffer them nevertheless to rush together by them-
selves ; soon their fates await them under a greater foe. In the meanwhile

282

the kind Sister advised Turnus to follow Lausus, who was cutting the
midst of the battle line with his flying chariot. As he saw his companions,
" It is time to cease from fighting, I alone am going against Pallas, Pallas
belongs to me alone ; I wish the father himself were present as a witness.""
This he said and the companions withdrew from the plain at his command.
But at the giving way of the

[The above was marked C — ]

No. 10.

Also this Macedonia as the tribes are subdued and the barbarism sup-
pressed are guarded in a state of peace and quiet through its own efforts,
with a slight guard and a small band even without the power of the
legates in the name of the Roman people, but now it is so harassed by the
consular power and the army that it is scarcely able reestablish itself in a
lengthy peace.

Who of us has not heard of this ? who is ignorant that the Achaeans are
paying a great sum of money to L. Piso yearly, that the tax and entire

port dues of Dyrrachini are turned into the of this one man, that

the city of the Byzantines most faithful to you and this power is harassed
in a hostile maimer. On account of which he, after he was not able to
squeeze out anything from the needy people sent the cohortes into camp.
Over them he placed those whom he thought most diligent assistants in his
crimes and ministers of his deeds of avarice.

Retain him therefore longer in the province who makes treaties for the
allies with their enemies and for the citizens with their allies although he
thinks that on this account he is of greater value than his colleague because
he decieved you by the sadness of his countenance he pretends that he Mas

But Piso congratulated himself that he accomplished it in a short time

that Gabienus alone should not be thought of all.

[The above was marked C — .]

No. 11.

The lines meet, one as strong as the other, and with well-matched
leaders. The ends of the lines grow thick with men and the jam prevents
the rise of hands and weapons. Here Pallas starts forth and encourages
these, on the opposite side Lausus does likewise ; there is no great differ-
ence in their ages and their beauty is great, but Fortune may not let them
return to their country. Yet the ruler of great Olympus does not allow
them to meet and presently their fates leave them to the power of the
stronger enemy.

Meanwhile Turnus's fostering sister warns him to yield to Lausus as
Turnus cuts through the midst of the line in his swift chariot. "When he
saw his allies, he said, " It is time to cease from battle ; I alone am borne
against Pallas, to me alone Pallas belongs ; (lit. is due) I would desire

283

Unit oven his father be present as a witness. ,: When he said this, his
companions eeased fighting. With the following words he opposes the
command of the tyrant. « « For my part, I will be praised either for the
best spoils taken or for a glorius death : the father is favorable to each lot.
Strike.'11 Having spoken he went into the middle of the field. The cold
blood froze in the veins of the Arcadians. Tnrnus leaped from the chariot.
[The above was marked C]

No. 12.

What more splendid thing have I been able to leave to my descendants
than this fact : that the senate has considered that he who, as a citizen,
had not defended me, was against the safety of the republic? And so,
such has been the power of your authority and so effective has been the
least display of the consul's majesty, that he who did not come, considered
that he acted basely and infamously. So too, the consul, when that
enormous multitude, and almost Italy herself, had come to Rome called
together a large number of you at the Capitol ; and upon that occasion
you could see what power there is in integrity of character and in true
nobility ; for Quintus Metellus, both an enemy and an enemy's brother,
laid aside all private dislikes when he understood your wish.

Indeed, conscript fathers, I have thanked you separately and I shall do
so again. In the beginning I thanked you all as much as I could ; but I
can in no way do it gracefully enough. And although I have especial
gifts which are deserving of much, yet this occasion and my own fear do
not permit me to recount the benefits which I have received at the hands of
individuals ; for it is difficult not to pass over some one and wrong to leave
out any one. Senators, I ought to cherish you all among the number of
the gods. But, as in the case of the immortal gods, we are not used to
always venerate and worship the same ones, — but are accustomed to pray
to different ones, so too as regards men, I shall devote my whole life,
received from those who deserve divinity from me, to setting forth and
extolling their deeds which have deserved well at my hands.
[The above was marked C + .]

No. 13.

Then lo, the bull, foaming around his fierce mouth falls and belches
forth gore mixed with froth and utters his last groans. The sad plough-
man departs, leading away the bullock, which is mourning for the death
of his brother, and leaves behind the plough, where he had just ceased
working. Neither the shadows of the lofty groves nor the soft meadows
can soothe his mind nor the rivulet which flowing over the rocks, clearer
than amber, runs toward the plain ; but his lowest limbs become stiff,
faintness overpowers his lifeless eyes and his neck when its support was
gone, glided to the ground.

284

Camilla accompanied by a large crows of Volscians, went to meet him ;
at the gates the queen dismounted and her companions imitating this action
left their horses and leaped to the ground. Then the queen speaks : O
Turnus, if you have confidence in one, who deserves it and is brave, I dare
and promise to attack the columns of the followers of Aeneas and alone
shall go to meet the Tyrrhenian Knights. Let me attempt the opening
skirmish of the battle without army, but do you place your men around
the walls and protect the city. Turnus with fixed eyes looked at the vir-
gin, bristling in her armor, and replied to these words : O Virgin, glory
of Italy, what thanks shall I utter, how can I prepare to repay your kind-
ness ? Yet now, since my mind is above all these things, let me share
this combat with you.

[The above was marked B.~\

No. 14.

Behold ! a bull foaming under his hard jaws, fell and belched forth from
his mouth blood mixed with foam, and uttered his dying groans. The
sad ploughman went with his brothers death, the grieving bullock, and
he leaves the plough stuck in the ground in the midst of his work. Not
the shades of the lofty groves, nor the soft (prata) can alter his mind, nor
any river purer than (electro) which flying amongst the rocks seeks the
fields ; but the deep sides are broken, and a stupor comes over his motion-
less eyes, the neck falls to earth with a ponderous weight.

To meet him Camilla the queen rushed forward accompanied by a crowd
of Volsci, and leaped before the gates themselves from her horse. The
whole cohort imitated her, left their horses and jumped to the ground ;
then she spoke as follows ; "Turnus, whatever faith in himself there may
be in a brave deserving man, I dare and I promise to meet the charge of
the companions of Aeneas, and to go alone against the Tyrrhenian knights,
and first to try the dangers of war without the band. Do you turn your
footsteps toward the walls, and protect the battlements. At these words
Turnus, fixing his eyes on the dread maiden said "Oh virgin pride of
Italy, what thanks can I prepare to give you? But now your soul is
above all else, to share my labor with me.

[The above was marked A.~\

No. 15.

And this Macedonia, the neigboring^ races having been already subdued
and barbarism restrained, we used to protect by a slight guard and a
scanty band, even without chief military command (imperium) through
lieutenants and by the name of the Roman people itself ; this now is so
harassed by consular command, and by an army, that it could hardly
refresh itself by a long peace ; since, meanwhile, which of you has not
heard this, who does not know, that the Achaeans pay a great sum of

285

money yearly to L. Piso, that the whole tribute and port dues of the
Dyrrachians is turned into his single private purse, that the eity of the
Byzantines, to you and to this empire very faithful, is harassed in a hostile
manner? Thither he, after he eould squeeze out nothing from the needy,
wrench out nothing by any force from the wretched, sent his cohorts unto
winter quarters ; he appointed those, whom he thought the industrious
tools of his vices, as the instruments of his avarice.

Keep him, therefore, longer in the province, he who made arrangements
with the enemy about the allies, and with the allies about citizens, who
even thought himself worth more than his colleague in this, that his col-
league deceived you by the sadness of his countenance, he himself never
pretended to be more worthless than he was. But Piso boasted in a certain
other way that in a short time he had brought it about that Gabienus should
not be thought the one the most worthless of all.

[The above was marked B.~\

No. 16.

And we were guarding this Macedonia, the neighboring tribes having
been overcome and the barbarians driven back, itself pacified by its own
act, and quiet, with a slender guard and a scanty band, even without
(direct) command, through deputies by the very name of the Roman peo-
ple ; this has now been so harassed by the consular command and the
army, that it could scarcely recover in eternal peace ; then who has not
heard, who does not know, that the Achaeans pay an immense sum of
money to L. Piso every year, that the tax and the whole of the imposts of
Dyrrachium have accrued for his benefit alone, that the city of Byzantium,
very faithful to you and to this empire, has been harassed in a hostile
manner ? from which (city) he, after he was able to extract nothing from
its poor (citizens) to squeeze out nothing by force from its wretched (in-
habitants) sent his cohorts into winter quarters ; he placed those over these
(people) whom he thought would be the most diligent connivers of his
crimes, (and) servants of his desires.

Retain him therefore in this province, that he may make compacts con-
cerning (our) allies with the enemy.

[The above was marked C]

It will be observed that all of the above papers were pronounced
satisfactory so far as the admission of the candidate to College was
concerned. The showing would be much worse had a due proportion
of the papers of those who failed to pass the examination been in-
cluded. As it is, the papers differ in no essential respect from those
given in the previous (1893) report of this Committee, or from those
subsequently printed in the Harvard Graduates' Magazine for Jan-
uary, 1893. The same inferences must be drawn from them. As

286

stated by Professor Goodwin these inferences point to " a state of
things in the lower ranks of scholarship" which is "-disreputable,"
and a "depth of ignorance and carelessness," so far as elementary
English is concerned, which is "one of the many results of the de-
plorable condition of our lower education, for which neither the Col-
lege nor the preparatory schools are directly responsible, though the
consequences and disgrace fell largely upon both." Professor Good-
win further adds : ' ' There is no conceivable justification for using
the revenues of Harvard College, or the time and strength of her
instructors, in the vain attempt to enlighten the Egyptian darkness
in which no small portion of our undergraduates are sitting. The
College must do something to redeem herself from disgrace, and to
put the disgrace where it belongs ; but she must no longer spend
time, strength and money on the hopeless task which she has recently
undertaken."

These it will be noticed are the conclusions of a Professor, and a
very eminent Professor, of the College. Expressed with a directness
of language which your Committee would hardly have ventured to
use, they set forth with clearness an inside view of the situation.
The paper from which these extracts have been taken appeared over
two years ago, immediately after the report of this Committee was
published. If in consequence of that report, or of Professor Good-
win's paper upon it, any steps in the direction of a reform of the
" system" have been taken, they have not reached the ears of your
Committee, nor are the results thereof conspicuously apparent in the
examination papers since submitted.

While such a very unsatisfactory condition of affairs is seen to
exist in the primary education, it seems scarcely profitable for the
Committee to pursue its investigations further and into the more
advanced departments. When, again to quote from Professor Good-
win, "the underpinning on which we propose to build our higher
education is weak and unsteady," — when on the highest authority
this is admitted to be the case, it appears to the members of your
Committee that the best possible service they can render is to call
repeated attention to the facts until adequate measures of reform are
initiated and their results become apparent.

Those measures of reform are not for this Committee to indicate.
The members of the Committee are not specialists in educational
matters, nor do they profess to be familiar with results produced in
other countries and through different methods. If also, as Professor
Goodwin asserts, the difficulty in the present case is one for which
neither the College nor the preparatory schools are responsible, but

287

is inherent in "the system," it is apparent that the work of reform
will prove a considerable one. None the less it is also apparent that
the College is now wasting its time, strength and resources in an im-
possible attempt " to enlighten Egyptian darkness," and this state of
affairs at least should not be allowed to continue. That it may not
continue it must be shown that it continues to exist ; even though
evidence of the fact, to be conclusive, may involve, as in the present
case, a wearisome reiteration.

This report is general in character. The Committee has not given
and, indeed, does not know the names of any of the students whose
papers have been published, or those of the schools at which they
were prepared. In their next report, however, the Committee may
not improbably pursue another course. With a view to presenting
the evil in a different light and keeping attention fixed upon it from
varied points of view, it may then be thought best to publish the
papers of all the candidates presenting themselves for admission to
College from some one or two particular schools or academies, — the
Boston Latin School, for instance, and Mr. Noble's ; or Messrs.
Browne & Nichols, and the Roxbury Latin, — thus at once bringing
into contrast the methods pursued and results achieved in those
schools, and showing the degree, if any, of improvement brought
about in collegiate preparatory institutions of the higher class.

Having this possible action in view, and in order that their purpose
may be generally understood, the Committee would recommend that
a sufficient number of copies of this report be printed for the use not
only of the governing boards of the College, but also for that of the
instructors in the leading preparatory schools.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

CHARLES F. ADAMS,
EDWIN L. GODKIN,
GEO. R. NUTTER,

Committee.
April, 1895.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE MUSEUM
OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

In its report presented January, 1893, the Committee to visit the
Museum of Comparative Zoology stated certain definite and urgent
needs of the Museum, which, it regrets to say, are essentially the
same now as then. It has not been possible to provide any of the
large sums needed for the development of the Museum or for the
requirements of teaching.

The needs with which we have to deal, and which were given in
detail in our last report, are first, on the part of the Museum, more
space for collections for work and for teaching ; more assistants for
the care of the specimens ; a systematic collection of fossils from
our Western States and Territories ; an aquarium and vivarium ; a
marine zoological laboratory ; and secondly, on the part of the
University, more teachers.

The scientific work done at the Museum, like its publications, has
added to the fame of the University, but the drudgery of elementary
teaching presses so hard as to prevent much original research that
might otherwise be done and to hinder direction of the higher work
of advanced students.

The two years since our last report, like the previous years of the
Museum's existence, have been of great activity, in spite of the diffi-
culties in the way, with a vast amount of original work, including
costly and valuable publications, for which we are, as always, deeply
in debt to the generosity of the Curator, upon which we have de-
pended too much.

The long illness of Dr. Hagen, which lasted more than three years,
ended in his death, November, 1893. He had devoted twenty-three
years of his active life to the service of the Museum, had published
many papers, and had built up an invaluable collection for his de-
partment. His presence and his extensive information will be sadly
missed in the laboratory where he labored so long.

CHARLES F. FOLSOM, Chairman.
A. LAWRENCE LOWELL,
LOUIS CABOT,
F. L. HIGGINSON,
A. T. CABOT,

LI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

Your Committee on Fine Arts herewith make their report. It
seems to us that for many reasons this Department to-day deserves
your particular attention. Interest in the Fine Arts has greatly in-
creased among us for the last few years. Where but few of our
young men used to follow artistic pursuits, now they are adopted by
large numbers. For instance, on last Thanksgiving Day fifty-six
American students of architecture sat down to dinner together in
Paris. This year about twenty-five Americans applied in Paris for
entrance to the architectural course of the Ecole des Beaux Arts ;
and nobody knows how many American painters there are now in
that city. To the general advance that these examples indicate, a
great university should not only contribute recruits prepared to hold
their own with less favored men, but it should also lead in those
matters which help to make the nation at large appreciate both good
results and right intention, and which make them also critical of bad
artistic work. Such a duty to-day and here is important. Does
Harvard furnish her share of these recruits and is she doing her part
in the placing of a high standard before the country ?

Mr. Norton's lectures have been continued this year, as usual, but
the numbers in attendance have been greatly increased and the lec-
tures in consequence have been held in the Sanders Theatre. The
course interests a large number of students. Many of them diligently
take notes, and from the notes that we have read, it is plain that an
important subject is treated in a most interesting way. The lecturer
discusses not only the history but the philosophy of art, and his side
remarks which are received with attention by all the class, cover sub-
jects of current interest and criticism of contemporary work.

We regret that these most conspicuous lectures on art at Harvard
are not animated with greater hope for the future of art in this
country, but they are stimulating and important factors in the Col-
lege work.

It seems to us that the class is far too large. Not only is it diffi-
cult for those seated at a distance to hear, but the course passes with

292

the students as a "soft snap," and if we could judge from the
appearance of the lecture room, perhaps one-third of the young men
elect it as such. That proportion, it seemed to us in the class room,
were engaged in reading books or newspapers or were in repose. It
may be argued that if a soft course is necessary somewhere perhaps
it is well to select that on Fine Arts, because whatever influence it
does exert on the idle will be civilizing and beneficial. From no
other point of view, however, should there be anything soft about a
course on Fine Arts over one treating say of history or political
economy. Our observation is that the idle gain next to nothing from
the more solid information imparted by the lecturer, but catch at his
marked and individual views on current topics. These they seize
upon and repeat without attaching to them the solid reasons which
have seemed so important to the lecturer. This half information can
do them no serious good, and, more than this, the possibility that a
large part of the class may be idle and inattentive in the class room
engenders the pernicious idea that the study of Fine Arts is hardly
serious and that it is suited to idle dilletanti, a view with which we
cannot sympathize. It would seem to us that the popularity of this
study, as testified by the great size of the classes, would warrant the
Government in increasing the teaching staff of this Department, with
a view to dividing the students into more manageable sections. It
is self-evident that the instructor himself cannot do justice to four
or five hundred examination books.

It seems to your Committee that the students should have placed
before them in connection with these lectures photographs or other
available material, that the visual image shall thus be presented to
the student rather than an intellectual description of the object under
discussion. This, we are sure, would be the opinion of all artists.

Mr. Moore's courses continue to constantly growing classes. He
gains in influence and power as years pass. His lectures review the
history of art at close range. They are accompanied by exercises in
drawing, which render the young man observant and give him a good
knowledge of shades and shadows and form in what seems to us a
very proper manner for a University course. We have sometimes
wished that to this rigid course of observation could be added a
course in rapid sketching or in delineation pure and simple. It is
true that University education, perhaps, should not extend to such
practical application of art. While the University teaches the theory
of music, it does not teach the use of any musical instrument. While
it teaches literature, it does not teach handwriting. So while it teaches
art, it need not be expected to teach drawing. We may grant this

293

and say it should be taught in the schools. But it is not so taught and
the scientific man, the doctor, the professor and the artist is sent away
from College regretting his inability to draw, when it is nearly as
necessary to him as writing. When our graduates enter the Institute
of Technology as architectural students, they are from this lack
unable, except by a special adjustment of their course, to keep up
with men who have been there but a single year. We make no sug-
gestion of a new University course in this respect, but it seems to us
that among the courses in the architectural department one might
readily be formed in sketching and the simple drawing of objects,
which if open to undergraduates of the College would fill a need ; or
again an evening atelier, like those in Paris, for drawing under the
guidance of an artist from the cast or later from the life, might be
welcomed at Cambridge as it is in all large communities.

A visit to the Architectural Department gives to us an impression
of life and activity. This course has now been in existence two
years. It has an admirable corps of instructors and is prepared for
the best work. The teachers were told early in the year to drop any
students who by idleness or otherwise would embarrass the school.
They, however, chose to admonish the backward, and the results
seem to justify their course. About thirty pupils are now at work
and the results of these first two years are most encouraging. It is
to be noted, however, that among the regular students is not a single
Harvard graduate, and yet they are the men who ought to fill the
school. We want to have the eyes of undergraduates turned towards
these courses and towards art as a profession while they are in
College.

Mr. Chaplin, the late Dean of the Scientific School, was the first
to urge the establishment of this course, arguing that the appoint-
ment of an architectural professor would be the only addition to
existing University facilities needed. He urged that it should be
treated less as a culture study than as ending in something by
which a man might earn his bread. Then Mr. Shaler, on becoming-
Dean, urged its establishment, and at one time desired it to be a
school to graduate building superintendents. The President of the
University has always, however, wished to have architecture taught at
Cambridge as a Fine Art, and in a way to suitably lead to a Bachelor
of Arts degree, and that its treatment should be allied with that in
the Classics, Comparative Literature, Philology, and Aesthetics. To
the great satisfaction of your Committee this is the kind of school
that the new teachers are developing. They write that they hope to
make it characteristic of their department "that architecture shall be

294

treated as essentially a fine art " ; that they " wish to avoid in every
way the conception that architecture is a science with a little art
superadded." They have laid out their course with an " aim to give
the students such a knowledge of the history of architecture and of
the growth and meaning of architectural forms, as may enable them
ultimately to use precedent not blindly but intelligently and with some
freedom." And varying from the traditional methods of the £cole
des Beaux Arts, they intend "that the problems given out shall
depend upon present American conditions and not be merely conven-
tional school problems without any basis in the soil, as it were."
They hope, too, that ultimately the majority of students in the course
may be drawn from the ranks of college graduates, especially from
Harvard.

It is gratifying to learn of the number of pupils that have already
joined the school. Mere numbers, however, seem of slight import-
ance compared with making a proper start. They may be a drag and
a hindrance. We suggest that it is absurd to impose on the present
corps of instructors the teaching of rudimentary drawing. We urge
strenuously that ability to draw objects easily be an absolute require-
ment for entrance to the course. We also urge that in the next Col-
lege Catalogue an invitation be inserted for those students in the
College, who have thought of becoming architects, to seek advice as
to their courses from the instructors in architecture. This would be
in addition to similar invitations printed this year on page 216 of the
Catalogue.

To some it seemed an error to ally a school of art with one of

science. On the establishment of the architectural courses the Amer-

i
lean Architect said in an appreciative editorial : —

How far Harvard University is justified in establishing an architectural
department can only be proved by lapse of time, and it is open to doubt
whether this department has been established because there was felt to be
a need or because the authorities, in pursuing their policy of rounding out
their field of operations and justifying the rather modern name of their
institution, felt that it would be a good thing to incorporate such a depart-
ment with their other branches of instruction. If the new department was
to be made at Harvard at all, we are disposed to regret that the depart-
ment was made an adjunct of the Lawrence Scientific School and was not
frankly added to the courses in the College proper, where in some ways it
more legitimately belongs, or, rather, where there would be a better
chance for its growth in the one needed direction, that of architecture as
an art pure and simple. There are enough architectural departments now
doing: excellent work as attachments to scientific schools — we believe that

295

every one of the older sehools is attached to the scientific side and not to
the side of arts and letters, so that graduates can only receive the degree
S.B., and not A.B., which seems more befitting a practitioner of the arts.
The needs of the hour is the cultivation of the senses, not of the head and
fingers only. Sooner or later there will be established somewhere and by
somebody a thoroughly equipped and self-contained academy of fine arts,
and, if it is conceived on proper lines and broad-mindedly conducted, it
will inevitably be a success and as inevitably work an injury to the pros-
perity of those architectural departments which are adjuncts of scientific
schools, by withdrawing from them those pupils who feel the inborn capa-
city to fit themselves for the higher reaches of the profession, but find the
curriculum of the scientific schools somewhat cramping and restraining.

But the Scientific School and the College are more allied and inter-
changeable than may appear, and the Scientific School is arranged
for a four years' course of prescribed study which the College is not.
Besides, the School is growing rapidly and had funds to spare which
the College had not. Hence the administrational advantages of a
connection with the School. At the same time, we think that any
future permanent professorship or permanent building should apper-
tain to the University in general, and not to the Scientific School.

Your Committee has in a former report urged that addresses at
Cambridge by • practising artists would be of interest. An experi-
mental course was given a year ago by prominent men, critics, pro-
fessors, and artists. It seems to us that those by the artists were
much the best suited to our purposes. The other lectures while ad-
mirable, were often from the same point of view as that occupied
by the regular instructors at the University. But those by active
painters and practicing architects like Mr. Blashfield and Mr. Hop-
kinson Smith, and Mr. Hastings, were admirably adapted to keep
the scholar in touch with the world and to foster that artistic milieu
without which good artistic work is difficult. The main trouble is
with the audience. The University now furnishes but a small com-
pany seriously interested in subjects of this kind. As the archi-
tectural school and professional art instruction increase the audience
will grow. While there can be no question that lectures of retro-
spective and critical character are of the first importance, we consider
that the instruction that the College gives in artistic matters might
well be supplemented, as occasion offers, by a continuance of these
University lectures by artists not connected with the College. A
similar influence would be exerted by occasional exhibitions, for in-
stance, of the Gray collection of engavings, exhibitions for which the
new museum will furnish opportunities.

296

The New Fogg Museum should benefit the Fine Arts Department.
We feel in duty bound to inform you that there have been vigorous
complaints by the teachers of the Department regarding the arrange-
ment of the building, and often, as it seems to us, they have been
well founded. We suggest that in the future no College building
should be erected without giving greater regard than has been done
in this case to the wants and needs of teachers in the Department
concerned. As it stands, the building affords but moderate room for
the exhibition of statues and casts, the lights are confusing, and
some of the well lighted places are occupied by doors. If a fine
work of art, a picture, or a statue were presented to the College,
there are very few places where it could be creditably placed. The
teachers of the Department have naturally looked forward to this
building as one that would greatly extend the influence of their work,
and since it fails in many ways to meet their needs, we feel that their
complaints are natural and justified. The opening of the new museum
and its collections will do something towards establishing a background
for the Architectural School and the Fine Arts Department in general,
but the museum does not supply all the facilities which would tend to
create an artistic atmosphere at Cambridge. These can be met only
by an atelier building in close neighborhood to the new museum, to
accommodate the working rooms and libraries of the artistic depart-
ments. At present Mr. Moore's classes are in Sever Hall ; those of
Mr. Norton in Sanders Theatre. The Architectural Department is
a quarter of a mile away on Jarvis Field, and none of these are at all
near to the Library. Mr. Moore's valuable collection of photographs,
etc. are now of no service to classes at the Architectural School, and
the casts in Jarvis Field are of little serious use to Mr. Moore. A
studio building adjoining the museum would economize books and
collections, and would go a great way towards the creation of a school
of art such as, with little doubt, is soon to grow up at Harvard. Let
us hope that before long we may see the foundation for such a
building.

ROBERT S. PEABODY,
JAMES A. GARLAND,
EDMUND M. WHEELWRIGHT,
FREDERIC P. VINTON,
SAMUEL D. WARREN,
EDWARD ROBINSON.
May 22, 1895.

LI I.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL ECONOMY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

In the department of Political Economy the Professors feel the
pressure of increased numbers of students, the lack of satisfactory
space for lecture rooms, and the lack of time for independent work
and research.

The difficulty is most serious in Economics 1. The lecture room
available is ill-fitted for speaking or hearing, and the great number
of students make it impossible, with the present corps of instructors,
to divide them into sections small enough for adequate teaching and
discussion. The difficulty has been met, as far as practicable, by
strenuous and continuous work on the part of the Professors and
instructors. This department, like others, feels the want of more
books for reference, and of more library space for books and reading.

ARTHUR T. LYMAN, Chairman.

Boston, May 22. 1895.

Lin.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE DIVINITY

SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

The Committee to visit the Divinity School held a long and inter-
esting conference with the Professors and feel that they can make a
very satisfactory report on its condition.

Of late years there has been a changed and improved condition of
the department, and a varied gathering of students with advanced
standard, representing many denominations.

Fewer students during the past year have received pecuniary aid
— one half only.

A spirit of cooperation and good feeling has prevailed with a new
quality of piety and of personal loyalty. The practical preaching is
more, perhaps, than in any other school.

The courses of some of the Professors are attended by many
undergraduates of the College, and the need of a larger room is
felt.

Some discussion was had about raising the tuition-fee, but the
Dean feels that at present, at least, it would be unwise, in view of
the fact that most theological schools charge a very low fee or none
at all, and in consideration of the difficulties under which many of
the advanced students come to the School. Some of the Professors
think that a change may safely be made, but the Committee is not
inclined to recommend a change at this time.

ARTHUR T. LYMAN, Chairman.
Boston, May 22, 1895.

LIV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE PHYSICAL

LABORATORY AND THE DEPARTMENT

OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

We the undersigned, members of the Committee appointed to visit
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics, having
attended a duly notified meeting at the Laboratory building on April
3, 1895, have the honor to report as follows : —

During the year Professor Trowbridge, assisted by Mr. Duane,
has contrived methods and apparatus by which direct measurements
have been made of the velocity of electric waves. The published
results of these investigations will be a most important contribution
to electrical science.

Dr. Hall has continued his investigations of the conduction of heat
by metals ; and has recently perfected an apparatus which promises
to yield definitive results in answer to several questions which here-
tofore have been ignored in physical research.

Professor Peirce has contrived methods and apparatus for an in-
vestigation of the conduction of heat by masses of marble, slate,
etc., etc., with special provision for the study of the attending in-
ternal temperature curves of these substances. The results of his
investigations will be of particular value in the discussion of problems
relating to the cooling of the earth.

It is gratifying to note that the courses in physics generally adopted
by high and preparatory schools throughout the country, accord sub-
stantially in both methods and apparatus with the ' ' Harvard Sys-
tem " as contrived by Dr. Hall and Mr. Sabine of the Jefferson
Physical Laboratory.

During the year Mr. Sabine has devoted much time to the con-
trivance of apparatus for work on light and heat in the u Physics 2 "
course. This apparatus is far superior to that which is usually found
in the class laboratory, and much of it is adapted for use in original
investigations of a high order.

In almost every room of the building are to be found instruments
which by their ingenious design and fineness of construction bear,
witness to the very great value of the laboratory machine shop and
the ability of its mechanician, Mr. Thomson.

304

The scrupulous neatness and order which prevail throughout the
building bear witness to the efficient administration of the Director
and his associates.

In former reports the need of a suitable working library within the
building has been mentioned. This need still exists.

A consideration of the smallness of the laboratory staff in propor-
tion to the amount of lecture room and class work performed,
naturally excites surprise that so much is done in the way of original
investigation. The explanation lies in the fact that the Director and
his associates zealously devote their nights as well as days to the
advancement of science. It is hoped that in the near future the
income of the laboratory will permit the assignment of an assistant
to each one of the staff. Certainly in no other way can there be
ensured an equal increase in the usefulness and reputation of the
Jefferson Physical Laboratory.

FRANCIS BLAKE,

A. LAWRENCE ROTCH,

E. D. LEAVITT,

W. H. FORBES.

9 April, 1895.

LV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE ADMINIS-
TRATION OF THE COLLEGE CHAPEL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College :

On behalf of the Committee on the Administration of the College
Chapel, I have the honor to submit the following report prepared by
a member of the Committee at the request of the chairman : —

The Committee on the Administration of the University Chapel
feel that what was said in the full report of 1892 has been amply
confirmed by the experience of the past three years. The system is
excellent, the results, though not all that could be desired in the
way of general attendance on the services, must be considered
decidedly satisfactory, and the services of the University Preachers
have been of the highest character and marked by a self-sacrificing
spirit and by a breadth and devotion of the highest Christian
quality.

The Committee has conferred with the present and some of the
past members of the Board of Preachers and has asked for sugges-
tions from them.

" Of one thing," says one of the Preachers, " I cannot speak too
decidedly or gratefully, namely, the reverent, attentive and devout
attitude of the students who attend Chapel. Nothing could be more
admirable nor more stimulating."

More adequate provision for conferring with the students at Wads-
worth House is desired. Frequently important conversations are
interrupted by a caller who must be admitted or asked to wait in
the hall or in the street. The Phillips Brooks Memorial House would
relieve this and other pressing needs, and it is hoped that it may soon
be possible to go on with the subscription which was interrupted by
the financial disturbances of 1893, and that a building for the uses
of the University Preachers and of the various religious societies may,
before long, be erected, even if the sum of money originally con-
templated cannot now be secured.

The Committee desires to call attention to the good effect pro-
duced by the attendance at Morning Prayers of members of the
Faculty.

306

The new hymn and tune book for the Chapel Services is nearly
ready and promises to be of much interest and value, but a portion
of the cost thereof remains unpaid, and must be met by voluntary
contributions.

For the Committee,

ROGER WOLCOTT, Chairman.
June 12, 1895.

LVI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
VETERINARY SCHOOL.

October, 1893.
To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : — -

The Committee appointed to visit the Veterinary School for the
year 1893, respectfully reports as follows : —

The Veterinary department of the University was organized in
September, 1882, in the belief that a higher education was needed
in this country by students in this branch of medicine, and for
the the purpose of affording a free clinic for the animals of the
poor.

This attempt, at that time, was made possible by the co-operation
of the Faculty of the Medical School, by a gift of $2,000 from the
Trustees of the Society for promoting Agriculture, by one of $500 from
Mr. Henry L. Higginson, and by a guarantee for five years of the rent
on a building to be erected for the purposes of the School. This
support, excepting the sum of $350 given at various times in small
amounts, is all that the enterprise has ever received.

At the end of the first year of its existence it was found necessary
to enlarge the School and Hospital accomodations, and money was
lent for this purpose by the University, upon which an annual inter-
est of six per cent, has regularly been paid.

In the short period of ten years the School has gained such influ-
ence that, now, connection with a university is considered by the
profession to be almost indispensable for a veterinary school ; and
the higher education, first given by our School, has been made
necessary for future would-be veterinarians by a unanimous vote of
the national representative body of the profession, at its last regular
meeting. The effort to establish higher requirements of education
among American veterinarians has therefore met with success.
Such success has not, however, attended the hope that a free clinic
for the animals of the poor might be provided. Although at first a
free dispensary was established and maintained for a time, and even
now occasionally animals belonging to poor owners are treated free

308

of charge, there is no adequate free clinic, such as Boston should
have. We have seen enough of the work to know that there is
a large field for much needed deeds of kindness to suffering
animals.

In undertaking to conduct a self-sustaining school of the higher
grade in direct competition with those graduating students in shorter
time, a large expenditure for instruction was necessarily incurred,
while the income from students' fees was comparatively small. To
meet expenses the Department has been obliged to use its small Hos-
pital to its full extent for paying patients .

The progress of medicine from year to year shows more and more
clearly the close relations which exist between the diseases of men
and those of animals. A great part of the present knowledge of
human medicine has been attained by comparative study of the dis-
eases of animals.

A hospital clinic such as is contemplated, will form a valuable
supplement to the work in the hospital for human beings. In this
way the indirect and often unappreciated results will be no less
important than those which are direct and obvious .

The Hospital has for some time been over-crowded with paying
patients, and never has had accommodations suitable for the recep-
tion of cases of infectious diseases .

The present Hospital contains three small wards with a total
capacity of thirty-two stalls and boxes, and a small dog-room.
Operations have to be performed in a room lined on two sides with
stalls.

The Hospital building should furnish at least four times as much
room for patients, and should contain a good-sized and suitably-
located operating-room, so that the surgeons may avail them-
selves of the great benefits of the modern antiseptic methods in
surgery.

The accomodations for the School are equally inadequate. There
is only one lecture-room, one laboratory, a museum-room, a reading-
room, and a dissecting-room ; all of them much too small for present
needs. Two or three lecture-rooms, and as many laboratories are
pressing needs.

The success of the School already achieved is remarkable con-
sidering its limited and inconvenient accomodations and the meagre
aid which it has received. For this success the staff of instructors
deserve great credit. By their ability, their perseverance, their
enthusiasm and their courage they have overcome obstacles which
must have been most disheartening. The School has demonstrated

309

its value and we submit that it has proved that it is worthy of a
financial support suitable to its great possibilities, and adequate to
attainment of the high standards for which the other departments
of the University are justly distinguished.

Respectfully submitted,

GEORGE G. CROCKER, Chairman,
AUGUSTUS HEMENWAY,
THEODORE A. DODGE,
A. S. BIGELOW,
LAMONT G. BURNHAM,
G. E. WILDER,
LUCIUS M. SARGENT,
J. ARTHUR BEEBE,
GEO. G. KENNEDY,
SAM'L A. HOPKINS.
Presented Dec. 4, 1895.

LVII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
CHEMICAL LABORATORY.

Oct. 23, 1895.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The undersigned, a Committee appointed by the Overseers to
visit the Chemical Laboratory of Harvard University, respectfully
submit the following report : —

I. No just conception of the physical universe can be formed
without some knowledge of the varieties of matter which are called
elements, and of the forces and laws under which those elements
combine, change their combinations with change of circumstances,
and build themselves into the definite objects which surround us ;
therefore no scheme of a reasonably liberal education can be satis-
factory that fails to impart instruction in Chemistry. A French
saying to the effect that Chemistry is as eyes to the blind, does not
too strongly express the perpetual satisfaction and advantage
afforded by even a rudimental knowledge of Chemistry.

But, beyond such rudimental instruction in one of the principal
departments of human intelligence, a wise community must further
train many of its youth in either of two divergent ways. One of
these branches of instruction imparts thorough knowledge of that
lucid crystallized arrangement of all our conquests in this vast field
which is sometimes called Theoretical Chemistry, and in the methods
by which further conquests in it may be effected ; the other branch,
commonly called Technical Chemistry, shows how these conquests
are utilized by applying chemical knowledge to the direct service of
mankind, as in the manufacture of various substances needful to
human comfort ; this includes instruction as to existing methods and
apparatus, and the means by which these and their products may be
improved.

It is obvious that, though these two paths begin as one, and con-
tinue for a time nearly parallel, the training of a man whose aim in
life is to instruct others, or of one who aspires to extend the present
limits of human comprehension, should not, except in the earlier

312

stages, be identical with that of another who intends to seek his
livelihood by supplying in part some one or more of the many com-
modities needful to his fellow-men, or by serving them as physician,
as sanitary engineer, or in any kindred manner.

If the question were now an open one, it might be urged with
much force and with propriety that Harvard University should con-
fine its teaching of Chemistry to sound instruction in the principles of
Theoretical Chemistry; that is, to the science only, leaving the field
of art or Applied Chemistry to collateral institutions, such as the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But we are obliged to
remember that the University courses have long been adapted in part
to the training of students in Technical Chemistry, and that Harvard
stands before the public at this time pledged to continue such
training.

We approve, therefore, of the courses of Harvard University as
laid down in its " Announcement of the Department of Chemistry,"
which show a well-considered intention to impart training in both
these separate paths, of Scientific or Theoretical Chemistry, and of
Chemistry as applied to the Arts.

The practical question to what extent and in what manner Tech-
nical Chemistry should be taught there, is discussed later in this
report.

II. Having expressed our conviction that no education can be
regarded as liberal in which Chemistry is omitted, we now declare
our equally-fixed conviction that special study of Chemistry can be
best built upon the foundation of such general education and mental
training as are afforded by the curriculum of a good university or
college. Justus von Liebig said that his best students, those who
became most distinguished, were always men who had had a univer-
sity education ; and precisely similar views have been expressed by
Dr. August Wilhelm Hofmann, and by other eminent chemists and
physicists.

The chemical student of this country requires at least a reading
knowledge of German, French and Latin, and is pitiably deficient if
unable to express himself with unmistakable precision and terseness,
and even with a certain elegance, in his own language. We suggest
as an exercise for chemical students in their second year the transla-
tion into English of such short treatise or text-book chapter in Ger-
man or French, as the Professor of Chemistry shall indicate, and for
post-graduate students, the preparation of a thesis in either German
or French ; study of Chemistry in original German and French text-
books is desirable in post-graduate work.

313

Without implying negligence hitherto in this respect, we urge that
clearness and correctness of expression in both speech and writing
be constantly insisted upon.

III. The scope and range of chemical science have been remark-
ably extended of late years by the development of that new branch
designated Physical Chemistry, treating of the relations between
what have been regarded as simply physical agencies and those which
have been considered as chemical only. These relations have been,
and properly may be, treated from either a mechanical or a thermo-
dynamical point of view, the latter being hitherto most approved ;
both require training not only in such preliminary branches of Physics
as light, heat, and electricity, but also in the higher Mathematics.

Training in Physical Chemistry having thus become an essential
part of the education of a well-equipped chemist, advanced study of
Chemistry should surely be preceded by study of thermo-dynamics
and of the calculus, as well as by that of General Chemistry and
Physics.

We are gratified to observe that these views find practical expres-
sion in the Harvard Course No. 6, and that this course is intended
particularly for graduates, who must therefore have previously mas-
tered those branches which we consider to be fundamental for profit-
able study of Physical Chemistry.

By General Chemistry we understand Descriptive Chemistry as it
should be taught, not by a course of lectures, or at least not by these
alone, nor by such imperfect training in Qualitative Chemistry as
some American colleges offer, but by a full and thorough course of
Experimental and Preparative Chemistry, this last being too often
neglected altogether or taught very superficially, although there are
now many excellent German works on the subject especially in the
department of Organic Chemistry.

An important advantage of the making of various chemical prep-
arations and of experimenting is the opportunity thus given for
acquiring the manual dexterity so indispensable in all good chemical
work. Qualitative analysis should first follow this preparative
course ; quantitative analysis then naturally succeeds ; lastly Theo-
retical Chemistry, which must have received some attention during
all the earlier practice, demands most careful study after the student
has mastered these preliminaries. Again we remark that the chem-
ical courses of Harvard show in most part correct apprehension of
what we conceive to be sound methods of teaching.

IV. The importance of Applied or Technical Chemistry has been
well expressed thus by a recent writer; viz., " Chemistry enters so

314

largely into all the arts of modern life that few understand how much
they are indebted to it, still less how much greater benefit they can
derive from closer study of the relation between chemistry and their
own branches of business."

Technical Chemistry — the actual every-day, bread- winning use of
chemistry — cannot in the nature of things be exhaustively taught in
any school, for no school can be expected to set up expensive plants
of several sorts upon a manufacturing scale, nor can manufacturers
be expected to open to students of any school the secrets of their
crafts upon which their business prosperity depends.

Some expansion of the preparative or synthetic instruction above
alluded to may, however, be profitably undertaken, and moderate
apparatus simulating on a small scale such as is used in chemical
manufacturing, may perhaps be advantageously set up to illustrate
some few approved and practical manufacturing processes. The
contriving of apparatus suitable for any given process is especially
worthy of attention, for peculiarly in this field there is always room
for the profitable exercise of ingenuity.

So far as it may be found practicable, we commend the visiting,
by instructors or professors and classes, of those chemical establish-
ments within easy access which will permit such visits ; the professor
or instructor to explain upon the ground the processes inspected, and
each student to prepare afterward a written account of apparatus
and process for the criticism of the teacher.

The analysis of materials used in any given manufacture, whether
one of those visited or not, of divers substances at different stages
of that manufacture, and of its finished products and its by-products,
will be found advantageous in itself, and as affording opportunity
for instructive remarks by the teacher.

An important feature of the study of Technical Chemistry, demand-
ing careful even though brief attention from both teachers and
students, is the estimation of profit and loss.

This estimation involves study of (1) Capital account, viz. : cost
of land, buildings, and apparatus for a given process upon a given
scale ; also amount of money required to carry the necessary stock
of materials and products and to pay wages, etc., until remuneration
comes from sales. (2) Cost of product, made up of cost of material
of all sorts, including fuel, freight charges, wages and salaries;
repairs, insurance and depreciation ; rent for fixed capital and
interest for floating capital. (3) Cost-comparison of alternative
methods for attaining the same or similar results, as in the old soda-
ash process and the new ammonia-soda process ; also cost-comparison

315

of the same process in different localities. (4) Comparison of pro-
duction-cost with actual and probable market-price of product.

No doubt this is a range of subjects which cannot be exhaustively
studied in any laboratory, and for which we cannot expect to find
teachers very well equipped, yet, in every attempt to make technical
chemistry available for bread-winning, such questions as these must
be scrutinized and correctly answered before the industry in view can
prudently be undertaken. The habit of considering this aspect of
chemistry, even to the moderate extent practicable in a laboratory of
instruction, will surely aid the student in solving the economic prob-
lems which are certain to confront him in actual life.

It is true that Applied Chemistry was not taught at Liebig's
famous school at Giessen. The principles upon which the applica-
tion of chemical science are based were taught there with assiduous
care and thoroughness, so that its graduates when entered upon prac-
tical life were frequently able, after brief study of the actual details
in a manufacturing establishment, to apply those scientific principles
with advantage and success. Yet while freely according precedence
to this thorough mastery of principles, we are nevertheless persuaded
that in most cases the future career of the student who aims to qual-
ify himself, in a school, for practical business application of chemical
science, will be facilitated by some such training as we have just
indicated.

V. The inadequacy of Boylston Hall for the accommodation of
Harvard's chemical students is conspicuously shown by the present
hasty fitting up of a basement-room, almost a cellar, to receive a
considerable number of them. As a temporary expedient to gain
room of some sort, promptly, at slight cost, this step may be defended ;
it cannot be regarded as a permanent satisfaction of the constant de-
mand for larger space which arises from the constant increase in the
number of students, an increase which is sure to continue and expand
unless checked by the failure of the University to provide for it.

We learn from Professor Jackson that the chemical students in
Courses B, 1 and 5, numbered 493 on October 10, 1895, being 130
more than in 1894. The desk-room now available for them, includ-
ing the new basement laboratory, will accommodate 551 students, so
that 58 more could yet be taken.

But if the applications for next year should show the same increase
as did those for 1895, and no further provision be made to receive
them, 72 students would have to be rejected in 1896.

Should the advanced students and the research department be
removed to a separate building, as below suggested, the space thus

316

gained would accommodate the students now placed in the basement,
and 150 more. Adding these to the 58 surplus above-named, 208
students beyond the number now entered in Courses B, 1 and 5, could
thus be accommodated ; enough, perhaps, to meet the growth of
1896 and 1897.

Even if Boylston Hall afforded sufficient space, it cannot be
regarded as a suitable laboratory for Harvard University. It was
not originally designed for this use, and after all the improvements
that have been made, some of them excellent, it is hopelessly inferior
to the modern laboratories of some other institutions.

Instead of attempting further modifications of that establishment,
we are of opinion that the University should now look to the erection
of an entirely new laboratory, and this in a new locality, because
Boylston Hall is too solid and handsome an edifice to be lightly de-
stroyed to make room for another. If the University could apply
that edifice to another purpose, and could therefore pay for it to the
Chemical Department out of a fund applicable to building for that
other purpose, the sum so transferred would form an encouraging
nucleus for the building-fund for the new laboratory. We ask the
serious attention of the Overseers to this suggestion, since, without
such foundation for a laboratory building fund, Harvard may be
obliged to lag behind its sister institutions during an indefinite
future, and to lose rank in one of its principal departments, unless
indeed one of her Alumni or some other intelligent and generous
citizen should bestow upon the University the great boon of a really
suitable laboratory.

Should it be found impossible to procure in any way the need-
ful funds for a proper building, we suggest that a new building
of moderate size might be erected apart from Boylston Hall for
the use of advanced students and for original research. Then,
Boylston Hall, relieved of a considerable part of its present
occupants, could be made temporarily adequate for the remaining
classes without obliging students to occupy the above-mentioned
basement.

But we strongly deprecate the adoption of this alternative, not
only, or chiefly on account of its involving some difficulty in admin-
istration, but because of its radical insufficiency, and its confession
of weakness that seems to us unworthy of the great University.

Another alternative is the building of additions to Boylston Hall,
thus keeping all branches of chemical instruction, and all the future
students, in the old spot, but the much ampler accommodations that
are so urgently needed, cannot be properly provided by mere expan-

317

lion of what now exists, for the development of tlie science indicates
the advantage of a quite different laboratory construction. Not only
can better arrangements be made for the teaching of students, but
original scientific research, which more than anything else makes a
university illustrious throughout the world, which does so much to
maintain alertness of mind in both teachers and students by culti-
vating what Tyndall calls scientific use of the imagination, and
which always commands the respect of both scientific and practical
men, can be much promoted by the offering of suitable accommoda-
tion for its prosecution. We repeat that one new building should be
erected to provide room for all purposes, and we prefer to assume
that in some way the funds requisite for that suitable building will
be forthcoming.

In order that a clear idea may be reached of the amount of money
required for this new modern laboratory that Harvard so obviously
needs, a suitable design should be elaborated with as little delay as
the case admits. Contractor's estimates could then be invited with-
out fear of costly extra charges, and efforts to raise money would
more hopefully be made when the needful sum could be confidently
stated.

Time as well as money will be saved by very careful study of the
interior arrangements after examination of the best laboratories to be
found at other institutions, hasty action might defeat what is doubt-
less the intention of all who are interested in the subject, viz. : —
that the new Harvard laboratory shall be at least equal in quality to
any other in this country, and be large enough to accommodate Har-
vard's chemical students for many years to come.

The exterior may properly be of brick, wdth cheap stone trimmings,
plain in form and quite devoid of costly ornamentation, yet possess-
ing the dignity of well-designed mass and contour, which the new
Public Library Building of Boston so happily exemplifies.

Perhaps no better method could be adopted in designing the new-
Harvard Chemical Laboratory than that which was so successfully
employed to obtain a suitable building for physical research in the
Jefferson Physical Laboratory at Cambridge. In that case each pro-
fessor and one donor sent in a plan embodying his views of wrhat a
physical laboratory should be, which plans and views were criticized
by a meeting of the committee. A second set of improved plans
resulted, then, after further scrutiny, a third, and a fourth. The
fifth plan, expressing the corrected and modified views of all, was
adopted, and a practically perfect building was erected at a reason-
able cost.

318

We are, however, not prepared to promise to bestow the time and
study which that method implies for each of us. We consider it
more expedient that the faculty of Harvard's Chemical Department
should first prepare at least a sketch plan of what they consider the
most suitable building for the purpose, and submit the same to this
Committee, or to its successors.

JOSEPH WHARTON, Chairman,
WOLCOTT GIBBS,
ALEXANDER COCHRANE,
SAMUEL CABOT,
S. M. WELD,
N. THAYER,
EDWARD D. PEARCE.

Presented Dec. 4, 1895.

LVIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE JEFFER-
SON PHYSICAL LABORATORY AND DEPARTMENT
OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers : —

The undersigned members of the committee appointed to visit
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics,
having attended a duly notified meeting at the laboratory building
on May 15, 1896, have the honor to report as follows: —

During the current year, the Director and his associates, in
addition to their routine work connected with the instruction of
four hundred undergraduate students, have made many important
investigations with resulting creditable additions to the science of
physics.

The subjoined list of titles of papers published bears witness to a
zealous activity by the Laboratory Staff : Carbon and Oxygen in
the Sun ; by John Trowbridge. Triangulation by means of the
Cathode Photograph}7 ; by John Trowbridge. On the Velocity of
Electric Waves ; by John Trowbridge and William Duane. On a
Certain Class of Equipotential Surfaces; by B. O. Peirce. Tem-
perature Variations of the Thermal Conductivities of Marble and
Slate; by B. O. Peirce and R. W. Willson. On the Thermal
Conductivity of Mild Steel; by Edwin H. Hall.

It is satisfactory to note that the Director, in his investigations
of the Roentgen Rays, has contrived processes and apparatus which
have been adopted by the most successful workers in this new and
fascinating field of physical research.

Mr. W. C. Sabine has contrived a most promising method and
apparatus for the determination of the accoustic properties of
enclosed space. The apparatus yields a beautiful photographic
record of normal sound waves and of the reverberatory waves
resulting therefrom under certain conditions.

The establishment of a suitable working library within the
laboratory building is most desirable ; and an additional mechanical
assistant would render possible an increase in such original work as
must be relied upon to promote the welfare and distinction of the
Jefferson Physical Laboratory. In connection with this subject, it
is fair to assume that any provisions which tend to increase the
public interest in and appreciation of the Laboratory work must
favor such a beneficent endowment as is prerequisite to its full
development as a centre of physical research.

Francis Blake,
A. Lawrence Rotch.
May 18, 1896.

LIX

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
CHEMICAL LABORATORY.

To the Overseers of Harvard University :

Dear Sirs,— Your committee to visit the Chemical Laboratory

beg leave to make the following report:

Four of your committee, including the chairman, made a visit to
the Chemical Laboratory on Tuesday, May 19th, and spent several
hours m a thorough investigation of the premises, guided by the
professors in charge, and reports made by them.

The competency of the instructors cannot be called in question
but their surroundings, to teachers of ordinary ability, would be
overwhelmingly embarrassing.

There is a great and pressing need for a new laboratory building,
to be built at once. The present building, Boylston Hall, when
built m 1858, contained a single laboratory with places for about
forty students. At this day, after nearly forty years' use, it has
crowded into it seven public laboratories and 568 desks occupied by
students. The largest addition to its accommodations was made
last summer, when a laboratory for 232 students was constructed in
the cellar. At the time this room was planned it was thought that
it would provide all the desk room necessary for the class in descrip-
tive chemistry for five or more years, but when it was opened last
October every desk was full, as the class had grown from 200 in
1894 to 302 in 1895 ; and not only was this room full, but the class
in both its sections overflowed into the room for qualitative analysis
At the same time, the class in qualitative analysis had grown from
68 to over 100, so that 408 desks were needed for these two classes
The number of desks available was 428, leaving only 20 places
empty. To these might be added 45 desks in the laboratory for
elementary chemistry, which could, after considerable outlay only
be used for these classes, although even then they would be poorly
adapted for this purpose. The number of places therefore available
for the growth of these two classes from 1895 to 1896 (next
autumn) is, at most, 65. The growth from 1894 to 1895 was
HO. This brings before the Chemical Department the imminent

clanger of rejecting students who have elected courses in chemistry,
a most unfortunate necessity, as such rejections seriously interfere
with the well-laid plans for the whole college course, and may even
prove a grave hindrance to more than one man in his subsequent
career.

This danger cannot be met with the construction of a new labora-
tory room, as the only space large enough for such a room (a part of
the cellar) must be used for administrative purposes and the auxiliary
rooms of the more advanced inorganic laboratories.

The condition of things in the laboratories for the more advanced
elect! ves is equally desperate. All are full, and the large size of the
two elementary classes promises in the next two years to increase
these electives in proportion. How to provide for this increase is a
problem which it seems impossible to solve in the present building.
Already the lower courses in quantitative analysis and organic
chemistry have driven the men working on research in these lines
into a corner, and any further infringment on the space devoted
to research will seriously interfere with the highest work of the
department ; but this space is all that is available for the growth
of these lower courses, and this, even if used to the utmost, is still
insufficient.

The necessity of using every part of the building possible for
students' laboratories has crowded the store rooms, preparation
rooms, and other administrative offices into such cramped quarters
that it has become a matter of great difficulty to carry on most
important work with the necessary promptness and accuracy, and
more room in this department is imperatively needed. The work is
nearly doubled by the unfavorable conditions forced on the Director
by the construction of the building.

It should be observed, also, that all the public rooms in Boylston
Hall, with four exceptions, are at present used for purposes other
than those for which they were built, and, although everything has
been done to overcome the obstacles offered by these conditions, in
many cases it has proved impossible to adapt the rooms to their new
uses in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. This is conspicuously
true of the arrangements for physical chemistry. The teaching of
the class in descriptive chemistry is also badly hampered by the
necessity of having it divided between two laboratories, one in the
cellar, and the other in the attic; but all these latter disadvantages,
great as they are, become insignificant when compared with the fact
dwelt upon first, that in the near future, perhaps next year, it will
be necessary to reject men who have elected courses in chemistry.

There is but one remedy for these evils, which will press even
more severely on the University in the future than at present. This
is a new chemical laboratory large enough for present needs and
future growth, and provided with all the facilities for modern
chemical work. This should be built at once, not only because
of the pressing needs of the chemical department, but in order
to avoid unprofitable outlay in patching the present building, which
is inadequate, and from its general construction impossible to be
changed so that modern processes can be profitably used.

Stephen M. Weld,
Alexander Cochrane,
E. R. Squibb,
Edward D. Pearce.

Boston, May 27, 1896.

LX.

KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
BDSSEY INSTITUTION.

The Bussey Institution has been in operation for twenty-five years
dunng winch period its teachers have striven to establish a pracZi
school of agncultnre in accordance with the terms of Mr. Lssey's

The courses of instruction have been excellent, but the students
avaumg themselves of the facilities offered by the school hav
always been few in number, occasionally dwindling down to almos
none. Reasons for this are not difficult to find, 'hough which o„e
of the several causes contributed most to the non-success of the
school it would be hard to determine

mavtto? n0t W°rth WWIe t0 dW6jI t0° Ion= on Past h-tory, it
may be well o suggest a few reasons why the Institution, perhaps

i t: r rkedpopuiarity' bef°re ™*^ « —j :

nons tor its future government.

Undoubtedly the great fire of' 1872, which reduced almost to noth

xpens8 tZ 7 ? ^ ^ °f "" ^ ^^ t0 ^ ^
expenses of the Bussey Institution, had much to do with its troubles

The number of students seeking an education in agriculture pnre
to i^nf 'I eTdingIy limifed' aDd the BUSS^ I-«t„4 owtag

ciSies of I" ' UnaWe t0 eXteUd t0 ltS StUd-ts th

x clion o?%rQrrS ? Cambridg6' 0a" W »° re~ble
e^ectatmns of attracting those students who desire something more

ban a purely technical education in farming, from other agriculZ

olleges winch combine other studies with their course in agricufe"

andthenvaryof such schools as Amherst Agricultural SgTa
chool subbed by the Commonwealth and National Government

has undoubtedly been deleterious government,

ua^jradtntelr881^1 "*°* °°"

ceslf ZulJhTr, * " argiCUltUral C°n^> to be *<* «»e-
eessful, should be located ln or near a farming community and its

curse of instruction so arranged, in point of time, Z Sey ^

be most vigorous during the warm months of the year when the

326

crops are growing. Mere lecture room or laboratory work could, of
course, be carried on through the winter months as well, perhaps
better, than in warmer weather, but not so with most of the
practical work.

The demand for an education in farming pure and simple is very
small in Massachusetts to-day, and in this immediate vicinity almost
nothing.

The geographical location of the buildings of the Bussey Insti-
tution seems most unfortunate ; not only is their situation too far
removed from an agricultural community, but Forest Hills is not
near enough to Cambridge or Boston to render properly effective
either the Lawrence Scientific School, Botanic Garden, or the Veteri-
nary School, which, collaterally, might be valuable adjuncts.

The main building at Forest Hills is well enough adapted to
in-door work, though not, strictly speaking, a modern structure ;
ever since it was built, however, the institution has lacked both
funds and students, and probably the obvious want of money may
have deterred many students from going there instead of elsewhere,
oblivious of the fact that probably the course of study is more
valuable as given at the Bussey than at most agricultural colleges.

In view of these facts, and without at this time dwelling further
on its history, it may be assumed, without fear of contradiction,
that if, after twenty-five years of continuous expenditure, the
number of students cannot be easily raised above even the highest
number yet recorded in the school (22), either there is no proper
demand for such a school on the lines now arranged, or else the
teachers are unable to properly hold the students' attention.

Under either condition, it seems wise to the Committee to try and
reorganize on some new basis, either by combining with other
schools, or other department of the University, or by starting
independently on entirely new lines, or both.

The general feeling in the Committee is that, in order to do the
most good, the scope of such reorganization should be quite drastic,
and that, while violent and rapid changes may not be desirable, yet
to achieve the best results, the goal to be eventually reached must be
very different from that hitherto in view.

Briefly stated, the financial situation does not seem to be so des-
perate as would at first appear.

As before stated, for twenty years past the school has been
financially starved, the teachers have had a hard fight to hold any
students at all, while the college has, from time to time, made
advances of money to the Bussey Trust, till now the total debt

327

amounts to over $54,800, the interest on which sum encroaches
materially on the slim income derived from that portion of the
Trust applicable to the running expenses of the Institution. The
payment of this large amount can, however, doubtless be arranged,
when desired, by the sale of land belonging to the Woodland Hills
estate, and located near Brookline Avenue, on Thurlow and Ux-
bridge Streets (not yet built). This land, assessed by the city in
1895 for $31,200, could, it is thought, be sold for enough to
extinguish the debt now clue the college.

Your Committee would recommend the subordinating of the purely
agricultural feature of the Institution to other work of an allied
nature, and such changes in time of instruction as would bring the
bulk of the holidays in the winter season ; and extend the term in
such parts of the autumn and summer as would enable the students
to take advantage and profit most by outdoor instruction. They
would also recommend the abandonment of the scheme of having
the Institution a school principally for the teaching of farming.

They would recommend the starting of a school of landscape
gardening (or landscape architecture), having in addition to the
existing laboratory and lecture room facilities, proper drafting-
rooms and appliances for teaching landscape engineering and
kindred and collateral subjects ; in fact, the establishment of a
school where young men can obtain such knowledge as will fit them
to take charge of the planning, developing, and maintenance of
parks, country estates, cemeteries, etc., etc., would, it is thought,
be a welcome addition to the existing professional schools. The
fact that there is now no such school in America would, moreover,
have a tendency to attract a large number of students interested in
such work ; the additional annual expense involved would not be
excessive, and the establishing of such a school in no way conflicts
with the terms of Mr. Bussey's will.

Such proposed arrangement would call for greater harmony between
the various professional schools than at present appears to exist ; in
addition to the teachers now employed at the Bussey, there should be
lecturers, two or three in number, drawn from active professional
life, who, at regular intervals, could give instructions in special
branches.

The economic study of Forestry has never been attempted in this
country, though it is easy to see that in comparatively few years the
effective forest areas on the continent will have been so much
reduced on area, etc., that tree culture, for economic purposes,
will become if not necessary, at least very desirable.

328

Massachusetts possesses not only large areas of wild land and
every variety of soil, on which is growing all sorts of trees, but also
sandy and rocky areas, etc., etc., on which nothing is seen but
a scrub growth of no value. It would, therefore, seem eminently
suitable for scientific, tree culture, to be started here first.

The Committee also believes that the school would be aided in its
work and increased in popularity by acquiring two or three rooms in
some part of the city proper during the winter months, which could
be used for lecture rooms and for demonstrations for those people
who are not able to avail themselves at all seasons of the year of
the facilities offered at Forest Hills.

It may not be generally understood that the larger portion of such
proposed new courses are, even now, taught. The Committee's
suggestion is, in fact, new combinations of existing facilities, sup-
plemented by the work of a limited number of skilled specialists,
rather than entire new courses of instruction.

The blending of studies already well organized ought to render
possible the proper administration of the new work by the regular
department executives, for the present at least, without outside
assistance.

To be most effective, it seems as if the following should be either
consolidated, or, at least, be operated in the closest harmony :

Bussey Institution. Arnold Arboretum.

Botanic Garden. Veterinary School.

Lawrence Scientific School.

It is suggested by the Committee that the proposed rearrangement
of courses be started at once by a series of lectures on Landscape
Engineering.

ERNEST W. BOWDITCH,
W. H. FORBES,
AUGUSTUS P. LORING,
FRANCIS H. APPLETON,
JAMES S. RUSSELL.
October 14, 1896.

Presented October 20, 1896, to the Board of Overseers.
November 11, 1896, referred to the Committee on Reports and Reso-
lutions and returned without recommendation.

LXI.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard University : —

The Visiting Committee of the Department of Philosophy has the
honor to report, as the result of time and thought given to the subject
by us, its members, during the past year.

1st, Our conviction that the Department is doing work of
great value, instinct with new life, work wisely planned and well
carried out.

2nd, That there is, however, still another field of work which might
also, in our opinion, be made of great value to the undergraduate
student, but which has never had the independent place nor the
importance given it which it seems to ns it ought to have. For the
undergraduate, one of the chief functions of a Department of
Philosophy, we think, ought to be to give him training in habits of
philosophic thought with regard not only to special subjects but to
all matters of either speculative or practical interest with which his
life may have to do. To this end we feel that if, when opportunity
arises and the right man to create a branch of work which would be
new as an independent one is found, courses were established which
should have no direct relation to the instruction given in metaphysics,
psychology, or any special science whatever, but which, through the
instrumentality of lectures, theses, and discussions, should seek to
develop among the students habits of speculative enquiry, of just
and well considered reasoning, and of clear expression, courses
whose sole professed function it should be to arouse men to original
and independent thought and to quicken their imagination to grasp
the synthetic significance and deeper relationship of facts, that the
importance of the work they might accomplish could hardly be over-
estimated. Undoubtedly this is work that is already being done
within the Department in relation to metaphysics and certain other
special subjects, but our observation has been that taking the
University as a whole it is work that is greatly needed, and we believe
that a broadening influence of this kind in its midst would be helpful
not to the students alone but to the whole life of the University. We
recognize fully the practical difficulties in the way of such teaching,

330

but we think they might be overcome if it were well borne in mind that
it is not instruction in a science but the awakening and guidance of
men's independent mental activities that is needed. Let men choose
their own subjects within certain bounds, according to the outside
work they may chance to be doing in history, economics, literature,
or following any special scientific or social interests they may feel, or
the practical political questions of the day ; let them write upon these,
giving their own thoughts and making their own criticisms as fully as
they can be made to do. Let men hear their own work and that of
their companions read, appreciated, criticized, and discussed not by
their teacher alone but by one another. Let there be regular class-
room debates upon questions of more or less general interest. And
finally, let there be lectures that shall make the students realize the
value, the immediate practical importance, even, of the work they
are doing, and we feel convinced that its influence upon many, at
least, among them could not be otherwise than far-reaching and pro-
found. Of course, this work would extend upon the one side into
the essay work that is already being done in the English Department
and upon the other into such thesis work as the various special
Departments may give their men to do, but, although we now merely
suggest this as a possible field, for future development only when the
time prove ripe for it, yet the longer we have considered the matter
the more convinced we have felt alike of the reality of the need and
of the practicability of the work it seems to demand.

3rd, That the thesis work of the Department seems to us of special
value, and that the more the thesis can be used in the place of
examination papers as the test of acquirement for all the higher work
of the Department the fairer we think that test will be and the better
the work itself will become. We are also decidedly of the opinion
that all ten-minute examinations had best, in general, be done away
with, additional hour examinations, if necessary, being substituted
in their place. They are not fair tests of attainment and they can-
not but interfere with the work of the lecture room.

4th, That in our opinion better work and of a higher order will be
done by the students if not more than three grades at most be used
in marking those papers which rise above the " Condition " line. We
think that any finer-drawn distinction than this cannot but tend to
withdraw their minds from a wider and more intelligent interest in
their subject to concentrate it upon the often insignificant details that
help to make up a more perfect paper. Four grades are now nominally
used for this purpose, but a custom, common in the University, of
adding the plus and minus signs to these, signs which actually do

331

count toward standing in the general practice although they do not in
theory, multiplies what in our judgment is already too great.

5th, That another point which seems worthy of consideration in
connection with the examinations is that much of the work both of
reading and of marking the students' papers is done not by the
teachers themselves, although it is they, as formerly, who prepare
the examination papers, but by Dr. Rand, upon whose shoulders a
very serious responsibility is thus thrown, one that could only be
entrusted with safety to a man like him of long experience in the
work and of special fitness for it. Where such a one can be
obtained, however, the relief thus afforded its teachers from a part
at least of the labor that the examinations involve in the larger
courses cannot but be of great value to the higher work of the
Department both in teaching and in production.

6th, That, while in the highest and most advanced courses of the
Department the number of students who attend them is necessarily
small and their work is of a character to demand the personal assist-
ance and supervision of their professor and to bring them into
constant contact and immediate personal relation with him, and
while in the introductory courses of the Department, on the other
hand, the courses are very largely followed and the work is scarcely
of a character to demand more than text-book and lecture can give,
yet in the intermediate courses, where the men, though fewer than in
the introductory ones, are yet considerable in number and where their
minds are already aroused to and interested in the discussion of new
and difficult subjects, it seems to us of real importance that the work
of the lecturer should be supplemented by that of younger assistants,
men perhaps who have but just obtained their Ph.D. degree and as
to whom it would be a benefit not only to themselves but to the Uni-
versity if she could retain them about her for another year or two.
It would be a great gain to the students in these courses, we are con-
vinced, if there were men to whom they could freely turn not only
for help in what they do not understand but for the discussion of the
ideas that occur to them and of the points of view that they may
make their own. We strongly advise therefore that this be done to
as great an extent as possible in all the higher and intermediate
courses where the attendance is large, as we think that it would
greatly increase the benefit the students might get from them.

7th, That, in regard to the courses the Department now gives in
Education and Teaching, it seems to us of the highest importance
that this subject should be made a study of from every point of
view, and it is evident that this can only be thoroughly and syste-

332

matically done by teaching teachers to observe facts, to compare
methods and their results, to seek after principles, and to keep in touch
with the growing science built up out of the experience and thought
of all. It strikes us especially as most essential that men and women
who are studying to be teachers should be taught to realize the intimate
relation of their profession to psychologic study and should them-
selves have a well-grounded knowledge of its principles, and we also
believe that a study of the methods, or an observation of the absence
of method, by which individual subjects are at the moment taught at
Harvard and elsewhere will result in good, not only to those studying
but to those whose ways of teaching are studied, tending with these
latter to increase their consciousness of what they are doing and of
why they are doing it, provided always that it be clearly impressed
on the student's mind that the infinite variety of individual character
and circumstance makes no method at all better than an unadaptive
and rigid one. On these grounds, therefore, we consider that all
encouragement possible to work of a wider range in this field should

be given.

GEORGE B. DORR, Chairman.
WM. STURGIS BIGELOW.

I agree with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th suggestion, and as to
the others I have not yet formed an opinion.

RICHARD H. DANA.

November 24, 1896.

LXII.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
VETERINARY SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee to visit the Veterinary School for the year
1895-96 submits the following report : —

On November 4, 1895, members of the Visiting Committee sent
to the President the following communication : —

"Boston, November 4, 1895.
"Hon. Charles W. Eliot,

" President of Harvard College.

"Dear Sir, — The following communication is sent to you to be
submitted to the proper governing body or bodies of the University.

"In 1893 the Visiting Committee to the Harvard Veterinary
School, after careful consideration, became convinced that a free
clinic for the animals of the poor was essential to the prosperity of
the School. During the two years which have intervened, various
other plans for strengthening and improving the School have been
considered by the Committee. Such consideration has made even
more clear the importance of the free clinic. A week or two ago
it was learned that a brick stable building on Northampton Street,
near Tremont Street, measuring 60 feet by 100 feet could be secured
at a rental of $1,200 per annum. Upon examination the location
was found to be desirable, the rental reasonable, and the accommo-
dations well adapted to and sufficient for a satisfactory test of the
free clinic plan. Believing that the opportunity offered was an
unusual one, and finding that the building was likely soon to be
leased to other parties, the undersigned members of the Visiting-
Committee decided to assume themselves the responsibility of renting
it for a term of three years. They now offer the building for said
term to the College for the use of the Veterinary Department for a
free clinic and for other cognate uses.

"Since the undersigned agreed to take a lease of the premises,
four gentlemen have subscribed $100 each per annum for three
years for medicines and other outfit. The owner of the premises,

334

learning the purposes for which a lease was sought, agreed to a
rental $200 per annum less than that which there is reason to
believe he could otherwise have obtained.

" The educational advantages of a free clinic will not be disputed.
It may even be doubted whether Harvard University ought to hold
itself out as an instructor in veterinary science, unless it can furnish
that essential instruction which comes only from a general clinic.

"The abstract of the accounts of the School enclosed herewith,
shows how promptly and satisfactorily the School responded to the
more liberal educational advantages furnished five years ago. Siuce
that time the fees have more than doubled ; — in fact, have nearly
trebled. In this connection also it is to be noted that of the $2,600
deficit for the past year, about one half is for interest at the rate of
six per cent, upon prior advancements. The acceptance by the
Corporation of the offer now made may not increase the net out-
lay per annum of this Department. If, however, such net outlay
should be increased, it is to be borne in mind that each dollar of
College funds which goes into this Department will produce more of
educational value than heretofore.

"Another aspect of the value of the free clinic has had great
weight in determining our action. We believe that the free clinic is
the best method to spread abroad that knowledge of the Department,
and arouse that interest in and appreciation of its work which will
render it possible to secure for it an adequate endowment.

u It has long been recognized that there is among veterinarians
an antagonism to the School which has been a barrier in the way of
securing endowment funds. Whatever may have been the cause of
this antagonism, it is believed that there is no better and surer way
to dispel it than by giving to the profession an opportunity subject
to suitable regulations, to operate in the free clinic building of the
School.

' ' If the free clinic is established and if the Board of Overseers
will then appoint a Committee of its own members to join with the
Visiting Committee in securing endowment funds, we shall enter on
the work with fresh courage, renewed zeal, and confident hope of
success. The public interest in the questions connected with tuber-
culosis and anti-toxine makes the present time peculiarly a time when
effort is likely to be rewarded with satisfactory results.

; ' The suggestion has been made that an appeal should be made to
the Legislature to furnish funds for the support of the School. We
do not approve of that course, — we do not think that an appropria-
tion could be secured, and we are unwilling to make the attempt.

335

uNo one of the undersigned was in any way responsible for the
organization of the Veterinary School. No one of the undersigned
was in any way responsible for its location on Village Street. No
special obligation to support the School rests upon us, other than
that which results from undertaking the duties of members of the
Visiting Committee."

Under date of November 29 a response was received from the
President, notifying the Committee that the Corporation had voted
to accept the offer of the Visiting Committee. This letter contained
the following encouraging statement: " This vote means that the
Corporation has decided to persevere in carrying on the Veterinary
Department. They have it in mind to make an immediate effort to
strengthen the staff of the School and then to procure an endowment."

Pursuant to the foregoing correspondence, individual members of
the Visiting Committee took a lease of the building on Northampton
Street for the term of three years from October 1, 1895, and became
responsible for the rent of the same for the benefit of the School.

The building was forthwith appropriately repaired and fitted, and
on February 12, 1896, its use for free clinics began. Up to the first
of November, 1896, the number of patients treated was nineteen
hundred and forty. This is the record for nine months.

There is satisfactory evidence that the students appreciate the
value of the experience and instruction which the free clinic affords.

The Committee, in accordance with the suggestion contained in
the letter of November 4, 1895, urges the Board of Overseers to
take measures to secure an endowment for the School.

GEORGE G. CROCKER,
A. S. BIGELOW,
L. G. BURNHAM,
SAMUEL A. HOPKINS,
GEORGE G. KENNEDY,
J. ARTHUR BEEBE,
AUGUSTUS HEMENWAY.
Boston, November 11, 1896.

LXIII.

KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PHYSICAL TRAIN-
ING, ATHLETIC SPORTS, AND SANITARY
CONDITION OF BUILDINGS.

MAJORITY REPORT.

To the Board of Overseers op Harvard College : —

In the restriction and improvement of athletic sports, Harvard
has taken of late years a leading place. To your Committee it
seems important that Harvard should take a similar place in
establishing the principle that a complete system of education
should recognize and require physical as well as mental develop-
ment. We find to our regret that a very large proportion of
students, not being sufficiently strong and active to play in the
athletic teams, find no inducement to improve their physical
condition. Thus a very large class take no regular exercise, and
it is by no means uncommon to find men, often students of great
promise, who leave College as much weakened in body as they are
strengthened in mind.

To encourage all students to devote a reasonable amount of
time and energy to the development of their bodies and general
health, seems to your Committee to be of the very greatest
importance, and we would commend to the careful consideration
of this Board suggestions for a prescribed course of physical
exercise during the Freshman year, which will be found in the
report of Dr. Sargent appended to this report. Such work is of
obvious advantage, and as it has been satisfactorily tried in several
colleges, we believe that it is practicable, and that it would be
be highly beneficial at Harvard.

We find that the present system of physical oversight and
examinations is, on the whole, satisfactory, and the general
management of the gymnasium is good. Expert advice can be

338

obtained by every man who wishes it, and precautions are taken
to prevent men who are weak or in poor condition from injuring
themselves in match games or by over exertion.

In a general way, too, the condition of athletic sports is satis-
factory. Your Committee are sure that at no time has there been
a more general participation or a better general tone in college
sports at Harvard than to-day. The spirit of professionalism, so
far as it ever existed, has been almost completely wiped out, and
a properly high amateur standard is maintained. It is customary
to provide men on teams, during the active training period, with
necessary athletic clothes and with better food without extra cost,
but we do not think that any men are paid, either directly or
indirectly, for their services on teams.

Yet while general conditions are satisfactory, your Committee
find that certain dangerous conditions and tendencies exist in
various degrees in all sports, and while we believe that these
sports should all be retained, partly because they are essential to
a general interest in athletics, yet we believe that some games,
notably foot-ball, should be played between the colleges only
under careful restrictions.

Chief among these dangerous conditions is the abnormal interest
taken in all college contests, not only by the students but by the
public, and the prominence given these contests by the press, —
a prominence out of all proportion to their importance. For
weeks before every important game, the names and faces of all
the players appear in every newspaper, with detailed accounts of
their skill ; and after a period of training, during which the boys
are led to believe that their doings are of real importance to the
civilized world, they come to the game far more often over-
wrought mentally by the nervous strain, than over- worked physi-
cally. The game is then played before an immense audience
excited to the point of blind partisanship. No boy can fail to
feel the difference between a game so played, and one played for
the pure love of sport. The hardest head is likely to be affected
by the need of winning the applause and support of the audience,
and the temptation to distort the true purpose of sport into a
mere struggle for victory is too great. It is no wonder that
in games of physical contact bad blood is aroused and dishonor-
able acts sometimes occur ; nor is it strange, with such contests
keenly in mind, with newspapers seeking to find and publish every
detail, that there should be difficulty in arranging the conditions

339

of the games, and that an undesirable form of diplomacy should
be developed.

Love of sport is a good thing in itself, and we cannot blame
the American people for desiring to see athletic contests, nor

papers for publishing what people wish to read, but the best
development, not to say the decent continuation of college sports,
demands that the spectators, especially at foot-ball games, be
limited so far as possible to college men, and that the games be
played only on college grounds.

The agreement with Yale already requires that games in future
be played on college grounds, and it is to be hoped that some-
thing can now be done toward limiting the distribution of tickets
to graduates only ; while such limitation is not without objections,
anything which tends to reduce these games to their proper
position and proportion is valuable.

The second element of danger lies in the question of gate
receipts. While there may not be any grave objection to the
collection of a sum sufficient to defray the necessary expenses of
the games, yet to play for any financial gain beyond this should
be repugnant to college men, and the existence of large funds,
collected by high admission fees, creates a tendency to extrava-
gance, and offers the possibility of holding out some financial
consideration to induce men to come to college for athletic purposes.
While to-day no man is paid or could well be paid either directly
or indirectly for playing on a team, yet there is constant danger
that money may be used too freely in making college life agreeable
and easy to the athlete. We do not deem it practicable to abolish
gate money altogether, but we believe that much can be done in
the way of limiting and determining the uses to which it shall be
put. Your Committee hope that the question will be taken up
with our chief rivals, and that an agreement may be reached as
to how far the expenses incident to playing on a team may properly
be paid and an arrangement made to limit the expense of each team.
Tt would be our further suggestion that any surplus so saved, or
otherwise created, be devoted to permanent improvements in the
college athletic grounds or buildings. Since publicity is the best
protection against improper use of money, we think it may be desir-
able to publish in some form the accounts of the graduate treasurer
for distribution among graduates.

With these suggestions on general conditions, the question arises
how best to control and regulate sports where regulation is neces-

340

sary, and we naturally are led to consider the constitution and
practical workings of the body at present charged with that work.

The Athletic Committee, in its earlier years and original form,
was constituted primarily to regulate questions arising between the
Faculty and the students. The need of some* body better con-
stituted than the Faculty for the regulation of these questions was
felt, and the Athletic Committee took them up with a great measure
of success. It has commanded the confidence of the College autho-
rities, has very properly restricted the number and place of games,
and regulated wisely the questions in which the teaching depart-
ment felt that athletics had interfered with the usefulness of the
College. Moreover, the Committee should be given the greatest
credit for the improvement which it has effected in the general moral
tone of athletics throughout the country. The abuses of brutality
and professionalism, which it was called on to consider, have been
met with great skill, and Harvard has, beyond doubt, through the
work of this Committee, very materially improved the standard of
the men and the quality of sports throughout the college world.

In 1889 the Athletic Committee was organized in its pres-
ent form, and, for the original purposes as above outlined, this
organization proved effective ; but more recently the scope of the
work of the Committee has very largely changed and increased.
The net-work of difficult questions which has arisen between the
various colleges, involving all the sports, as well as a very highly
strained state of feeling, has brought out the necessity for some
centralized body which would represent all the sports as well as
hold the confidence of the authorities, and which would have
sufficient power to bind men engaged in these sports not only for
one year, but for a series of years. The Athletic Committee,
being the only body which fulfilled these requirements in any
degree, has been drawn into conducting these negotiations.

Such a work is obviously beyond the original purposes of the
Committee, and in our opinion ought, under ordinary conditions,
to be abandoned in future ; yet it has been shown by practical
experience that it is at times necessary that the Committee should
conduct certain negotiations and thus avoid the unfortunate petty
quarrels which otherwise must arise. This action is not only
necessary from the standpoint of the students, but is also neces-
sary in the interests of the government of the University in order
that the restrictions and reforms which are deemed necessary may
be practically secured by agreement with the other colleges rather

341

than by stopping the sports. In our opinion necessary and desir-
able developments in this direction have shown certain deficiences
to exist in the organization of the Committee, and lead us to
make the following suggestions : —

First. That the undergraduate captains of the chief athletic
teams should be ex-officio members of the Committee. At present
the three undergraduate members of the Committee are chosen
by the presidents of the three upper classes and the captains of
the principal athletic organizations, who are called together for
this purpose by the President of the University.

Captains of teams were excluded because the Committee was
supposed to pass on their actions and confirm their appointments.
Practically these objections have not proved considerable, and the
result of excluding captains has been that the undergraduate
members have usually attempted to represent the various organiza-
tions without accurate knowledge. The need of having captains
on a committee, whose chief function at present is to "pass
upon" questions which arise between the colleges in arranging
for the games which the teams are to play, is obvious, and was
strikingly shown recently when by a mistaken impression of the
wishes of one captain a proposition was made for an athletic
event which that captain and his men would have been utterly
unwilling to carry out. So long as the Athletic Committee sat
in judgment over the acts of Harvard teams only, it was wise
to exclude captains, bit since from necessity the Committee has
assumed to be the central and only real power for all serious
negotiations with other colleges, it should allow those captains to
assume their legitimate share in those negotiations.

Second. That the three graduate members at present appointed
by the Corporation should be elected by the Overseers. The
Athletic Committee was founded on the assumption that athletics
were apart from ordinary affairs of the College, and a matter
which the Faculty could not well control. Recognizing the im-
portance of some representation of conservative graduate opinion,
the Committee was made up equally of graduates, students, and
faculty members. The Committee has failed to carry out the
idea thus established, and has largely failed to secure the support
of the body of graduates interested in athletics, because the
appointment of both graduate and faculty members lies with the
Corporation, and it is generally felt that one influence has thus
controlled the Committee. We do not wish to be understood to

342

hold that belief, or to suggest anything which would tend to
change the wise restrictions which that influence has been largely
instrumental in creating. At the same time this feeling is so
general, that, in our opinion, the Committee would command far
greater support and carry out its original intent more effectively,
if the graduate representatives were appointed by the body which
most completely represents the graduates as a whole.

Third. We would suggest that the Committee either be given
power to act till their successors are chosen, or that its members
be chosen earlier so that there may be a full committee during
the early Fall, when the most serious questions of the year come
up in connection with foot-ball. Further, to secure a conserva-
tive policy, it would be wise to appoint the graduate members
for a term of years.

As there are four important branches of sport, it has been
suggested to your Committee that there would be certain advan-
tages in having the four captains on the Committee, and in
choosing four graduates and four members of the Faculty instead
of three, thus increasing the size of the Committee from nine to
twelve members.

In conclusion we would urge that to this Committee all ques-
tions properly within its jurisdiction be referred absolutely, and
that neither the Faculty nor the Corporation should make any
regulation or rule, unless under the strongest possible necessity,
which would interfere with the Committee, or take from the body,
which can best hear and consider such questions, the decision of
those questions.

Looking back over the experience of past years and consider-
ing the results which have been accomplished, we believe that
the tone of athletic sports has been improved, and that the rela-
tions of the University with other universities of the country are
in a better condition than ever before. We believe that the
relation between the students and the officers of government and
instruction, so far as athletic questions are concerned, is excellent,
and that whatever questions have arisen, or are likely to arise,
have been and will be satisfactorily settled by the Athletic
Committee.

So far as the question of success in athletic sports is concerned,
the situation is more doubtful. It is impossible, and in fact
beyond the purposes of your Committee, to analyze causes of
failure which are in all probability complicated and diverse. It

343

cannot be doubted that the stand which Harvard has taken in
raising the tone of sports has been detrimental to her success,
and while we believe that it was wise to take such a stand,
yet we believe that in future the undergraduates, under careful
general restrictions, ought to be given, so far as possible, a free
hand in the management of their sports and in the choice of
their advisers. We cannot agree with the view that failure can
be ascribed alone to lack of intelligent management and abuses
of over- training. That there is a tendency in that direction we
believe, but the abuse has not gone farther at Harvard than at
other universities, and can hardly have injured us more than
others. At all events it is certain that no policy of management
can be successfully or wisely forced on those who are actively
engaged in the various sports. They must work out their own
salvation with the aid of such advisers as they may choose and
believe in.

April 14, 1897.

MINORITY REPORT.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

I am unable to join in the recommendations for change in the
manner of appointing the Athletic Committee.

That Committee is a part of the administrative machinery of the
University having charge of a very difficult and important subject,
and should, I think, — except as to its undergraduate members, —
be appointed, as other College officers are, by the Corporation and
confirmed by the Overseers. Inter-collegiate contests need, in my
opinion, more rather than less restriction than they now have, even
since the reforms of recent years were introduced, and I think the
Board of Overseers more likely, by reason of the manner of election
of its members, to yield to the outside pressure of graduates for
more games, especially at a distance from Cambridge, than the
Corporation is. If the Corporation was ever in danger of nomina-
ting graduates who were too strict in this regard, it is not likely
to do so now when one of the Fellows has himself served on the
Athletic Committee and another is generally recognized as the
warmest friend and patron of rational athletics in any of the Gov-
erning Boards, or in the whole graduate body ; and I cannot doubt
that if unsuitable nominations were made the Overseers would reject
them until proper ones were sent in.

The appointment or election of administrative officers is not an
appropriate function for a large elective legislative body, and would,
in the end, impair the character and usefulness both of the Athletic
Committee and of the Board of Overseers, besides depriving the
University and the public of the salutary check of a confirming as
well as an appointing body. I do not think it would command the
confidence of the undergraduate body any more than the present
method does, for I think few if any students distinguish between
the different boards or know much about them ; and if it would, I

346

think that such increased confidence would be purchased at too
dear a price. Under the conditions of our American life, society,
and present public opinion, the temptation to an excessive number
and intensity of intercollegiate contests is practically irresistable
to undergraduates, individually, as a body, and in their athletic
organizations, as well as to many, if not most, parents and guard-
ians ; and rigid control of the subject by the chief executive of
University government is absolutely essential to the cause of edu-
cation. I should say the graduate members of the Committee
had been hitherto sufficiently representative of the better sentiment
among the graduates, and believe they will continue so, and that
they should be more, rather than less, restrictive in their tendency
and inclinations than they now are.

With regard to the undergraduate members, there would be some
advantages in having the three principal captains ex-officio members
if they could be assumed to know and care about track, tennis,
and other athletic matters, and to be able to sit judicially in mat-
ters concerning their own and each others' teams in which they
are petitioners ; but as the Committee has the confirmation and
rejection of their appointment as captains, and the power and duty
of removing them for cause, it is difficult to see how they could
with propriety sit upon the Committee. I am told, also, that they
have generally declined to serve for lack of time, and that
they are invited to be present when the interests of their teams
are concerned. Moreover, if any real progress is to be made
towards undergraduate self-government and management of inter-
collegiate athletics, it must be through the students learning to
select from their own number representative, judicial-minded men
outside of the teams, and then learning, as a body, to acquiesce
in and sustain their action. I am told they have done well and
have improved in this respect hitherto.

I concur fully in the other recommendations of the Committee, —
especially the proposed introduction of moderate required gym-
nastics during the winter months] of the Freshman year, having
recently seen the system in operation at Brown University, where
it is required all through college, and having heard there none but
the most favorable accounts of its working and popularity. A
^rational and systematic physical training for the great body of
students who do not and cannot get onto athletic teams seems to me
the most essential step to take next, and it seems to me as vital and
fundamental a preparation for the work in life of an educated man

347

as English, — and more so than than French or German, — the
present required Freshman studies. I would give a small credit
for it — equivalent to a quarter or half course — towards the degree,
but in addition to the present 18.4 courses, not as a substitute for
something else within that total.

HENRY W. PUTNAM.
Boston, April 9, 1897.

APPENDIX.

To the Committee on Physical Training, Athletic Sports, and
Sanitary Condition of all Buildings : —

I presume that no one at the present day questions the value
of a sound mind in a sound body. This desirable possession is
largely dependent upon a good respiration, good circulation and
good digestion, and these fundamental bodily functions are greatly
aided by the practice of some form of physical exercise.

I shall waste no words, therefore, in setting forth the physio-
logical value of muscular effort to the brain worker, or in dwelling
upon the peculiar tendencies of our times that make regular physi-
cal exercise in a system of education more and more desirable ; but
I respectfully invite your attention to the consideration of a few
feasible plans for improving the work of the Department of Physical
Training at Harvard University.

As a preliminary step to this consideration, let me review briefly
the working of the department at Harvard since its inception in
1880, and also the physical work in a few colleges and universities
with which Harvard is closely related.

The Hemenway Gymnasium was first opened January 2, 1880.
From this time until June of the same year, 625 students were
examined and given prescriptions of exercise. The approximate
number using the gymnasium in later years may be inferred from
table No. 1. As many lockers are held in common by two persons,
and as many students use the gymnasium who dress in their rooms,
the exact number that are accustomed to exercise in the gymna-
sium cannot be ascertained. From a record kept at the gymnasium
during the winter months of 1895-96, it was found that the average
attendance was about 700 per day. It will be observed upon
referring to the table that, although the probable number using the
gymnasium has increased from year to year, the percentage of

350

increase compared with the number of students in College has grad-
ually decreased since 1886. The building of the Weld Boat House,
Cary Athletic Building, and the Locker Building at Soldiers' Field,
as well as the new dormitories now furnished with good bathing
facilities, may in a measure partly account for the apparent decrease
in the percentage of the number of students using the gymnasium.
(See table No. 2.)

There are at the present time 2929 students connected with the
University who live in Cambridge and thus have access to the gym-
nasium. Out of this number, 1810 have had physical examina-
tions, and 1541 or more are holding lockers at the gymnasium. As
440 of those now holding lockers have not been examined, this
makes a total of 2250, or about 73 per cent, of the students in
the Cambridge departments of the University, who have probably
attended the gymnasium more or less during the past three years.
The distribution of the attendance among the different classes and
departments of the University may be inferred from the following
list of the lessees of lockers for this College year, up to January 1.
(See table No 3.)

In comparing the percentage of those who hold lockers at the
gymnasium, and those who take books from the University Library,
it will be observed that the use of the> library increases with the
age of the student, while attendance at the gymnasium correspond-
ingly decreases, with the exception, perhaps, of the Law School,
where the principal reading is done in the department library, and
the same may be said of the Scientific School students. It will be
remembered, however, that the use of the library is stimulated
largely by the extra amount of reading required to meet the
demands of the various courses. (See table No. 3.)

The method employed at the Hemenway Gymnasium is as
follows : —

Upon entering the University, each student is entitled to an
examination by the Director, in which his physical proportions are
measured, his strength tested, his heart and lungs examined, and
information solicited concerning his general health and inherited
tendencies. From the data thus procured, a special order of appro-
priate exercises is made out for each student, with specifications of
the movements and apparatus which he may best use. These exer-
cises are marked in outline on cards without charge, or in hand-
books accompanied by charts at small expense. After working on

351

this prescription for three or six months, the student is entitled to
another examination, by which the results of his work are ascer-
tained, and the Director enabled to make a further prescription*
Students holding scholarships are expected to be examined twice a
year; and those desiring to enter athletic contests are required to
be examined by the Director and obtain his permission so to do.

In addition to the individual prescriptions, there are classes in
Free Movements and Light Gymnastics, designed to afford an
opportunity for general development to all students of the Univer-
sity who are not members of the athletic teams, or who are not in
need of specially prescribed exercises.

All students of Harvard University desiring to enter as com-
petitors in athletic contests are required to give evidence of their
ability by making the following strength tests, in addition to the
regular physical examinations : —

Candidates for the University Crew and Foot-Ball Team and
Weight Throwers are expected to make a total strength test of
700 points.

Candidates for the Class Crews and Foot-Ball Teams, and Gym-
nastic, Wrestling and Sparring Contests, are expected to make
a total strength test of 600 points.

Candidates for the University and Class Ball Nines, Lacrosse
Teams, Track and Field Events, are expected to make a total
strength test of 500 points.

These points are reckoned as follows : The number of kilos,
lifted with the back and legs straight, and the number of kilos,
lifted with the legs bent, added to the strength of the grip of the
right and left hand, expiratory power as tested by the manometer,
and one tenth of the weight in kilos, multiplied by the number of
times that the person can raise his weight by dipping between
parallel bars and pulling his weight up to his chin on the rings.
Where the strength test falls below the desired standard, the
volumetric capacity of the lungs is taken into account in summing
up the condition. These tests are made and certificates granted on
any day, excepting Saturday and Sunday, between 2 and 4 p. m.,
within two weeks previous to a contest ; but no examinations are
made or certificates granted on the day of the contest.

In order to stimulate a general interest in developing and strength-
ening exercises, all of the students examined are now divided into
groups. Those who make over a thousand points are put in the

352

star [*] group ; those who make between 800 and 1000 arepl aced
in group A; 700 and 800, group B; 600 and 700, C; 500 and
600, D; 400 and 500, E; 300 and 400, F; 200 and 300, G.

The 603 students who were examined this College year, up to
January 1st, were distributed as follows : —

* 3 D 176

A 26 E 125

B 60 F 70

C 138 G 5

The numbers of students who have availed themselves of the
opportunity for physical examinations and prescriptions are given
in the following table (No. 4).

The falling off in the number of examinations last year was due
to the fact that the gymnasium was only opened part of the year,
on account of the building of the new addition and the making of
extensive repairs. The examinations for this year are given up to
January 1 . The total number by July 1 will probably exceed the
number taken in any previous year.

The number of certificates given last year to students training
for athletic contests was as follows (see table No. 5). The above
table includes in its numbers many who have entered two or three
different athletic contests during the year, and therefore exceeds the
number of individuals who were granted certificates. As many
more, however, are dropped from the teams before they are in
condition to apply for a certificate, the table gives a fair estimate
of the number of students in the University who take some regular
athletic training.

The individual system combined with the class drills and the
training for the athletic teams, has worked well enough up to the
present time to fill all the lockers in the gymnasium and take up all
of the available space for exercise during the latter part of the
afternoon.

Since the gymnasium has been worked to its full capacity under
the present system, the Director has never felt called upon to
suggest changes or improvements. The new addition with its in-
creasing facilities and capacity for service has opened up new
possibilities, and opportunities for improvements now suggest them-
selves.

353

In reviewing the experiences of the past sixteen years in the light
of the data before me, the department has every reason to be con-
gratulated, as the physical condition of the mass of students has
been greatly improved, both at the time of entering and upon leaving
the University. There are yet higher ideals to be realized.

If I may be allowed to offer a few private criticisms upon our
present methods, I should say that the defects are as follows : —

1. The tendency to crowd the gymnasium between the hours of

four and six p.m., on account of the arrangement of the
hours for lectures and recitations.

a. This makes it impossible to give expert instruction in

gymnastics or athletics,

b. or to get access to the pieces of apparatus prescribed

for individual development.

c. It vitiates the air, which should be as pure as it is

possible to have it in-doors.

2. The difficulty of arranging for class drills without interfering

with the individual work, and of allowing the general use
of the gymnasium without interfering with the class in-
struction.

3. The glorification of athletics and athletes.

a. If a man fails to get on to the " crew " or the " nine "

or the "eleven," he sees no further motive for
training and is likely to lose interest in all forms of
exercise.

b. As the number of athletic teams remains about the

same from year to year, while the number of stu-
dents is increasing annually, an increasing number
of students are left without any incentive for syste-
matic training.

c. The tendency of the present method of instruction and

coaching is to mould the best men that can be found
into athletes, instead of using athletics largely as
one of the best means of moulding men.

4. The want of proper respect for physical training as a means

of developing the whole man.

354

a. One class in College is trying to cultivate the highest

degree of scholarship, and another class is fostering
extreme athleticism.

b. Individuals in both classes will be likely to fail in life

for the want of qualities which the other class
possessed, yet there is no recognized method in
College of equalizing these two extremes.

c. Under the present system, the class that need physical

training the most get the least, while those who
need it the least often get more of it than they
ought to have.

5. Our present system is defective, inasmuch as it affords no

means of getting at a considerable body of students,
neither scholars nor athletes, who need the bracing influ-
ence of physical discipline.

a. These men need the same stimulus to physical activity

that they do to mental activity.

b. To invite them to exercise for the sake of their health,

or as a means of physical and mental improvement,
puts "too much of a strain on their higher motives,"
and they wait for the stimulus of necessity, which
many of them would be thankful for.

6. Under our present system a man may attend a course of

lectures on physiology and hygiene and get credit for it,
but if he puts the knowledge thus gained into practice,
and makes regular, systematic and conscientious efforts to
improve himself, he gets no credit for it whatever, in terms
by which his frequently less worthy efforts and attainments
are judged.

At the present time the interdependence of body and mind is
recognized by the leading authorities in medical and physical
science, and efforts are making throughout our schools and colleges
to put mental and physical training on a rational basis in view of
improving them both.

During the past ten years the Harvard Summer School of Physical
Training has done much in directing the current of thought along

355

these lines, having sent out over 700 instructors who are now teach-
ing what we have taught them in nearly every State in the country.
Hoav widely the Harvard system of apparatus and Summer School
method of instruction has been adopted may be inferred from the
following list (No. 6).

From this list I have selected some of the leading colleges, in
order to show their method of bringing the gymnasium work before
their students. Those marked with the letter H have teachers who
have attended our Summer School of Physical Training at Harvard,
or come under the instruction of the Director elsewhere. (See table
No. 7.)

The method pursued at some of these institutions, and the results
realized according to the statements in their catalogues, are worthy
of careful attention. I take pleasure in quoting from a few of them
as follows : —

CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR. ONE INSTRUCTOR IN GYMNASTICS.

An introductory or general course of lectures is given each year to
all Freshmen in the University.

Gymnasium work and military drill are required fall and spring
terms of Freshmen and Sophomores. Physical examinations re-
quired.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.

ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR. ONE ATHLETIC INSTRUCTOR.

ONE FEMALE INSTRUCTOR.

Military drill and gymnasium work are required of the young men
of the Freshmen and Sophomore Classes, and of female students of
the first two years' attendance.

BROWN UNIVERSITY.

ONE INSTRUCTOR. ONE ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR.

From November until April each pupil is required to exercise four
hours a week in the gymnasium. (Graded for each class.)

For class drill, the Freshmen swing Indian clubs ; the Sopho-
mores employ dumb-bells ; the Juniors engage in single stick exer-

356

cise ; the Seniors use fencing foils, advancing, retreating, thrusting,
and parrying at the word of command. As a supplement to these
drills each class is separated into four divisions, which perform
exercises upon the chest weights, horizontal and parallel bars, and
other apparatus. The movements executed are graded to correspond
with the strength and advancement of the several divisions. During
the Sophomore and Junior years boxing and wrestling are carried on
in classes. These forms of exercise, carefully conducted, prove to
be in the highest degree popular and beneficial. The remainder of
the required four hours per week each student devotes to the fulfil-
ment of the directions given him on the card made out from the
measurements taken at the beginning of the year. Each student is
regularly marked and credited in his gymnasium work, faithfulness
and punctuality being the test.

HAVERFORD COLLEGE.

ONE DIRECTOR. ONE ASSISTANT. PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS.

Required work begins December 1 and ends April 15, and occu-
pies four periods each week. It is arranged in two courses, each
occupying one season. Students entering the Freshman class are
required to take the two courses, one each year ; and divisions for
advanced work are formed of those giving evidence of previous
systematic gymnasium drill. While the work is required of the two
lower classes only, it is elective for the upper classes, and it is
expected that the majority of the members will take advantage of
the advanced courses arranged.

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE.

ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR {men). ONE ASSISTANT. ONE MEDICAL

director (ivomen). PHYSICAL examinations.

The young men are required to give three hours each week for
carrying out the prescription of the Director.

The sports are under the supervision of the Director.

357
DICKINSON COLLEGE.

ONE ADJUNCT PROFESSOR.

In 1889 the Trustees organized the department of Physiology,
Hygiene and Physical Culture on an equal footing with the other
departments of the College, making Physical Culture a part of
the required work of all courses leading to a degree. From
November 1 to April 1, two hours per week of gymnasium
work are required of all Freshmen and Sophomores. Physical
examinations.

It is not proposed to develope a few record breakers or
champions in any sport, but to keep all our students in such
physical condition as will secure to them the best results from
their college course. The possible evils of competitive sports
are guarded against so far as possible, and no minor is per-
mitted to compete in intercollegiate contests without the written
consent of parent or guardian, a certificate of physical ability
from the Director, and proper training under his supervision.
The results of the gymnasium training have been most satisfac-
tory. The students generally acknowledge that they feel better
and are able to do more work, and the Faculty testify that there
have been better results accomplished in the class room since
the gymnasium was opened.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY.

The gymnasium is open afternoon and evening ; in all, forty-
five hours a week. Exercise in it is required of all students
who are fitted to take it. Class drill with the instructor and
individual exercise are prescribed.

LAFAYETTE COLLEGE.

ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR. PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS.

ATHLETIC CERTIFICATES, ETC.

A thorough system of physical culture, participated in by all
the students, who are required to be in the gymnasium at set
times for class drill. The gymnasium is also open at given
hours for voluntary work.

358

WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY.

All members of the Freshman class are required to take syste-
matic exercise three times weekly during six months of the year,
under the direction of a competent instructor.

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY.

Attendance upon the gymnasium is obligatory upon all matricu-
lated in the Academic and Biblical Departments, unless excused
on ground satisfactory to the Chancellor. The gymnasium is
open to all members of the University for voluntary exercise.

Credit is given for systematic work in physical training, three
hours of exercise being equivalent to one hour's work of recita-
tion. The gymnasium work consists of individual and class
exercises arranged according to age, strength, and ability of the
student. It is understood, however, that this hour allowed to
physical culture shall be counted in addition to, and not as a
substitute for, the hours already required for a degree.

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION ELECTIVE.

Course for teachers ; theory and practice ; counts for full course
towards diploma.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

ONE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR. TWO TUTORS. THREE ASSISTANTS.

Class work in physical culture is required of all undergraduate
students not excused on account of physical disability, during
four half hours a week. Six quarters' work in physical culture
is required of Academic College students, and four quarters of
University College students. Students taking an excessive number
of cuts will not be allowed to continue their university work until
they shall conform to the requirements. Students are given choice
of hour and course. Courses are offered in prescription work,
general class drill, and athletic training. Each course is so

359

arranged that those who take part in it receive work which tends
to symmetrical development.

Periods of exercise — 8.45, 9.45, 10.45, 11.45, a.m; 5.15 p.m.

Training for any of the University teams will be accepted as
an equivalent for gymnasium work.

LELAND STANFORD UNIVERSITY.

ONE PROFESSOR. ONE INSTRUCTOR. TWO ASSISTANTS. 691 MEN;

378 WOMEN ; 1069 TOTAL. 346 TOTAL IN HYGIENE. THOMAS D.

WOOD, PROF. OF HYGIENE AND ORGANIC TRAINING.

1. Gymnasium Exercises. One hour, both semesters. Individual

and class work, with and without apparatus. Open to all
students under the advice of the Medical Director. One
hour of credit will be given for systematic prescribed exer-
cise ; three exercises a week to be taken on separate days,
arranged according to work of student.

2. Personal Hygiene.

3. Sanatory Science.

4. School Hygiene.

5. Hygiene of Sex.

6. General Anatomy and Physiology.

7. Animal Physiology.

8. Applied Anatomy and Physiology.

9. Kinesiology and History of Gymnastics.

10. Special Gymnasium Training, — includes individual and class

exercise, use of all kinds of apparatus, calisthenics, light
and heavy gymnastics, health and medical gymnastics, gym-
nastic games. Five hours of exercise a week (two hours'
credit), both semesters.

11. Anthropometry.

12. Special courses.

360

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

ONE INSTRUCTOR (men). ASST. PROF. EVERETT. ONE INSTRUCTOR

(women), miss morrison. asst. prof, summers, total, 855.

1. Gymnasium and Field Practice required in winter term twice

a week, as part of military science ; one fourth credit
counted.

2. Lectures and Practical Demonstrations. This course is offered

to students who wish to gain a better comprehension of
the value of physical exercise, its use and abuse, how to
train properly for athletic contests, and thus avoid the ill
effects which too often follow a course of athletic training.
Course continued during fall and winter terms. Applied
Anatomy and Physiology of Exercise and Hygiene, once
a week, fall and winter terms. One fifth study ; for both
sexes.
Required University examination in entrance Physiology.

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

ONE DIRECTOR. GYMNASIUM WORK OPTIONAL, BUT EXTENSIVE
REGULATIONS GOVERNING ATHLETICS. TOTAL, 3016.

Mostly professional and graduate departments.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.

WALTER E. MAGEE. TWO MEDICAL EXAMINERS. DIRECTOR OF

PHYSICAL CULTURE. TWO ASSISTANTS.

1. Elementary Course. The seventeen setting-up exercises de-

scribed in the Drill Regulations of the U. S. A. The use
of Sargent's developing apparatus explained and illustrated.
Chest weights, dumb-bells, bar-bells, and Indian clubs.
Exercise in walking, running ; mattress exercise, parallel
bars, horizontal bar, etc. Three half hours throughout the
year. Prescribed to all male undergraduates during the
first year of their attendance at the University.

2. Advanced Course. Heavy apparatus. Three half hours through-

out the year. Prescribed to all undergraduates during the
second year.

361

3. Course for Women. Ten hours throughout the year. Elective
three half hours for two years.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS.

REV. H. W. COWAN (PRINCIPAL). MAY M. PIERCE CLARK,

INSTRUCTOR. TOTAL, 895.

Gymnasium work required of Freshmen and Sophomores three
times a week.

THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY.

ONE DIRECTOR OF MEN'S GYMNASIUM. ONE DIRECTOR OF WOMEN'S

GYMNASIUM. TOTAL, 879.

Harvard System of individual and class work and examinations.

Regular class work, or individual work for those unable to take
class work, is given three days a week from the middle of October
to the first of May. In order to receive credit, there is required, in
addition to the exercises, either a course of lectures on the care of
the body, or a course of prescribed reading with written reviews.
The credit is equal to that of a one-hour recitation once a week, or
three fifths credit for the year.

YALE COLLEGE.

ONE DIRECTOR. TWO ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS. SPECIAL INSTRUCTORS.

Course similar to that at Harvard, with addition of this require-
ment : —

Vote of Corporation, Required that every man who presents
himself for exercise in the gymnasium, or who desires to use its
privileges, should first submit to a physical examination by one of
the Directors ; or, in default of such an examination, should bring
from his physician a written certificate (the form to be furnished by
the Directors) that he is physically sound, or a written certificate
from his parents or guardian that he wishes the student excused
from the examination, and that he himself will take the responsibility
of exercising without a previous examination.

Charge for tub and tank baths.

362
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.

ONE DIRECTOR OF GYMNASIUM. TOTAL, 301.

Exercise in the gymnasium is required of the men of the Freshman
and Sophomore classes three hours a week from Thanksgiving to the
end of the winter term. Elective work in the gymnasium is offered
to the Junior and Senior classes.

TRINITY COLLEGE.

ONE GYMNASIUM INSTRUCTOR. TOTAL, 131.

The Freshmen and the Sophomores are required to attend two
hours in each week for gymnasium practice ; and class instruction
is also given throughout the year to such other students as desire
it.

WILLIAMS COLLEGE.

ONE INSTRUCTOR.

Gymnastic exercise is required of the Freshmen class during first
and second terms.

COLBY UNIVERSITY.

ONE INSTRUCTOR FOR BOTH SEXES.

Regular class work in the gymnasium is required of Freshmen
and Sophomore classes, one half hour on four days of each week
from November until April. The class work for the four years is
graded.

1. Dumb-bell exercise, heavy gymnastics, wrestling. Fresh-

man class.

2. Dumb-bells, wands, free exercise. Women of Freshman

class.

3. Indian clubs, boxing. Sophomore class.

4. Light gymnastics. (Clubs and fancy steps.)

5. Fencing, single stick. Elective, Junior.

6. Fencing, broadswords. Elective, Senior.

363

BATES COLLEGE.

ONE MALE INSTRUCTOR. ONE FEMALE INSTRUCTOR. PHYSICAL

EXAMINATIONS. HANDBOOK, CHARTS, ETC.

During the latter part of the fall and all of the winter term each
class is required to exercise in the gymnasium under the super-
vision of the Director. A graded course of class exercise has been
arranged. (Similar to that at Colby and Bowdoin.)

Gymnasium for Seniors — optional.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.

Gymnasium elective for men. Credit, one fifth of study course
for year. Gymnasium required for women.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY.

ONE INSTRUCTOR.

Two courses, three times a week ; optional.
Men go to Y. M. C. A. Gymnasium.

TUFTS COLLEGE.

ONE INSTRUCTOR. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY. INSTRUCTOR
IN PHYSICAL TRAINING.

Regular exercise in the gymnasium is required three hours a
week of men students for the two }7ears following entrance, from
middle of November to the middle of March. The work of
Physical Training is optional during the remaining years of the
course.

Graded work, based on individual exercise and class exercise,
with light and heavy exercise.

AMHERST COLLEGE.

TWO MEDICAL DIRECTORS. ONE INSTRUCTOR. FOUR CLASS

CAPTAINS, AND STUDENT ASSISTANTS.

Besides the exercise which every student may take for himself,
the members of each class exercise together in the gymnasium every

364

week day except Saturdays and Wednesdays. Unless excused
for physical disability, the attendance of every student is required
at the gymnasium for the performance of the exercise in light
gymnastics.

The results of the system of prescribed gymnasium training
pursued at the college have been eminently satisfactory. While
hygienists affirm that as a general rule the health of a young man
from fifteen to twenty-five years of age is apt to decline, the reverse
rule is found to prevail with students here. From statistics syste-
matically kept for more than twenty years, it appears that the health
of an Amherst College student is likely to grow better each year of
his collegiate course. The average health of the Sophomore class
is better than that of the Freshman, and of the Junior better than
that of the Sophomore, and of the Senior class best of all. This
average, moreover, is shown to come from the improvement in the
physical condition of the student, and not from the absence of
those who drop out of the course because physically too weak to
complete it.

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

Military drill required three hours per week.
Gymnasium optional.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.

ONE INSTRUCTOR.
FRESHMAN YEAR 1ST AND 2D TERMS.

First Term.

1. Lectures of Human Anatomy and Physiology and Personal

Hygiene. Ten exercises one hour a week.

First and Second Terms.

2. A gymnasium exercise of one hour's duration is required on four

afternoons weekly, from December 1 to April.

365
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.

TWO MEDICAL DIRECTORS. FIRST YEAR.

In the conduct of the gymnasium the aim is not so much the
development of a few gymnasium experts, as the provision of
wholesome physical exercise for the many. Thus far the work
has been voluntary.

RUTGERS COLLEGE.

ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR.

For the Classical Section of the Freshman and Sophomore classes,
attendance at the gymnasium exercises is required four half-hour
periods weekly throughout the year.

Graded exercises for both Classes. Bowdoin method.

Swimming taught in spring-time.

OBERLIN COLLEGE.

Course in Physical Training for both sexes, including studies,
lectures, and exercises.

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR. ONE INSTRUCTOR. HARVARD METHODS.

Students in the Freshman class of the college are required to
attend one lecture in Physical Education per week, throughout the
year. Every student in the class must pass an examination on
these lectures semi-annually, unless his work has been of sufficient
merit to warrant exemption.

BOWDOIN COLLEGE.

ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR. SEVERAL STUDENT ASSISTANTS.

A brief course of lectures on human anatomy and physiology,
illustrated by means of the extensive collections and models of the
Medical School, and followed by a similar course on personal
hygiene, is given each class upon entering college.

366

The Director of the Gymnasium gives each student a thorough
medical and physical examination at the beginning of the college
year. From the measurements and strength tests taken a chart is
made out for each student, showing his size, strength, and sym-
metry in comparison with the normal standard, and also what parts
of the body are defective either in strength or development. At
the same time the student receives a hand-book containing the exer-
cises prescribed for the purpose of correcting the physical defects
shown by his chart, with specific directions in regard to diet and
bathing.

During the winter term each class is required to exercise in the
Sargent Gymnasium, under the supervision of the Director, for a
half hour on four days of every week. A graded course of class
exercise has been arranged. The Freshmen have military drill and
Indian club swinging ; the Sophomores, wrestling and dumb-bell
exercises ; the Juniors, boxing and fencing with single sticks and
broadswords ; the Seniors, fencing with foils. For the exercises
with the chest weights, bars, rings, etc., each class is divided into
three divisions, and the work is carefully graded to suit the strength
of each division.

Physical exercise was required at Princeton from 1869 to within
a few years ago, when the plan was abandoned on account of the
meagre accommodations of the gymnasium.

The University of Pennsylvania has two instructors who received
their supplemental training at our Summer School, but they have
only a small gymnasium, and the only requirement that bears upon
physical training is the attendance of the Freshmen upon a course
of lectures on Physical Training and Hygiene.

The students at Columbia have used the city gymnasiums in
New York until the present time. The change of location on the
part of the University has made a new gymnasium necessary, and
a large, finely- appointed structure is now being erected for this
purpose.

In view of the influence that Harvard has had in establishing
gymnasiums and departments of Physical Training in other insti-
tutions, it would seem to be no more than just that her own
students should have as good an opportunity to learn of Har-
vard's better methods in Cambridge, as they would had they
entered some of the colleges on the Pacific Slope or in the
adjacent States in New England.

367

I regret to add thai under our present regime we cannot give
the average student anything Like the same quality, quantity, or
variety of gymnastic work that he can get from our own pupils
who are teaching in other institutions, simply because the average
student with us lacks the same incentive to regular systematic
physical work that is held out to him in other colleges and in
other departments of instruction in our own University.

Perhaps it is not altogether desirable that the educational side
of Physical Training should be advanced at Harvard. If, how-
ever, the authorities do desire to extend and improve the educa-
tional side of the subject, I would state that the first step necessary
is to put the work of the Department of Physical Training on the
same footing as the other departments of the University.

All of the arguments in favor of the present system in the depart-
ments of mental training are equally applicable to the Department of
Physical Training, while all of the arguments in favor of the present
system of Physical Training are applicable to those of mental train-
ing. Justice and equality are what the present situation calls for.

As a means for advancing the cause of physical education at
Harvard I would recommend for consideration some of the features
set forth in the following schemes :

1. The requirement of a physical examination from every student
upon entering the undergraduate departments of the College, and
every year thereafter until the year of graduation ; these examina-
tions to include the usual tests of health including others to test
power and working capacity. The moral effect of these examina-
tions would extend down into the primary and secondary schools
and work great good to the community. The teacher would soon
learn that he could not cram his pupils' minds at the expense of
their health, and the pupils would acquire in early youth the habit
of keeping themselves in good physical condition.

The requirement of a physical strength test in addition to the
usual physical examination of those students who desire to get on
the athletic teams has raised the standard of the examinations
passed by the Freshmen very perceptibly within the past two
years. These tests could easily be graded to meet the conditions
of advancing age and strength, and are of such a nature as to
appeal to a young man's pride and manliness.

This scheme would leave all physical exercise optional, but
would hold over each student the requirement of an improved

368

physical condition from year to year, to be determined by an
actual test. It is nearer being realized at the present time than
any other, and all of the athletes and scholarship men are now
required to be examined, and these form a considerable portion
of those using the gymnasium.

This plan could be carried out for an additional expense of $2,500
a year. This sum would furnish us with another regular instruc-
tor, and such medical assistance and clerical help as we should
be obliged to have at certain times during the year. This sum
would also secure us some service for statistical work of which
the College should now be able to avail itself for scientific results
and advertising purposes.

2. The second plan would be to require physical examinations
and gymnasium exercise for three hours a week of all the mem-
bers of the Freshman class ; this work to be supplemented by
required attendance upon one lecture a week on Physical Train-
ing and Hygiene throughout the year. The physical exercises
and lecture to be counted for one half-course towards a degree.

If the exercises consisted of a single dumb-bell or wand drill
in which a large number of men could participate at one time,
and if the classes could come to the gymnasium during the fore-
noon hours, the work could be handled by the addition of two more
instructors, at an expense of $2,400.* The same plan could be
carried out during the afternoon hours if the asphalt area back of
the gymnasium could be roofed over so as to give us additional
covered floor space.

If elective courses were allowed this would require more instruc-
tors, as the work would be carried on at different parts of the
gymnasium at the same time. More instructors would also be
necessary if the class was divided into many sections, so that
much of the work would have to be repeated at different hours.
If this work could come during the forenoon, a part of the instruc-
tion could be hired by the hour, as the services of some of the
teachers in Boston could be secured at that time. The elective
courses would require an additional expenditure of at least $3,000,
depending upon the number of electives allowed.

3. A third plan would be to have a graded course of physical

* This estimate does not include the cost of the lectures, as I have presumed
upon present members of the Faculty being willing to give them.

369

exercises extending over four years, in which the regular work of
the gymnasium, including boxing, fencing, wrestling, single stick,
swimming, rowing, running, jumping, etc., should be taught to the
whole College as it is now taught to the members of the Summer
School. This plan would embrace a broad system of electives,
and call for a considerable number of instructors.

I do not see how such a system could be started in the Fresh-
man year for less than an additional cost to the department of
$12,000. But after the system was once started a great deal
of assistance could be rendered by Price G-reenleaf men, and the
members of the different athletic organizations. This plan would
enable the University to realize the highest results from the stand-
point of Physical Training, and solve some of the troublesome
athletic problems.

Inasmuch as the alumni, students, and friends of the University
already expend over $50,000 annually in order to get fifty men in
condition to participate in a few athletic contests, — presumably
to show the world at large what Harvard is doing in the way
of Physical Culture, — it would seem that at least one fourth of
this sum could be raised annually for giving the mass of students
who need it some of the physical instruction and training now
lavished on the favored few.

In all the plans mentioned I should recommend the giving of
some sort of credit for faithful attendance and for work actually
done. This softens the requirement, and does away with the
sting of punishment for not doing something for which the
student is given no credit if he does do.

Wherever the credit system has been introduced it has been
an admitted success. I enclose a letter from President Hyde, of
Bowdoin College, bearing upon this point. It will be remembered
that President Hyde is a graduate of Harvard, and perfectly
familiar with our present system. (See letter.)

None of the plans suggested would interfere with the present
system of voluntary exercises and examinations at the gymnasium,
except to limit them to certain hours. The present athletic work
of the students would come under certain restrictions as to time
and place, and credit for work clone in athletics should be
accepted as an equivalent for the prescribed work.

This plan would enable the department to exercise a certain
amount of supervision over the athletic training of the students,

370

as the students who took athletics as an equivalent for gymnastics
would have to be held accountable for their work.

The recommendation of some members of the Faculty that a
certain amount of additional mental work be prescribed with the
physical exercise, in order to entitle the course to rank towards
a degree, does not seem to be advisable, except perhaps for the
Freshman class. The men whom we most desire to reach have
all the mental work that they can carry and maintain their
health, while many of the athletic men could be braced up in
their mental efforts by requiring a higher grade of work in their
present courses. If, however, a certain rank in studies was
required in order to have the physical work count towards a
degree, there would be a possibility of shutting out a few stu-
dents who do poor work in their studies on account of poor
health and want of physical vigor.

Requiring the members of the Freshman class to attend lectures
on Hygiene and Physical Training would, I think, be an admir-
able thing, and enable the department to give these new men, at
the outset of their course, some valuable advice. But if time
for both could not be given, I have no hesitation in saying that
applied hygiene, i.e., physical exercise, etc., would be the more
desirable.

If physical exercise were prescribed, the rank men, as a class,
would take the highest stand in these courses at Harvard, as
they did at Yale when I introduced required gymnasium work
twenty years ago. In this connection it may be interesting to
note that the rank men at Harvard during the past sixteen years,
some 1780 in all, surpass the average student (the average table
including the athletes) in height, weight and physical strength.
Curiously enough, the dropped men exceed the rank men in
height and weight, but fall below them in physical strength.
This shows conclusively to my mind that the men, as a class,
who survive the four years' strain of a college course, and come
to the front on commencement day, must possess more than the
average physical strength and vigor, and that this is a matter of
nervous energy and brain power, as well as of bone, muscle, and
sinew. These are frequently matters of inheritance, but where
they do not exist I maintain that it is the duty of a college to
avail itself of every opportunity to improve the condition of the
body as a fundamental basis for the development and improve-

371

ment of the mind. I know of no better way of accomplishing
this desired object than by making physical and mental training
a part of the same curriculum, and by rewarding by the same
method every conscientious and faithful effort towards physical
and mental improvement.

D. A. SARGENT, Director.
Cambridge, Feb. 24, 1897.

372

TABLE No. 1.

Year. Lockers.

1880 474

1881 474

1882 591

1883 809

1884 837

1885 901

1886 937

1887 937

1888 1055

1889 1055

1890 1175

1891 1175

1892 1333

1893 1441

1894 1441

1895 1447

1896 1506

*1897 1544

* Year not complete.

TABLE No. 2.

PERCENTAGE OF MEN IN CAMBRIDGE DEPARTMENTS HOLDING LOCKERS.

Year. Per cent.

1880 45

1881 44

1882 53

1883 69

1884 69

1885 • • • 66

1886 69

1887 63

1888 68

1889 61

1890 63

1891 54

1892 57

1893 55

1894 56

1895 52

1896 52

373

TABLE No. 3.

DISTRIBUTION OF LOCKER HOLDERS AMONG CLASSES AND DEPARTMENTS.

Freshmen 273

Sophomores 287

Juniors 210

Seniors 192

Special 101

1063

Lawrence Scientific School . 190

Law School 205

Divinity School 12

Graduate School 88

Medical School 12

Dental School 4

1574

Percentage
sing Gymnasium.

Percentage
using Library.

58.6

TABLE No. 4.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS.

Year. First Ex. Total Ex.

1880 579 625

1881 245 425

1882 300 545

1883 278 642

1884 280 639

1885 286 773

1886 287 773

1887 310 775

1888 333 877

1889 .' 338 875

1890 356 1004

1891 410 1138

1892 ! 477 1227

1893 481 1153

1894 485 1263

1895 482 1124

*1896 377 965

fl897 473 767

* Gymnasium undergoing repairs. f Year not complete.

374

TABLE No. 5.

CERTIFICATES FOR ATHLETICS GRANTED DURING THE TEAR 1896.

1. University Foot-Ball 68

2. Class Foot-Ball 121

3. University Base-Ball 32

4. Class Base-Ball 62

5. University Crews 11

6. Class Crews 32

7. One Mile Run 27

8. 880 Yards Run 31

9. 440 Yards Run 31

10. 390 Yards Run 25

11. 290 Yards Run 25

12. 220 Yards Run 45

13. 100 Yards Run 51

14. Low Hurdles 20

15. High Hurdles 16

16. One Mile Walk 6

17. Bicycle 15

18. Broad Jump 24

19. High Jump 12

20. Pole Vault 20

21. Shot 11

22. Hammer 11

23. Fencing 4

24. Lacrosse 17

25. Ice Polo 6

Total 723

TABLE No. 6.

♦GYMNASIUMS HAVING THE HARVARD SYSTEM OF APPARATUS.

Schools and Colleges 263

Young Men's Christian Associations 310

Athletic Clubs 72

Sanitariums, private and miscellaneous 95

Total 740

* This table is completed up to 1893.

37,

TABLE No. 7.

COLLEGES REQUIRING GYMNASIUM WORK THROUGHOUT THE COURSE, ANI>
GIVING CREDIT.

Brown University, II; Johns Hopkins University, II; Indiana University, 112;
Vanderbilt University ; University of Illinois, H ; Bowdoin College, II.*

COLLEGES REQUIRING GYMNASIUM WORK FOR FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES, AND

GIVING CREDIT.

Dickinson College, H.

PRINCIPAL COLLEGES HAVING THE HARVARD VOLUNTARY SYSTEM.

Yale University ; Michigan University, H ; University of Pennsylvania, H2
University of Virginia, H ; Princeton University.

COLLEGES REQUIRING GYMNASIUM WORK THROUGHOUT COURSE.

Amherst College, H; Bates College, H; Bryn Mawr (prescribed), H; Dart-
mouth College, H ; Oberlin College, H ; Swarthmore College, H ; University of
Chicago, H ; Vassar College, H4.

COLLEGES REQUIRING GYMNASIUM WORK FOR FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES.

University of Wisconsin; University of California; University of Kansas, H;
Lehigh University, H; Wesleyan University, H; f Western Reserve University;
Colby University, H6 ; Haverford College, H ; Lafayette College ; Trinity Col-
lege, H2 ; Rutgers College, H2 ; Smith College, H ; Tufts College, H ; Cornell
University; f Williams College, H; fWellesley College, H.

COLLEGES OFFERING GYMNASIUM WORK AS AN ELECTIVE, AND GIVING CREDIT.

Leland Stanford University, H2 ; University of Oregon, H ; Oberlin College, H3.

* Colleges marked H have gymasium instructors trained at Harvard.
Required for Freshmen only.

376

(Copy.)

PRESIDENT HYDE'S LETTER.

Bowdoin College,
Brunswick, Me., March 23, 1896.

Dear Dr. Sargent, — In reply to your inquiry concerning our
method of ranking work in the gymnasium, it gives me pleasure to
report as follows : —

The work in the gymnasium is counted as one thirteenth of the
total work of the year. It is required of all students, and is the
only work except themes required after the Sophomore year. The
maximum mark is given to all students who attend every exercise.
Deductions from this maximum mark are made in proportion to the
number of exercises from which a student is absent. Theoretically
the instructor has a right to deduct from this maximum work on the
ground of listless or perfunctory performance of the exercises, but
as all exercises are under the eye of the instructor, practically no
such neglect of work is allowed, and consequently there are no de-
ductions to be made on that score.

The plan has been in operation ten years ; it works with very little
friction, is extremely effective, and gives general satisfaction. We
succeed in requiring every student to take systematic, vigorous exer-
cise four times a week during the winter months, each of the four
years. This is partly due to the interesting nature of the exercise.
Every student learns to spar and to fence, in addition to the usual
gymnastic exercises. The recognition of it in the rank is a great
help, however, in making the exercises respected, and securing its
uniform observance.

It tends on the whole to raise the rank ; but as this applies to all
students alike, in proportion to the regularity of their attendance, it
involves no injustice. In the course of ten years perhaps three or
four students have escaped being dropped on account of the help
given to their rank from this source. In these ten years it has been
necessary once or twice to require a solid block of postponed exer-
cise to be taken in the spring as a condition of graduation. That,
however, was in the early days of the requirement, when students
were disposed to test the question whether the requirement was a

377

real one or not. For the past four or five years we have had no
trouble in maintaining the requirement without resort to penalties of
any kind.

Very truly yours,

(Signed) WM. I). W. HYDE.

(Copy.)

Boston, March 27, 1897.
Henry W. Putnam, Esq.,

No. 85 Devonshire St., Boston.

Dear Sir, — I have carefully read Dr. Sargent's interesting report
with its recommendations for improving the physical work at Harvard,
and I heartily agree with his opinion that efforts should be made at
once to induce the rank and file of the student body to give more
attention to their physical welfare. During my three years of resi-
dence at Harvard, I felt that there was great need of more systematic
gymnastic work for the men who are not candidates for athletic
teams and who take no regular exercise, of course realizing that the
crowded condition of the gymnasium would not then admit of much
development in that line. 1 talked with many men at Cambridge on
this subject, and believe that compulsory gymnastic work would be
welcomed. It would be subject, of course, to the usual senseless
objections that follow any innovation. I have heard many times
remarks by students like this : "I know that I ought to go to the
gymnasium and intend to do so, but it seems to be such a task to
change my clothes, and my room seems so much more comfortable,
that I neglect to take the exercise that I need."

If the gymnasium work were to count towards a degree, these men
who believe in it but neglect it would have an incentive that would
bring them out. Judging from my observations at other colleges
and schools, I think that violent objections and indifference to re-
quired physical work are to be expected during its first year. This
disappears in about two years. It is improbable that two men would
agree on the details of any plan, but I believe that the adoption of
any of the schemes of Dr. Sargent, as given, would be a step in
advance.

I would advocate required work during the Freshman year under
any plan. If I were to choose, for next year's work, between the

378

plans presented by Dr. Sargent, I would combine Plans 1 and 2 to
include the following elements : —

(a) Requirement of examinations for all students, as given in
Plan 1.

(6) Required work for Freshmen, as given in Plan 2.

(d) Allowing (6) and (c) to count for a half course, requiring
perhaps attendance upon lectures as mentioned by Dr. Sargent.

(e) During the second year of work under this plan, I would have
elective work for Sophomores, possibly extending to other classes in
later years, thus gradually working into Plan 3.

Natural diffidence keeps many students from entering the gymna-
sium. This would be overcome by required work during the Fresh-
man year. The success of Dr. Sargent's afternoon class in drill
work, attendance upon which is optional and for which no credit is
given, demonstrates that many students need only opportunity and
encouragement to induce them to pursue systematic physical training.

Very truly,

(Signed) WM. F. GARCELON.

37i)

Indiana University,

Bloomington, In i).

My dear Mr. Sargent, — You asked in a letter some time
ago about the workings of Physical Training here, where it
counts for a degree. I shall gladly explain the best I can.
The university system here is one of credits — sixteen full credits
entitling one to a degree, I believe ; some courses count one
credit and some less. For three terms' consecutive work in the
gymnasium one is allowed a three-fifths credit. I am sure that
this fact induces many to take the work. It is not wholly con-
fined to the gymnasiums, but if a student can satisfy the instruc-
tor that he has performed an equivalent amount of regular work
— say during foot-ball training — it can be substituted for in-
door work for the time being. This means, of course, that all
men on the foot-ball field should in some way have regular
exercise and not spend time on "side lines;" but with some
planning this can be managed. This substitution of work brought
into the winter classes in the gymnasium nearly all the foot-ball
squad, which to my mind was a good thing.

The idea is to stimulate regular physical exercise of some
kind. If one likes to work out doors, all right, provided he
does it with regularity and system and the instructor can be
satisfied that he does do it.

Very truly,
(Signed) MADESON G. GONTERMAN.

P. S. — Mr. Gonterman will be remembered as one of Harvard's promi-
nent foot-ball players two or three years ago. D. A. S.

MINORITY REPORT.

I am unable to join in the recommendations for change
in the manner of appointing the Athletic Committee.

That committee is a part of the adminstrative machinery
of the University having charge of a very difficult and im-
portant subject, and should, I think, — except as to its under-
graduate members, — be appointed, as other college officers
are, by the corporation and confirmed by the overseers. Inter-
collegiate contests need, in my opinion, more rather than
less restriction than they now have, even since the reforms
of recent years were introduced, and I think the Board of
Overseers more likely, by reason of the manner of election of
its members, to yield to the outside pressure of graduates for
more games, especially at a distance from Cambridge, than
the corporation is. If the corporation was ever in danger of
nominating graduates who were too strict in this regard, it is
not likely to do so now when one of the Fellows has himself
served on the Athletic Committee and another is generally
recognized as the warmest friend and patron of rational
athletics in any of the Governing Boards, or in the whole
graduate body ; and I cannot doubt that if unsuitable nomi-
nations were made the overseers would reject them until
proper ones were sent in.

The appointment or election of administrative officers is
not an appropriate function for a large elective legislative
body, and would, in the end, impair the character and useful
ness both of the Athletic Committee and of the Board of
Overseers, besides depriving the University and the public
of the salutary check of a confirming as well as an appointing
body. I do not think it would command the confidence of the
undergraduate body any more than the present method does,

for I think few if any students distinguish between the dif-
ferent boards or know much about them ; and if it would, I
think that such increased confidence would be purchased at
too dear a price. Under the conditions of our American
life, society, and present public opinion, the temptation to an
excessive number and intensity of intercollegiate contests is
practically irresistible to undergraduates, individually, as a
body, and in their athletic organizations, as well as to many,
if not most, parents and guardians ; and rigid control of the
subject by the chief executive of University government is
absolutely essential to the cause of education. I should say
the graduate members of the committee had been hitherto
sufficiently representative of the better sentiment among the
graduates, and believe they will continue so, and that they
should be more, rather than less, restrictive in their ten-
dency and inclinations than they now are.

With regard to the undergraduate members, there would
be some advantages in having the three principal captains
ex-officio members if they could be assumed to know and care
about track, tennis, and other athletic matters, and to be able
to sit judicially in matters concerning their own and each
others' teams in which they are petitioners ; but as the Com-
mittee has the confirmation and rejection of their appoint-
ment as captains, and the power and duty of removing them
for cause, it is difficult to see how they could with propriety
sit upon the committee. I am told, also, that they have gen-
erally declined to serve for lack of time, and that they are
invited to be present when the interests of their teams are
concerned. Moreover, if any real progress is to be made
towards undergraduate self-government and management of
intercollegiate athletics, it must be through the students
learning to select from their own number representative, judi-
cial-minded men outside of the teams, and then learning, as a
body, to acquiesce in and sustain their action. I am told they
have done well and have improved in this respect hitherto.

I concur fully in the other recommendations of the com-
mittee, — especially the proposed introduction of moderate
required gymnastics during the winter months of the Fresh-

man year, having recently seen the system in operation at
Brown University, where it is required all through college,
and having heard there none but the most favorable accounts
of its working and popularity. A rational and systematic
physical training for the great body of students who do not
and cannot get onto athletic teams seems to me the most
essential step to take next, and it seems to me as vital and
fundamental a preparation for the work in life of an educated
man as English, — and more so than French or German, —
the present required Freshman studies. I would give a small
credit for it — equivalent to a quarter or half course —
towards the degree, but in addition to the present 18.4
courses, not as a substitute for something else within that
total.

HENRY W. PUTNAM.

Boston, April 9, 1897.

LXIV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee to visit the Museum of Comparative Zoology has
the honor to report that it has met at least once a year in the last six
years, and at the Museum with the Curator each of five years.

A majority, often a large majority, of the committee has been
present at each meeting.

Several meetings have been held in Boston and efforts have been
made to raise funds to meet the urgent needs of the Museum, but
unfortunately without success. During the year just passed, friends,
pupils, and admirers of Professor Agassiz, independently of this
Committee, have attempted to secure a sufficient sum of money for
a memorial to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival in
this country of one whose work here has marked an epoch in the
history of the College and of the country. But the financial troubles
of the past summer took away every promise of success.

The sum of $240,000 has been received by the Museum at various
times from the Commonwealth, and $1,340,000 have been given by
friends and by the family of Professor Agassiz up to the beginning
of 1895.

The endowment fund of $580,000 has not been increased since
1874, and its income has been materially decreased with the fall in
rates of interest, so that, with increasing needs, the Museum has
less means of meeting the greater demands upon it, and cannot
now even purchase the books and journals needed in its various
departments.

In one of its previous reports, your Committee has detailed the
various wants of the Museum, which naturally have expanded with
the accumulation of work and through the greater number of stu-
dents, so that the present building and opportunities for research
and instruction are even less adequate than at the time of that
report.

A larger sum of money for construction, arrangement of specimens,
etc., and a very much increased permanent income are absolutely

382

necessary, if the Museum is to be only kept abreast of the times,
much more to place it where so important a part of a great university
belongs, and worthy of its distinguished founder.

CHARLES F. FOLSOM,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
A. LAWRENCE LOWELL,
LOUIS CABOT,
F. L. HIGGINSON,
DUDLEY L. PICKMAN,
WILLIAM BREWSTER.
Boston, January 13, 1897.

LXV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION
IN ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee earnestly recommends the establishment of a small
aquarium in which aquatic animals can be raised and kept for study
and experimentation. The expenditure of one thousand dollars for
this purpose would make a very creditable beginning and of immedi-
ate value to the teaching in this Department.

The basement of the Museum affords ample room for such a plant,
which could be so planned that the few aquaria now recommended
would be a permanent part of any increased equipment of the future.
The Committee believes that the value of the course in Zoology
would be greatly enhanced if better facilities for instruction in Physi-
ology in direct connection with the instruction in Zoology could be
offered. This subject, however, is one that requires further con-
sideration and will be more fully discussed in next year's report.

CLARENCE J. BLAKE,
EDWARD G. GARDINER,
WILLIAM BREWSTER.

May 1, 1897.

LXVI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
ITALIAN DEPARTMENT.

TO THE BOARD OE OVERSEERS OF HARVARD COLLEGE • _

The undersigned, having attended lectures in the various courses

tz aitunowse!artment' and having c« ** * **£ss

Although seventy-eight students are this year taking llkUM

hTe::rtiahfthwoulfdrve been th^u ^ £%**-*

bel eve that the usefulness of the language and its literary ana phZ
Jgieal unportance warrant an ampler course of instruction than

^lltrlTn ItaliM ^ *? ^ *« on at: uah ;
with the other modern languages here, and consequently the scheme

is™ ■,:!" rjtc &"■ ar -a ^

ttT™^ ? »d»P"»>M« » -total, „I Eo„.„(» pMWo„0„

386

progress, important further in its influence on French, Elizabethan,
and subsequent literature. The fourth course, bringing the study
of Italian Literature down to the present, would open to the student
the thought of Galileo, Vico and Campanella ; it would guide him to
the best works of Metastasio, Goldoni, Alfieri and Parini ; it would
unlock for him the ideas of Rosmini ; it would introduce to him the
chief poets and prose-writers of this century. The fifth course would
remain, as at present, for beginners.

The scheme thus briefly outlined could be put in operation by the
addition of a single course — the fourth — which would be particu-
larly welcome to students who had passed the elementary course
successfully and who wished exercise in rapid reading and in higher
composition. This addition would also permit such modifications
in the existing advanced courses as would bring each into logical,
organic relations with the others. There are several important
branches of knowledge in which contemporary Italians have pro-
duced works of recognized authority. The student of psychology,
for instance, cannot afford to ignore the writings of Lombroso,
Mantegazza, Ferrero, Morselli, and others ; the political economist
needs to know the theories of a school of Italian economists ; the
specialists in folk-lore and in the recent criticism of art must turn to
De G-ubernatis and Pitre, or to Morelli (although the latter wrote also
in German), if they would be abreast of the times in those subjects ;
and students of recent European history and diplomacy can reach
much significant material only through Italian. The facility acquired
in the course just described would give American students access to
all these sources. Moreover, such a course, with the readjustment
of the entire scheme of instruction in Italian, would raise this lan-
guage to the position it deserves.

In looking over the Elective Pamphlet we rejoice to see that
Harvard offers three courses in Assyrian, one in Ethiopic, one in
Phoenician, and one in Babylonian Bilingual Hymns ; such pro-
fusion of instruction in recondite subjects befits a great university.
But does not the apparent neglect to put Italian on a proper foot-
ing throw discredit on Harvard? Earnest students have a right to
infer that the authorities hold this language in disesteem when they
read in the Elective Pamphlet the notice that " Italian 1 and Spanish
1 cannot be taken in the same year." It is conceivable that a high-
grade student might wish to pursue Italian and Spanish simulta-
neously ; why should the authorities imply that in so doing he would
waste his time? If Italian 1 and Spanish 1 are "soft" courses, the
remedy should be to make them harder, not to cast suspicion on the

387

value of those languages. Any student can take Ethiopic 1 and
Phoenician 1 in the same year ; why should not the University raise
Italian and Spanish to a similar level of dignity ? If the elementary
courses have proved for some students a time of repose before going
forth to the activities of polo and golf, the blame should not be laid
on Italian. This language should enjoy equal repute with French or
German, although for obvious reasons the number of students who
elect Italian will always fall short of the number electing German
and French. But it is the duty of a university to keep whatever
courses it offers at the university standard.

Accordingly, we suggest that the scheme of instruction in Italian
be amplified. The new course we recommend would require another
instructor, but we believe that more students will elect Italian in
proportion as the authorities make it plain, by laying out a well-
rounded, logically-progressive curriculum, that they regard the Italian
language and literature as worthy of the best efforts of serious
scholars. To do less than this would be to acknowledge that at
least in one branch of learning Harvard has accepted an imperfect
and unsystematical plan as sufficient.

In conclusion, we would report that much can be done to foster the
Italian Department, and the study of Romance Languages in gen-
eral, by building up the Department's library. Like some of its
more favored neighbors, it ought to have a permanent fund : lacking
this, it appeals for gifts of money or of books, and the good use
already made of its limited resources indicates that such gifts would
be well bestowed.

Respectfully submitted,

WM. R. THAYER,

THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON,

WM. C LANE.

Cambridge, April 20, 1897.

LXVII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENGLISH
LITERATURE.

TO THE BOABD OF OVERSEERS 0F HARVARD COLLEGE • -

in tSTS™ : ~ ^ PUrSUanCe °f tte general ^tructions laid down
m your communication to us, we have held a conference with the

t !"g , at"re 1D the C°lle§e- We g^ered from their

reports that the changes Produced year before last looW to a
diminution of energy in general lecturing, and an increase in spedfic
dass room work had tended to give more precision to the training t

fhJ i 7 : The °Pini0n WM freely -P— ed, howeve
that the best results could not be looked for until the students who

hTw ft ft 0W6r SCh°°1S ^ a ^ g6~ «4^h
the best English literature as a ground-work for specific edification

The most interesting single movement in the Department wh^h

we dIScovered was that which had for its object the provision of a

departmental library. Snch a library had been slowtyZh ig in

eo fTchxl ^^t WlthSPeCiaI W ^ the late » "
lessor F. J. Child. His death naturally led his associates to raise

some monument to his memory which shonld be fit, and should ca n v

«iir^e therUenCe °f MS -We -- - a teacher
ot literature No memorial seemed more satisfactory than the ner

manent establishment of the department's library. According y "an

invitation was given to Professor Chxld's former pupils aSnds

imested by the college, and its income devoted to the purchase of
books to be in the custody of the librarian, bnt specially It apar

The response to this invitation has been immediate and onerous

.g; :aZLacco77ing subscripti°M and *** h-~e

has been I 7 ^ ^ lwe tt * tWs ** —

Has been and continues to be held by his pupils. We think it „

most happy inauguration of this usefuf libra^ that ft iff ^

CoZe fn WWCh °an n6Ver bC lMt °Ut °f ^ ~T o
the College. It needs no argument to demonstrate the great service

390

which such a library must render to the department. With the
growth of the university and the absence of domiciliary divisions, it
is reasonably clear that the grouping of students will be largely on
lines of research. The Department of English, like the other great
departments in the humanities and science, tends to a certain inde-
pendent crystallization, and it needs and should have if not a house
of its own, such quarters as will enable it to concentrate its energies
to the best advantage. With a well-equipped library for its exclu-
sive use, not only will the officers of instruction be able to carry
forward their own researches, indispensable to the enlargement and
enrichment of the University as a station of light in the national life,
but the students under them will learn by the free use of the library
one of the higher arts of individual life which the University must
foster, even when it cannot directly impart it.

We hope sincerely that the government of the University will
second heartily the action of the Department in this particular by
making it possible to put the collection of books in the Child Memo-
rial into suitable quarters, and to provide for its care.

HORACE E. SCUDDER,

T. W. HIGGINSON,

HENRY A. CLAPP,

CHARLES E. L. WINGATE,

ROBERT GRANT.
Boston, 2 April 1897.

SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT.
VISITING COMMITTEE — ENGLISH DEPARTMENT.

Hon. Charles Francis Adams, Chairman.

Dear Sir, — With the consent of the chairman of the English
Committee, I add the following note to the report of the chair-
man, which I have signed : —

In returning to the work of the visiting committees after an ab-
sence of some years, I notice a change of opinion upon one point,
about which I think there should be a clear understanding. A doubt
seems now to exist among both visitors and instructors whether it is
desirable for the Visiting Committee actually to visit the classes.
Although its name would indicate this duty, there seems an impres-
sion that its functions lie in some other direction than personal
inspection. This view evidently varies, however, in the different

391

departments. In the Italian department, to which I am also
assigned, the classes have been freely visited and apparently with
mutual satisfaction ; a meeting being afterwards held at which every
visitor and every instructor was present and consultations of mutual
value were held, as the report of the committee will show.

When the English department, on the other hand, met with the
visitors, the opinion was freely expressed both by the head of the
department and by the chairman of the Visiting Committee that it
was no longer desirable, even if practicable, that the classes should
be personally visited. This was afterwards modified by the head of
this department to this extent, that he thought visits ' ' made often
enough " might perhaps be of some value. When asked what he
would consider often enough, he stated the minimum number at
six visits to each course. As he stated the number of courses in
English to be 30, this would be practically prohibitive.

From this view of the subject I wish respectfully but very decidedly
to dissent, for the following reasons : —

First, because the primary object of visiting the classes is not
criticism upon instructors, but to afford to the visitors that knowl-
edge of the general aim and plan of a course which can never be
obtained by the study of programmes alone. Fifteen minutes spent
in the recitation room are worth more, for this purpose, than learning
the whole programme by heart.

Second, because for an observer with any educational experience a
single visit to a class room may be of very great value even for judg-
ing of the methods and characteristics of a teacher. No one will deny
that a single visit may afford the ground for a most favorable impres-
sion of the qualities, methods and manners of a teacher ; and, if this
is so, a single visit may also afford the ground for an unfavorable im-
pression. In military service an inspecting officer is expected to
report on the condition of a regiment of a thousand men upon a
single inspection, lasting but a few hours, and if he is competent
and experienced he can do this satisfactorily. Granting that in the
purely intellectual sphere such judgments are more difficult to form,
it seems to me an obvious mistake to say that they are valueless
unless repeated with such extreme frequency. I have personally
visited several of the courses in English and have been received
with uniform courtesy, but I should prefer not again to be placed
upon the committee if its functions are to be limited in the manner
suggested by the head of the department.

I will go farther and add that it seems to me peculiarly undesirable
that this practical prohibition of visiting should exist in the English

392

department. Every resident of Cambridge knows the existence of a
widely spread impression that the English department, while strong
in the direction of grammar and philology and in the training of
careful writers, is not equally strong in creating the love of litera-
ture as such and an enthusiasm for the best models. In this respect
the loss of Professor Child is greatly felt. This opinion may be wholly
unjust, but it unquestionably exists in the community outside, and I
have heard it strongly expressed by graduate students. It seems to
me that nothing could so far contribute to the removal of such an im-
pression if unfounded — or of its source if there is any foundation
for it — as the observation of a capable visiting committee.

Respectfully yours,

THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON.

Cambridge. April 23, 1897.

LXVIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FRENCH.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The teaching of a foreign language is always a question of much
difficulty. Two different demands are made on the instructors by
the fact that students take French with totally different intentions.
Many do not expect to visit France, but desire to acquire a thorough
knowledge of the literature of the country which includes, if it is to
be thorough, some knowledge of mediaeval language and literature.
But there are a body of students who take the course for practical
reasons only, a desire to be able to speak and understand the
language sufficiently to get along if they find themselves in a French
speaking country. This requires also the power of writing the
language with grammatical correctness.

The first part, viz., the study of French literature, can be car-
ried on successfully in Harvard, and as far as the Committee could
judge by personal attendance to the classes under Professor
de Sumichrast and others is done conscientiously and with success.
The second part is much more difficult. French is a language
which is perhaps the easiest of any European tongue to acquire to
a moderate extent, but to be able to speak and write the language
really well is of such extreme difficulty that hardly any foreigner
succeeds in mastering it. During many years residence in France
the members of your Committee could easily count on their fingers
the Americans who have succeeded in either writing or speaking
French perfectly. It would be entirely impossible to give any stu-
dent in Harvard this power. We must therefore content ourselves
with teaching the rudiments of the language, leaving to after years,
and a residence abroad, any attempt to reach a mastery of the many
nuances and delicacies of the French tongue. So difficult is this
that the French government publish a book to inform the employes
how they should address the gentlemen occupying official positions.
It is the same with letters where the degree of familiarity which may
exist between the writers, the age of the persons to whom letters are
written, their social position, etc., etc., are all indicated by nuances
of expression.

394

Your Committee, two of whom have been several years on the
Visiting Board, have had occasion many times by hearing classes, or
by conversation with teachers to judge of the condition of French
teaching in Harvard, and they agree that it is eminently satisfactory.
The only suggestion they would make is that in any future increase
in the number of professors, still more attention should be paid to
the elementary classes, those which teach talking, writing, and
understanding the spoken language, and that the classes should be
kept very small, as it is only by perpetual repetition and practice
that anything can be accomplished, and twenty students are really
more than an able instructor can really teach. Classes in literature
can of course be much larger as they are for the most part lectures.

DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH.

The courses in the Department are divided into three groups :
Primarily for Undergraduates ; for Graduates and Undergraduates ;
Primarily for Graduates.

The first group comprises the Elementary courses properly so
called, A, 17>, lc, la, 2c, 2a, 3, 4 and 5. Course A is intended for
men who have not before studied French and is prescribed for Fresh-
men who have not presented French at the Admission examination.
The number of such Freshmen this year is 35. The greater number
of Freshmeii present at least Elementary French at the entrance
examination. The total number of men in the course is 116. Of
these 29 are Special Students, 34 are Scientific Students for whom
the course is also prescribed by the authorities of the Lawrence
Scientific School. Five are Graduate students who have been re-
quired by the Committe on Admission from other Colleges to take
the course in view of their never having studied the language.

The course is taught in sections, the numbers in these being 25.
33, 32, 26. Each section has three recitations a week. The course
is in charge of Mr. C. H. C. Wright who is assisted by Mr. La
Meslee.

Course lb comprises 108 men. It is especially intended for stu-
dents who desire to acquire a reading knowledge of French but who
do not intend to pursue the study of the language further. It is pre-
scribed for students in the Scientific School who take a second year
of the language.

The course is taught in three sections numbering respectively 49,
36, 23 students. It is in charge of Mr. Irving Babbit, assisted by
Mr. J. D. M. Ford. Each section recites three times a week.

395

Courses lc and la arc parallel courses and the work done is the
same in both. In lc, which is intended for men who have had no
previous opportunity of hearing French spoken, English is used more
largely at the beginning of the year, but by mid-year both sections
are taught in French.

Course lc is taught in one section by Mr. La Meslee, who has
33 students. Course la, in charge of Professor de Sumichrast,
assisted by Mr. I. Babbitt, is divided into two sections containing
respectively 47 and 28 students.

Course 2c is in charge of Dr. Marcou, assisted by Mr. J. D. M.
Ford. It numbers 140 men and is divided into four sections, com-
prising respectively 48, 48, 17, and 27 students. All these sections,
as well as those in lc and la, recite three times a week.

Course 2a is in charge of Mr. Wright and is divided into three
sections containing respectively 32, 39, 33 men. These sections
also recite three times a week.

Courses 3, 4 and 5 are courses intended primarily for the study of
French by the conversational method and the acquisition of the
power of speaking and writing French is the main object of the
students in the course.

These three courses are in the charge of Mr. Brun, assisted in
Course 3 by Mr. La Meslee, and are divided into sections reciting
twice a week.

Course 3 is divided into four sections of 22, 15, 16 and 14 men.

Course 4 is divided into three sections of 21, 22 and 22 men.

Course 5 is taught in one section of 15 men.

The second group of courses comprises 6c and 6, which are intro-
ductory to the detailed study of literature. The object of these two
courses, of which Qc is taught in English and 6 in French, is to give
the students a knowledge of the history of literature in France.
Much reading and some composition are required of the men.

Course 6c being more in the nature of a recitation course cannot
be taught satisfactorily if the number of students in any one section
of it exceed 50. This being the first year in wrhich it has been given,
the number of men attending it has not rendered a second section
necessary, but it is probable that the number of students taking it
will grow rapidly and in that case a second, and possibly a third,
section will have to be formed.

Course 6 is a lecture course and the number of students is no
inconvenience.

Professor Grandgent gives 6c and Professor de Sumichrast 6.
Each course meets three times a week.

396

The numbers given in the various courses is that in attendance at
mid-year. The numbers in every course were greater at the beginning
of the year, but were reduced through various causes, such as diffi-
culty of courses, excusions on account of neglect of work or with-
drawal on account of conflicts or excessive number of courses
carried.

In conclusion we would say that those professors whom we had
the pleasure of meeting seemed most able and conscientious, and the
instruction in every department very creditable. A small sum to
increase the French library is very desirable because the books
used are often expensive and the students cannot often afford to
buy them. There is now a library but it is too small, and should
contain duplicates of many of the works used in modern and
mediaeval literature.

Respectfully submitted, .

T. JEFFERSON COOLIDGE,

NATHAN APPLETON,

J. TEMPLEMAN COOLIDGE, Jr.

LXIX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

PEABODY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

AND ETHNOLOGY.

First, as to Instruction : During the past year two courses have
been given. Course 1 covers the general subject of Anthropology,
including Somatology, Archaeology, Ethnology, and Ethnography.
This course, while primarily for graduates, was open to undergradu-
ates by permission. There were two graduates and one undergraduate
in this course. In Course 20, which has been known as the Research
Course for graduates, there were two graduates and two undergradu-
ates by special permission, these two undergraduates being Seniors
who had taken Course 1 in the preceding year.

Course 1 is open to undergraduates, and a special course is given
in Physical Anthropology. Course 20a covers advanced work in
American Archaeology and Ethnology, and is intended for graduates
who have taken Course 1 or its equivalent. Course 206 is an ad-
vanced course given to special work in Somatology.

A regular instructor in Anthropology has been appointed, and he
will have an assistant during the coming year.

Thus there has been a gradual but marked development in the
instruction in this Division of the University since it was estab-
lished in 1890. During all this time the expenses of instruction
have been borne by the Museum and its friends, with the exception
of one appropriation of $250 received from the College during the
past year. The Museum has also given up one of its halls for the
purposes of instruction in this Division of the University. This
hall has been provided with cases in which are kept the books con-
stituting the students' reference library ; also a collection of speci-
mens which is being gradually formed for the special use of the
students.

There are five important matters to which the Committee wish to
call attention. First, the necessity of providing for the salary of an
Assistant Curator, and also for the salary of assistants in the work
of the Museum. Second, the completion of the building, in order
that the large amount of material now in storage may be properly

398

arranged. Third, the establishment of a publication fund, that the
many researches made under the auspices of the Museum may be
published. Fourth, the securing means for the continuation of
researches in the field. Fifth, the establishment of a fund, the
income to be used for purposes of instruction.

For the Committee,

A. HEMENWAY.
May 25, 1897.

LXX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

JEFFERSON PHYSICAL LABORATORY

AND DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The undersigned members of the Committee appointed to visit the
Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics, having
attended a duly notified meeting at the laboratory building on May
12, 1897, have the honor to report as follows : —

During the past year, the Director and his associates have made
many original investigations, the published results of which have
added much to the already world-wide reputation of the Jefferson
Physical Laboratory as a centre of physical research. The most
noteworthy of these investigations is that of the Director on ' ' The
energy conditions necessary to produce the Rontgen Rays." In
connection with this investigation there has been used a storage
battery of 10,000 cells, or five times the number of cells in any
similar battery heretofore used. The Committee note with pleasure
that this battery has been designed, constructed and installed by the
laboratory staff, at a very moderate expense ; and that it promises to
yield results of great value in some of the most important branches
of electrical science.

The routine work of laboratory and class room instruction has been
kept to its usual high standard of efficiency.

During their inspection of the laboratory building and grounds, the
Committee noted a "grand stand" of steel recently erected upon
Holmes Field, within one hundred feet of the west wing ; and they
were informed by the Director that this mass of magnetic material
has caused a most vexatious variable disturbance in magnetometer
records of the "horizontal intensity" component of the earth's
magnetism. Having regard to the fact that in the construction of
the laboratory building a very considerable expenditure was made
for the exclusion of magnetic material from the west wing, it seems
almost incredible that the Administration of the University should
permit its purpose to be frustrated by a structure which is a mere
accessory to the game of base ball and other athletic sports.

From year to year, the Committee are impressed with the fact that

400

it is most desirable that the annual income of the Department of
Physics should be large enough to permit such a staff organization
as would allow the Director and several of his associates to devote
themselves exclusively to the original investigations for which they
are fitted by reason of their zeal and ability and their magnificent
laboratory surroundings.

FRANCIS BLAKE,
T. JEFFERSON COOLIDGE,
ELIHU THOMPSON,
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH.
May 13, 1897.

Note. — It was stated to the Board by the President of the University that
the steel stands were intended to be placed on the Soldiers Field, and that they
were only placed temporarily on Holmes Field at the request of the Athletic
Committee, and that the stands are to be removed.

LXXI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMPOSITION
AND RHETORIC.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

In dealing with the question of College English, or the advanced
education in writing, a serious difficulty is met with at the outset,
from the lack of an accepted basis of comparison between the present
and the past. The believers in the ancient methods and their results
are always numerous ; nor is it easy to decide whether they are right
or wrong in their assertions, so long as the evidence of results
actually achieved through what are commonly described as ' ' the
good old ways," and of the condition of affairs which really prevailed
in past times, rests almost wholly on memory and tradition. How
deceptive impressions so based are, is seen in the familiar instances
of the weather and longevity. Exceptional storms or seasons,
or cases of extreme old age, linger in the popular memory, and,
in the absence of the records of a weather bureau or of statistics
of vitality, are generalized into "old-fashioned winters" and a
patriarchal tenure of life wholly unlike the present. So as respects
the traditions of College English ; individual instances in the past,
which examination would probably show to be quite exceptional, have
left an impression ; and, in the absence of any record, or reliable
basis of comparison, these exceptional cases are referred to in dis-
cussion as if they represented the average standard of their time.

In examining the written work now done, and the results attained,
and pronouncing upon it and them, not only so far as the Academic
Department of any University is concerned, but also in the institu-
tions of Secondary Education, it would, therefore, be of the utmost
assistance if visitor or instructor could turn from the papers of the
present year to a collection of similar papers prepared under the
methods in use in 1850, and again in 1800. Such a direct com-
parison, did the data exist, besides being of interest in itself, could
hardly fail to set at rest several now much controverted questions.

Feeling at every step of their investigations the need of some such
data of comparison the Committee on Composition and Rhetoric
thought it would be wise in any event to make provision for the
future in this respect. Accordingly, after consultation with the in-
structors of the Department, the following subject for a written

402

composition was prepared, and given out to all the students in
the several English courses. The preparation of the paper was
necessarily optional with the students, as it could not be treated as a
regular exercise, nor count in the prescribed college work. In calling
for the paper, the instructors explained the object for which it was
desired, and the students understood that they were to prepare it at
such times and with such care as they saw fit.

The subject was as follows : — "Describe the training you received,
or the experience you may have had, in writing English before enter-
ing College, giving the names of the schools in which, or the instruc-
tors from whom, you received it ; and then, speaking in the light of
your subsequent work and experience in College, point out wherein
your preparatory training now seems to you to have been good and
sufficient, and wherein it seems to have been defective and to admit
of improvement."

This subject was given out in the latter part of November, 1896 ;
and the papers upon it were handed in during December. They
were, from the College proper, 1170 in number, the following table
showing the courses, the full number of students in each course,
and the number of those who actually filed papers : —

Name of Course.

Number of Students Number

in Course. who wrote.

English^ 562 467

English^ 91 64

English 22 312 278

English C 450 163

English 5 16 15

English 12 90 71

English 31 130 112

Total 1651 1170

Sixty-eight (68) students of the Lawrence Scientific School, and
seventy (70) of Radcliffe College also handed in papers ; making the
aggregate number 1308. In the College proper, papers were received
from 70 per cent, of the students in the several courses. All of the
papers were, when received, at once packed up and forwarded to the
Committee without examination, or with only a very cursory examin-
ation, on the part of the instructors.

Before considering these papers as a whole, or attempting to draw
any general conclusions from them as a body of evidence, it is
necessary as matter of record, and for the information of those
unacquainted with the Harvard College system now in use, to explain
briefly the scope of each course, and to summarize the papers filed
by the students taking it.

403

Course A.

This course is prescribed for Freshmen, and for first-year students
in the Lawrence Scientific School. Being an elementary course, it
may be, and not infrequently is, anticipated by the more intelligent
students or those from the better preparatory schools. Papers were
handed in by eighty-three (83) per cent, of the total number of those
taking the course. These papers may, therefore, as a whole be taken
as a sufficient representation of it ; though it would not be unfair to
assume that the seventeen (17) per cent, who failed to hand in state-
ments were probably not among the best equipped. Taking the
students who enter college annually as a whole, it might, therefore,
be not unreasonable to consider those in the course thus unrepresented
by papers as an offset to those who had anticipated the course. The
papers filed would in this way constitute a fair average Freshman
showing.

The most noticeable feature in these papers, taken as a whole, is
their extreme crudeness both of thought and execution. Indeed, the
first impression derived from a cursory examination of the two large
volumes (I and II) of the originals would probably be one of surprise
that such a degree of immaturity should exist in a body of young
men averaging nineteen years of age, coming from the best prepara-
tory schools in America, and belonging to the most well-to-do and
highly educated families. Some 60 out of the 467 papers showed
clearly that the writers, from deficiency in purely elementary training,
were not prepared to go on profitably in a college course. They
might be able to read ; they certainly could not write. The remainder
were, so far as the faculty of written expression was concerned, fitted
to pursue a college course advantageously ; but, as a rule, their
papers revealed other defects in the S3Tstems in use in the schools
from which they came, which will be hereafter more particularly
referred to.

Course B.

This course is prescribed for Sophomores who, having passed in
Course A, take neither Course 31 nor Course 22. It is open to those
students only who have passed in Course A. Courses B, 31 and 22
are on the same footing, but those take B who do not care to follow
English composition or wish to do no more in it than is prescribed.

Of the 91 students taking this course, 64, or 70 per cent, of the whole,
a fairly representative number handed in papers. These papers show
in a marked way the effect on the writers of the work done in Course A,
though the deficiency in earlier elementary training is still apparent
in the unduly numerous examples of bad penmanship and incorrect

404

spelling. The average attained is about that which under other and
more intelligent systems might reasonably be looked for from scholars
of eighteen years. In other respects the papers in this course (Vol.
Ill) afford merely cumulative evidence as to the preparatory school
methods indicated by the papers in Course A.

Course C.

This Course is prescribed for Juniors who, having passed in
Courses B, 31 or 22, do not take Course 30. It is open to those
students only who have passed in Course B, 31 or 22.

Of the students taking this course, practically one for the Junior
year, 163 out of a total number of 450 filed papers, or only 36 per
cent, of the whole. Not improbably this deficiency was in large
degree due to the fact that a subject almost exactly. similar had already
been assigned for a paper to be prepared in the regular course ; and,
naturally, a large proportion of the students did not care to pre-
pare two papers at the same time on one subject. Meanwhile the
papers filed (Vol. VII), while, perhaps, not to be accepted as a fair
example of the whole, were most noticeable for their improvement
over those of the earlier courses, and, indeed, for their general
intrinsic excellence. Not over one in twenty certainty, or less than
five (5) per cent, of the whole, were open to criticism on grounds of
bad penmanship, defective punctuation, or lack of good grammatical
expression. The average age of the writers was about 21 years,
and the work is satisfactory as indicating a sufficient proficiency in
written English for every practical purpose in life. The papers
speak for themselves, and reflect credit on the excellent work done
in the English department of the College. Moreover many of them
are highly suggestive, coming as they do from young men of more
mature mind and larger experience. The writers almost uniformily
express a decided judgment that the instruction given in the pre-
paratory schools in written English is inadequate, and that Course A
belongs properly to the Secondary Education. It may indeed be said
that not one of these papers which shows any degree of capachyy in
the writer, fails to express this opinion.

These papers also reveal in a striking, because almost always
unconscious, way, what has heretofore been the great defect in the
methods of instruction in written English in vogue in the common
preparatory schools. It has been taught almost wholly objectively,
or as an end ; almost never incidentally, and as a means. This
will be referred to more fully later on in this report, and is merely
alluded to now in connection with these papers from Course C. In
the great majority of the preparatory schools, English is still taught,

405

it would seem, not as a mother tongue, but as a foreign literature.
The reason is obvious. Formerly English was not taught in these
schools at all. It was supposed to be picked up incidentally, as it
were, and by the wayside, in pursuing the beaten path of classical
drill. Then it was by degrees introduced as a new college require-
ment; and, almost as a matter of course, the masters, following
the instincts of analogy, taught the new language required as they
were in the custom of teaching the old, — English was taught not
incidentally and in connection with other studies, but independently,
and as Latin and Greek were taught, through the analytical reading,
or perhaps rather the spelling out, of writings of certain specified
authors, and by exercises in so-called " composition," at stated times.
The results of this method are pointed out in the papers of Course (7,
and can be studied in those of Course A.

Courses 22 and 31.

These two courses should properly be considered together, as
Course 31 is practically but the second division of Course 22.

Course 22 is counted as the equivalent of Course _B, but as an
elective it is open only to those who in Course A have attained the
Grade G; while Course 31 is open to all who, having passed Coursed,
with any sufficient grade, prefer an elective to Course B. Courses
22 and 31, while in some respects equivalent to Course .B, are
intermediate between Courses A and G and are to a large extent
Sophomore courses.

From Course 22, ninety (90) per cent, of the students handed in
papers, and eighty-six (86) per cent, from Course 31. They may
probably be taken as fairly representative. Of these papers about
ten (10) per cent, in Course 22, and fifteen (15) per cent, in
Course 31 are below the proper standard both in thought and in
mechanical execution. They show that in these respects, and to
this degree, the college instruction had not yet made good the
deficiency in the elementary drill in the preparatory schools. If
examples of slovenly school-boy scrawls, which would disqualify
the writer for employment in any counting-house or office, were
needed, they could easily be furnished in fac-simile from the papers
on file (Vols. IV, V, VI) in these two courses.

Certain of these papers are suggestive in one important respect.
They were written by graduates of Normal Schools. Teachers from
those schools should appreciate the necessity of early training in
written English, for it is their especial mission to impart it to
others at the most impressionable period of life. They should,
therefore, in their work give evidence of severe, mechanical, ele-

406

mentary drill, received in the Normal Schools. They ought them-
selves to be writing-masters. The indications are, however, that the
Normal school standard is in this respect unduly low, and that our
teachers need themselves to be taught. (Appendix Nos. 1 and 2.)

Course 12.

This Course is open to those only who have attained Grade C in
Course B, 22 or 31, already referred to. Those composing it are
chiefly Juniors or Seniors, though among them are some Sophomores
and a few students from the Lawrence Scientific School, Special
Students and Resident Graduates. Of the 90 taking the Course,
71, or eighty (80) per cent, submitted papers (Vol. VIII).

The papers from Course 12, while noticeably better and, in all
mechanical respects, more workmanlike than the papers from the
earlier courses, are especially suggestive as coming from scholars
who had left the preparatory schools several years ago, and before
the effects of the recent agitation on the subject of written English
had made themselves felt to the extent they since have. In these
papers, therefore, the old system is described in a number of schools
which have since introduced improved methods. The several steps
in the process of change can thus be studied by comparing the
statements of students in this course with the statements made by
students from the same schools included in the earlier courses. In
this respect many of these papers are of value.

Course 5.

This is an advanced course. Fifteen out of the sixteen students
taking it handed in papers, and they are of interest, first, because
of the conclusions and suggestions to be found in them, and, secondly,
because they show the degree of workmanlike capacity acquired by
the most mature and highly trained of all those among the Harvard
students taking written English instruction. As a rule these papers
bear closely on the questions fundamental to this discussion.

Lawrence Scientific School.

The papers in Course BC, sixty-eight (68) in number, were handed
in later than the others, and are bound by themselves in Vol. IX.
This course corresponds in part to Course B and in part to Course (7,
and is prescribed for students in the Lawrence Scientific School. It
is open to those only who have passed in Course A.

The papers filed in this course were noticeably inferior in nearly
all respects, — thought, neatness of execution, spelling, penmanship

407

and observation, — to the papers in the other courses. They con-
tributed nothing to the general result, and no extracts from them are
included in the Appendix. Taken as a whole they were the least
creditable, as well as least suggestive, part of the exhibit.

Radcliffe College.

This cannot be said of the seventy (70) papers from the Radcliffe
College students (female) which are included in the collection.
(Vol. VIII.) These have an interest and value of their own, and
will repay examination. Nearly all the English courses are repre-
sented in them. In mechanical execution, — neatness, penmanship,
punctuation and orthography, — they show a marked superiority in
standard over the papers from the courses of the College proper, —
perhaps three (3) only of the whole failing to reach the proper
level. In their contents also they reveal unmistakably a greater
degree of conscientious, painstaking effort, — the desire to perform
faithfully and well the allotted task. On the other hand, in thought
and in form, they are less robust and less self-assertive. A few are
sprightly ; none of them indicate any especial capacity for observ-
ing, or attempt, in pointing out defects and difficulties, anything
which might be termed a thoughtful solution of them.

The 1308 papers handed in as above from the students in the
seven specified Harvard courses, the Lawrence Scientific School, and
from Radcliffe, have all been read by the Committee, and upon them
the present report is based. They have also been carefully gone
over and indexed under the heads of the writers' names, and the
names of the schools mentioned. The whole collection, together
with the index, has then been bound in nine (9) large volumes,
which have been deposited in the College Library for the information
of all who may now be interested in the subject of this report, and
also as a starting point, as well as basis of future comparison.

As a body of evidence bearing on the present condition of the
Secondary Education, and the methods of instruction in written
English there in use, these papers have seemed to the Committee
both of direct and indirect value. Their direct value is found in the
statements made in them concerning the systems now or recently
pursued in some four hundred and seventy -five (475) different
schools in all parts of the United States, together with a few in
Europe. These statements are entitled to various degrees of weight,
depending on the intelligence, the correctness of recollection, and
the power of observation of those making them ; and these qualities

408

of the writers, it is proper to say, vary in such a marked degree
that it is at times difficult to reconcile the accounts of a school given
by several scholars coming from that school at the same time. In
such cases, however, the intrinsic evidence in certain papers of care,
accuracy and intelligent insight almost invariably suffice to enable
a reader to select such as most nearly present the real state of
facts.

In this connection reference may also perhaps best be made to
another point. It has sometimes been urged that putting this
evidence of past scholars as to the schools in which they had been
taught on the shelves of a librae for public inspection is open to grave
criticism, inasmuch as opportune and even temptation is thus held
out for false and possibly malicious ex parte statements, through
which, so to speak, old scores might be wiped out, often in an
unjustifiable way ; while the master, from the very nature of the
case, is cut off from any defence either of his system of instruction,
or of himself. He might thus find himself held suddenly up to
lasting ridicule or opprobrium, without remedy, or even the pos-
sibility of answer. This objection the Committee wishes once and
for all, to say has beeu kept steadily in mind. The papers have
been carefully read with a view to excluding any statements which
were unfair, harsh or indicative of malice. They proved, however,
noticeably free from everything of the sort. In most cases both
schools and teachers are spoken of in a kindly, and often even an
affectionate, tone ; and, while, as would naturally be the case, the
systems in use are frequently criticized, and, in the light of fresh
college experience, pronounced wrong or inadequate, in no single
instance was this done in an unworthy spirit or abusive tone. Indeed,
it has seemed to the Committee that the masters of the preparatory
schools named, — and there are few of the better equipped schools
of the country which are not named, — could hardly pass a day more
profitably than by turning in these volumes to the papers now written
by their former pupils, and reading there fresh criticisms of themselves
and their methods. They would find much that is dull, commonplace,
unintelligent and unappreciative ; much, also, the reverse of this : but
they would see themselves and their methods as, in the light of subse-
quent experience, others see them, and might derive therefrom profit
always and encouragement sometimes.

But, as a body of evidence on the present condition of the Second-
ary Education as respects instruction in written English, the chief
value of these papers lies in the indirect, or unconscious light they
throw upon a curiously heterogeneous sj'stem of almost undirected,
natural growth. In this respect they are not open to question.

409

Their mechanical execution, their admissions and their omissions,
their forms of expression, and efforts at observation and criticism
speak for themselves. They reflect, and reflect accurately, because
unconsciously, a transitional phase in education. Their future value
from this point of view can hardly fail to be considerable, and ever
increasing.

An examination of them reveals also the reason of the break, or
perhaps lack of perfect connection, which at present seems to exist
between the Preparatory Schools and the College ; it also reveals the
tendenc}' of development which has already in great degree brought
the two into a more perfect connection ; and, finally, it indicates in a
manner not easily to be mistaken the process now going on, and through
which the desired result will, in the opinion of the Committee, at no
remote day be brought about. These several deductions it is proposed
to develop in the present report. In so doing use will be freely
made of the various papers as evidence, or for purposes of illustration.
No fac-similes seem to be required. A sufficiency of such have
l)een furnished in the previous reports of the Committee ; and,
though many more could be furnished from the body of papers now
under consideration, were more needed or called for, it seems, for
present purposes, merely necessary to quote in print from certain of
them. These papers, whether reproduced in whole or in part, have
in every case been selected because they contain some peculiarly
•clear and simple statement ; or because they vividly illustrate some
phase of development or point in controversy ; or, finally, because
they indicate on the part of the writer a grasp of the subject, or a
special literary aptitude. For, while the mass of the papers are,
as was of course to be expected, commonplace and monotonous,
a few of them contain matter bright, observant, reflective, and at
times humorous ; and from such the Committee has endeavored
to make selection.

In the first place, the Committee desires to premise that, taken as a
whole, the conclusions and inferences to be drawn from these papers
are distinctly and unmistakably encouraging. That much room still
exists for improvement and an elevation of standard, is apparent,
when it is said that the papers from English A show conclusively
that about 25 per cent, of the students now admitted to Harvard are
unable to write their mother tongue with the ease and freedom abso-
lutely necessary to enable them to proceed advantageously in any
college course. In other words, one in every four of the papers filed
in English A is in a mechanical way so badly done, — so ill-written,

410

incorrectly spelled, ungrammatically expressed, and generally unwork-
manlike,— that it clearly shows the writer out of place in college,
and material proper for the Grammar even, rather than for the
Secondary, school. This is made apparent even by a cursory exam-
ination. And yet, none the less, these very papers have their value,
inasmuch as they reveal through the statements they contain wherein
is to be found the root of the trouble ; and, moreover, they further
indicate the steps now being taken to remove that trouble. In
this connection it is difficult to over-estimate the importance of
the work done by the English Department of the College. It has
been described in the document recently published entitled " Twenty
Years of School and College English ; " * and it affords the Committee
no little satisfaction to say that the papers under consideration furnish
evidence, both abundant and incontrovertible, of the far-reaching and
beneficent influence of the policy and efforts therein referred to.

To appreciate, however, the necessity as well as the nature and
scope of this recent work of the English Department, it is necessary
to understand its connection with what has gone before, — the
situation must be considered from the historical point of view ; for,
only when so considered, can the process of gradual and necessaiy
development which has been going on for a score of years, and will
probably continue for an equal time to come, be intelligently com-
prehended. That it should be intelligently comprehended, especi-
ally by those engaged in the work of secondary instruction is most
desirable ; for it seems to be altogether too frequently supposed
that the increased English requirements for college admission have
ncr other object than the development of a new and somewhat super-
fluous branch of general education, in no way necessarily connected
with the other and traditional branches ; and, moreover, one which is
handled in a somewhat vexatious and incomprehensible fashion. Yet
that this has not really been the case becomes apparent the moment
the situation is looked at in its antecedent connection.

Speaking generally, and in the absence of any accepted basis of
evidence, it may be said that forty years ago Harvard College, and the
schools which prepared for admission to it, were in close touch with
each other ; or, in other words, the systems of instruction pursued in
the two were much the same. In each, it was in largest part oral ;
that is, in the college as in the school, the scholar prepared his

* Four papers prepared by Professors Hill and Briggs and Mr. Hurlbut
between 1879 and 1892, and republished with an " Introductory Note " and Appen-
dix among the Harvard University Publications, in 1896. An acquaintance
with this document is necessary to any correct understanding of the present
phase of the " College English " discussion.

411

lesson, and, when called upon, stood up in class and recited to the
instructor, answering questions and otherwise indicating orally his
familiarity with the subject. Themes and forensics were prepared
and handed in at certain stages of the college course and at stated
intervals, — once a month or twice a term, as the case might be.
The college classes, also, were then comparatively small, and the
work imposed on the instructors correspondingly light, and limited
to the recitation room.

About the year 1870 a change began to make itself felt, first in
numbers and then in the methods of the college, which gradually
brought about what amounted to a revolution. The classes increased
in size nearly fourfold, so as to become wholly unmanageable for oral
recitation, and the elective system was greatly enlarged ; step by
step, the oral method of instruction was then abandoned, and a
system of lectures, with periodic written examinations, took its
place ; so that at last the whole college work was practically done in
writing. The need of facility in written expression was, of course,
correspondingly increased. Without the power of writing his mother
tongue readily and legibly a college student was not equipped for the
work he had to do, inasmuch as he did not have at his control an
implement essential in doing that work. Writing English had thus
become a mere incident, and no longer an end, in the student's
college processes. This was so from the day he presented himself
for the entrance examination forward to his graduation ; and, prob-
ably, at no time in his whole course did he feel the need of the tool
so acutely as on the day when he sat down, a candidate for admis-
sion, with the dreaded examination papers before him.

Meanwhile, naturally enough, no similar or corresponding change
took place in the sj^stem of instruction in vogue in the preparatory
schools. They went on in the traditional oral methods. The scholars
continued to stand up in class as their fathers had done before them,
and what written work they did was almost never incidental, but
by and for itself. Confined to stated exercises in penmanship or,
so called, composition, at given intervals of time, it was not suffi-
cient in amount to give the scholar a sense of familiarity or ease.
It was as if a boy had been taught to skate, to ride a bicycle or to
play ball, through oral and theoretical instruction in the principles
of lines, curves and balancing, with one hour of practice once a
month, or even twice in three weeks. Of course, through such a
method of instruction, without daily practice, be would never learn
to play ball or skate familiarly or well.

Thus the schools by degrees ceased to prepare for the college.
Scholars accustomed to oral work presented themselves for a written

412

examination, with practical results which have been set forth in the
facsimiles submitted in previous reports of this Committee. The
College Faculty, perplexed at the unprepared condition of those they
were practically compelled to admit, went on raising the requirements
in written English, while the schools still continued their English
instruction in the old-fashioned objective way, — more "themes,"
u compositions," " essays," were exacted, but the oral class instruc-
tion was adhered to. The friction, for such it amounted to, between
the school and the college thus steadily increased.

The Freshman course known as English A was accordingly intro-
duced, representing what might be called the intermediate stage, —
that between school and college. The scholar trained in the oral
system, with English simply used objectively, or as an exercise by
itself and for itself, was compelled to take this course in order that
he might learn to use English incidentally, or as a necessarj* medium
in other courses. The papers forwarded to the Committee from the
students taking this course, and now placed on the shelves of the
Library, were not only in number more than those from any other
course, constituting indeed 40 per cent, of all sent in, but, taken as
a whole, they were the most interesting and suggestive ; though to a
very large extent unconsciously so.

The problem presented is obvious to any one who will take the
trouble to read these papers in English A ; while the difficulty in the
way of its solution at once suggests itself. At the same time, in
theory at least, the way to overcome that difficulty is not far to seek.
The problem is to increase to a very great extent the work in written
English now done in the preparatory schools, and at the same time
largely to change its character. More practice, more daily drill and
severe discipline are required. The difficulty is to find time for this
practice, drill and discipline. The contention is that the requirements
already made occupy all the time available ; and the daily theme or
essay or composition, however desirable, can only be got from the
scholar by sacrificing some other, and more necessary, study. The
solution seems to be simple ; — English should be taught in the pre-
paratory schools not, as now, altogether objectively, but incidentally,
and in connection with other studies, — mathematics, geography,
history and, especially, foreign languages and the Classics.

Take the Classics as an example of what is proposed. The theory
upon which the study of the Classics, both Greek and Latin, has
always been, and still is, insisted upon as the best introduction to a
college course, is that in no other way can a knowledge of construc-
tion, grammar and vocabulary be so well acquired. It is the most
thorough possible grounding in written expression. However true

413

this may be in theory, it is in practice, under the oral methods now
pursued, to a very large extent fallacious. The two things are
taught separately, and, as the previous reports of the Committee
demonstrate, the candidates for admission to Harvard can neither
write English, nor translate into English the classic authors. Yet few
who look into the subject carefully will, it is probable, feel disposed to
deny that the rendering of passages from the classic authors into writ-
ten English is on the whole the most severe discipline possible both in
the study of Greek and Latin, and in writing English. The candidate
for admission to college who is able to meet that test, need feel no
apprehension as respects the other branches of English. Here then
is a place where time can be saved, and the necessary discipline
given in clearly written English. The present slovenly, inexact oral
method of rendering the Classics "into that lazy, mongrel dialect,
'Translation English,'" can, and, as the examination papers show,
should give way, at least in part, to daily written work.

The practical objection made to this method of instruction is
obvious. It is supposed to involve great additional outside labor on
the part of the masters of the preparatory- schools. The written
translations, it is assumed, must be examined, out of school hours,
by the instructors, corrected and returned to the scholars. If this
were indeed the case the objection to the method proposed would be
final. School-masters are mortal ; and, being mortal, they must have
rest from their labors. They cannot work out of hours, as well as in
hours. But is this process necessary ? It would not so seem. The
course here suggested is not proposed as a substitute for the present
English and classical instruction, but as incidental to it. Every
other day, for instance, the recitation from the Classics would be,
not oral, but, as in the college, written. The scholars when they
came into the class, would appear with a written translation in their
hands. Instead then of rendering the lesson of the day orally, as
now, such of them as were called on would read from the papers
they had prepared. These papers the instructor could take, in the
class, glance over them, and satisfy himself as to the execution ; the
papers of such as were not called upon at that recitation would then
be handed to the master for such further examination as he might wish
to give to them, or consigned directly to the waste-paper basket, —
in either case the scholars would have had their drill in preparing the
lesson, and their turn to be called upon would come some other day.
The whole class is not necessarily called on for oral recitation now ;
it would not be called on for written recitation then. The severe,
constant, daily discipline and practice would, all the same, have been
undergone ; and the master would have disposed of his work during
school-hours.

414

The system would, too, admit of alternation, and a consequent
variety of exercise, which would afford a much needed relief to both
instructor and scholar, by breaking up that tedious monotony of
method, the bane of the average school. The written exercise in
the Classics of one day, could the next be followed by one in
mathematics, or history, or French, or German, or geography. But
every day some recitatation, now conducted orally, should be con-
ducted in writing. In this way the scholars would be accustomed
before entering college to use written English as a means, and not
merely as an end. They would then write as they now speak ; — in
other words the}' would in their preparatory training be taught to
talk with the pen.

It is, indeed, not unsafe to sa}r that the schools and the college
will not be brought into close sympathy and complete touch until
this incidental method is introduced into the Secondary Education.
But, on the other hand, there should be no misunderstanding as to
the extent of the change in method proposed, or the way in which it
should be introduced. The incidental method of instruction is
not intended to supplant either the old oral method, or the present
training in English composition, but merely to take their place to
a limited but an ever increasing extent. The oral method has its
distinct educational value, for the ability to express oneself in speech
is of even more importance than the ability to express oneself on
paper ; and, in this respect, the present college system may, perhaps,
be open to criticism. But, this apart, as between the preparatory
schools and the college, the two methods should not be distinct;
they should, on the contrary, insensibly merge into each other. It
might be well for the college to recur in some degree to oral
methods ; but, whether it does or does not, it is obvious that
during the last two years of every preparatory course it should be
the practice to have more and more of each day's work done in writ-
ing. But again this incidental class-writing must not be made a
substitute for the formal written work now done. It must be in
addition thereto ; and regular written compositions, periodically called
for, should, as now, be subjected to severe, out-of-school, correction,
and equally severe, in-school, revision.

Such is the problem ; and such the theoretical solution of it. As is
usual, however, the solution proposed fails to commend itself to the
judgment of a large portion, perhaps much the larger portion, of
those engaged in the work of secondary education. It is, when not
characterized as absurd, pronounced not practical as an every day,
working, school-system. Wedded to the accustomed methods and
the ancient ways, neither teacher nor pupil take kindly and at once

to innovations, and especially to innovations which involve more
severe mental effort and more exacting drill, — in a word, more
drudgery. There is, among the extracts from the papers submitted
in the Appendix to this report one (No. 90) both interesting and
suggestive on this point, the introduction of the method proposed hav-
ing led to "a storm of angry criticism"; yet, afterwards, its efficiency
was recognized. As a system it is, perhaps, open to the objection that
it involves drudgery; indeed, effective systems of discipline, intel-
lectual or physical, educational or military, are usually open to that
objection. The traditional oral method in school-teaching may be
slip-shod and slovenly ; undeniably — for the college papers prove it
— it does lead directly " into that lazy, mongrel dialect ' Translation
English ' " already referred to ; but, none the less, it has the advan-
tage of being eas}r. The written method, on the contrar}', is crucial.
It brings ignorance and carelessness at once to the surface, and
compels their correction. This commends itself neither to the aver-
age teacher nor to the average scholar ; and they become at once
fertile in objections.

It is in their bearing on this phase of the problem that the papers
herewith submitted are most valuable. They constitute in them-
selves, as the extracts from them show, not only an unconscious
debate, but a debate that is, on the issue presented, final and con-
clusive. There is in them a general and decisive agreement that
English A as now conducted is not a proper college course, but
should be relegated to the preparatory schools. On this point there
is practically no division of opinion. But here the agreement ceases,
and the writers divide themselves into two classes. The first, and
by far the larger class, representing, indeed, the great bulk of the
schools, raise the objection of time ; they describe how the methods
in use in the schools from which they came, — the occasional theme,
composition or essay, — the reading and analysis of authors and the
consequent discussions of " st}*le," — consumed the school hours.
They then declare that the daily theme, however desirable, could
not have been introduced without a displacement of some other
indispensable study. (Appendix, Nos. 3-68.) This conclusion, and
the thoroughly practical considerations on which it is based, could not
well be expressed more concisely than in the following extract, typical
of many, from one of the papers handed in to the Committee : —
"I believe that I received far too little training in writing English,
for my own good ; but I feel sure that I could not have given up a
part of any other subject to make more time for writing English,
without greatty lessening my chances of passing all my examinations
for Harvard College."

416

Such is the contention on one side. On the other side a much
smaller body of writers describe a different system as already pre-
vailing in the schools from which they came, — the incidental system,
— the exact system which suggests itself in theory, and which is so fre-
quently, and somewhat contemptuously, dismissed, as being excellent
in theory, but in working not practical. Though all indications of the
sources from which they came are for obvious reasons suppressed in
the papers and extracts from papers herewith submitted as bearing
on this subject, it is noticeable also that the schools which are de-
scribed as rapidly drifting into the incidental methods and accommo-
dating themselves to the new conditions, are almost invariably those
generally recognized as the more intelligent and progressive, and
those, also, the students from which present the most creditable and
observant papers. From these papers (Appendix, Nos. 69-119) it
will be seen that a number of schools have brought themselves already
into touch and sympathy with the college, assuming English iasa
part of the preparatory course, and thus sending up their graduates
equipped at the outset to go forward in advanced work.

For this reason the Committee has referred to the discussion to
be found in these papers as final on the point at issue. It is difficult
to persist in declaring a system of training absurd, or even not practi-
cal, which is found to be both in actual use, and in a use which is both
increasing and successful ; and that, too, in the most approved schools.
Whatever may be said to the contrary, its general adoption becomes
then a question only of time. The evidence contained in the body of
papers and extracts herewith submitted is in the judgment of the
Committee so conclusive on this point, as to obviate the necessity of
further discussion ; and for this reason, as a mere unsupported asser-
tion in regard to its existence and character would not probably be
accepted as sufficient, it has seemed to the Committee expedient to
spread that evidence upon the record to an extent which, under other
circumstances, might be thought unnecessary. Moreover, the debate
itself, conducted as it was by those looking at the issue from no
mere abstract or theoretical point of view but in the light of fresh
personal experience, is in a marked degree graphic and instructive.
.It is not the evidence of one witness or of several, speaking of a
local and exceptional experiment and its results, nor is it testimony
slowly elicited in response to leading interrogatories. On the con-
trary, as will be seen from an examination of these extracts, at
once many and copious, they are the spontaneous expression of a
large number of students, fresh from many schools, bearing, always
directly, often unconsciously, on a phase of educational develop-
ment. As such they, in the judgment of the Committee, constitute
the one portion of this report likely to prove of permanent value.
Hence the space allotted to them.

417

The Committee have thus endeavored to set forth (1) the historical
origin of the unsatisfactory state of affairs as respects " College Eng-
lish," now existing, and of which so much has of late been heard;
(2) the steps which have, more or less intelligently, been taken in
consequence thereof ; (3) the gradual remedial process now going
on : while the large body of papers placed in the College Library in
connection with this report throw, as the Committee has already said,
a light both interesting and valuable on the different phases and the
ultimate tendency of that process. As regards the last, also, the
rate of progress indicated in these papers, while seeming slow to
some, can hardly be considered otherwise than satisfactory, con-
sidering the size and wholly unorganized character of the body to
be influenced, — hundreds of schools, public and private, general
and specialized, planted amid surroundings which vary greatly in
character, preparing thousands annually for admission into scores
of institutions of the advanced education. A few of the numerous
passages to be found in the papers submitted, bearing on the great
number and varied character of the schools, have been selected, and
can be found in the Appendix (Nos. 146-158). They will suffice for
purpose of illustration. But where a body of institutions so hetero-
geneous, so widely scattered, and of such varied environment are
to be influenced and brought into line, progress must necessarily
be slow, and cannot but be attended with friction and loss of power,
inevitable, but not the less on that account to be regretted.

But, while all this is true, it should also be added that the lamentable
waste of time and expenditure of misdirected effort revealed through-
out these papers, is largely due to a misunderstanding among those
engaged in the work of the proper functions or province, as respects
English education, of the college and the secondary schools. The
two, it is apparent, have not yet assumed their recognized relations
to each other ; and, in consequence, while the college is today forced
to do much work of a purely elementary character which properly
should be done in the secondary schools, those schools on the other
hand are in many cases endeavoring to do the work which properly
belongs to the college.

The course known as English A is the debatable ground, and to
that course it is always necessary to recur in carrying on the discus-
sion. The scope and character of Course A have already been referred
to. The instruction given in it is purely elemental, — teaching boys
the rudiments of English composition ; to which, as the evidence
herewith put on record altogether too clearly proves, penmanship
ought by good rights to be added : for, if the University undertakes
to do Grammar school work, it should at least do it thoroughly, and

418

not, as now, in a half-hearted way. Accordingly, if it means to con-
tinue what is known as " English A " as part of the college course,
it should, under existing conditions of the primary and secondary
education, proceed forthwith to create chairs of Chirography, Or-
thography, and Punctuation to supplement the existing chairs of
Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres, and to relieve their now sadly over-
worked occupants. In other words the students when sent up for
admission lack elementary training ; and, in subsequently giving that
training to them, the University has to do the work of both the
Grammar and the Preparatory schools. In this respect, and it is a
very important respect, the present requirements for college admis-
sion seem to the Committee decidedly too lax. They should be
raised at least to the point of compelling candidates to prepare their
examination papers neatly, legibly and with a certain amount of
mechanical facility, including a decent regard for penmanship,
grammar and spelling. As the papers herewith deposited in the
Library conclusively prove, these are not now requirements for
admission to Harvard.

On the other hand these papers show an equally strange confusion
in the minds of a large proportion of the teachers concerning the prov-
ince of the secondary schools in the matter of English composition.
Because the college requirements call for a certain amount of written
English, including pnpers in the nature of abstracts of a number of
specified books, it seems to be altogether too frequently assumed that
the institutions of secondary education are expected annually to send
up for admission to college solid phalanxes of potential authors,
essayists, and litterateurs. The evidence of this delusion is to be
found almost everywhere in the nine volumes of papers under con-
sideration,— evidence incontrovertible, because wholly unconscious,
and some of it comical, did it not, from its revelation of misdirected
effort and unintelligent zeal, verge on the pathetic.

Take, for example, the matter of reading standard authors. It is,
of course, most desirable to set good literary models before children
in the preparatory schools, and to familiarize them as early as pos-
sible with the names and works of the great English writers ; and the
college, therefore, very properly demands on the part of candidates
for admission a certain familarity with our better literature* and with
tile masters of what is known as " style." From the educational point
of view, and as an element in learning how to write, the reading the

* The nomenclature is sometime a little startling, if it assumed to indicate
familiarity with the works of great English writers ; as, for instance, the follow-
ing in one paper, " certain books, such as Scott's ' Old Immortality and Lady
of the Lake,' and Longfellow's ' Evangeline,' "

419

works of these writers is just as important as, reverting to the com-
parison already used, it is for a boy eager to excel in skating, in play-
ing base-ball, or in riding a bicycle to watch experts or professionals
as they perform their feats upon the ice, in the rink, or on the ball-
ground. Provided he is observing and interested, the boy, while
thus looking on, learns to distinguish really good skating, good ball-
playing, and skilful bicycling from the work of bunglers ; and this
helps him greatly in his own daily practice. It is well, however, that
both instructor and scholar should realize that the mere reading of
books, though good so far as it goes, will no more of itself make a
writer than the looking at masterpieces will make an artist, or listen-
ing to music a composer.* There is no easy road, any more than
there is a royal road, to excellence in any of these fields. In all of
them, on the contrary, not excellence, but only proficiency, is the
ordinary result of long-sustained, strenuous labor under careful in-
struction ; and mere proficiency even will not come through parrot-
like imitation.

The instructor, too, must not only appreciate this somewhat impor-
tant fact, but he must have a clear understanding of his own part in
the work. Unfortunately, as the evidence herewith submitted only
too plainly shows, this is at present not always the case. The
instructor, in altogether too many instances, does not know how
to do his part in the work, and consequently the study of literary
models as now carried on in our schools of secondary education not
infrequently does more harm than good. Not only, as the papers
show, is it marked by a pitiful waste of valuable time, but it leaves
behind it a sense of weariness and disgust rather than mind hunger.
For instance what possible benefit can immature boys derive from
devoting a large portion of a whole school term to the analysis of
a single oration of Webster's by paragraphs, sentences and clauses ;
or what but a sense of repulsion can result, if children, needing
assimilative nutriment and craving the stimulant of interest, are daily

* " I do not wish to say a word against the particular school which I attended,
nor against the schools of the West. From all I can hear this lamentable state
of things exists in nearly all the high schools of our country, East or West. This
system of teaching English, — of pounding very abstract principles into very con-
crete heads is one of the subjects of my complaint. A person may know every
note of a piece of music, he may know and feel every mark of expression, on
the mental instrument he may execute the composition with wonderful skill, —
but, seated before the real piano, his untrained fingers will wander helpless in
the confusion of keys. A person may have read every book written on the life,
language and customs of Homer and his time, but the only way to know Homer
is to read Homer himself. So it is I think the only way to learn to write Eng-
lish, is to practice writing English." Extract from an English A paper, by a
student from Montana.

420

dosed with long and to them nauseous, because unintelligible, drafts
from Emerson, Ruskin, Cardinal Manning, Matthew Arnold and
Walter Pater? Upon this point the papers which accompany the
present report are curiously suggestive.

Indeed, such educational performances as are again and again
described in them with perfect simplicity and obvious truthfulness
would be reckoned impossible in anything but what is known as
" English composition," — something obviously supposed to be quite
other than plain written English. "Composition," it is apparent,
is assumed to be high art in writing, — what is somewhat ambitiously
known as Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres. Accordingly, educational
eccentricities are sometimes revealed in the preparatory schools which
would scarcely be thought credible but for the evidence now placed
on record. For instance, taking once more other branches of
development, for purpose of illustration, the great masters of written
expression are no less rare than the great masters of painting or
of music, — a Milton, an Addison, a Burke or an Emerson would
rank in the individuality or choiceness of his work with a Rembrandt,
a Titian or a Millet in painting, or a Mozart, a Beethoven or a
Wagner in music. A school-master, whose business it was to instruct
children of from 15 to 18 years of age in the elements of drawing,
painting or music, with a view to passing an examination for admit-
tance into some Academy, would naturally devote his time and that
of his classes, to a severe discipline in the first rudiments of music
and draughtsmanship, — the practice of the scales and the drawing
of straight lines, the flexibility of the muscles, the facility of the
fingers and the correctness of ear and eye. But what would be
thought of a master who, instead of this, exhibited a copy, — a
good copy, perhaps, — of a portrait by Titian or Velasquez, Rubens
or Reynolds, or played to his pupils, or took them to hear, a com-
position of Wagner, Mozart or Beethoven, — analyzing according
to his lights and after his own fashion the masterpieces under
consideration, pointing out differences of method and manner, and
then, after thus directing the budding intelligence of those who did
not yet know really how to draw a line or strike a note, and who
were not mature enough to have any correct appreciation of what
they had seen or heard, should tell them to sit down at their
desks and paint a portrait after the manner first of Rembrandt and
then of Velasquez, or compose a symphon}' in the style of Mozart as
distinguished from that of Beethoven? Yet, incredible as it seems,
this is now done in some of the preparatory schools.

The papers, especially those of English A, afford manjr examples
and instances, a few of which are reproduced and herewith submitted

421

in evidence of the defects and absurdities of instruction just referred
to. (Appendix, Nos. 120-142.) Indeed, as a whole, these 1300
papers may be said to be full of loose, meaningless talk, — perhaps
cant would not be too strong a descriptive word, — about " style,"
"mass," "individuality," "rhetoric," "originality," "expression,"
"technique," "barbarisms," "solecisms," etc., etc., indicating an
utter lack on the part of those who had instructed the writers of the
proper limits of the work assigned them to do ; — that is, of the true
province of the schools of secondary education as respects written
English as opposed to the province of the college.* No satisfactory
result can be hoped for until these limits are not only defined, but
generally understood and accepted.

The province of the secondary education is, then, not to train up
and develop whole classes of potential Miltons, Defoes, Addisons,
Macaula}Ts and Hawthornes, — it has, on the contrary nothing what-
ever to do with such processes, and whatever mistakenly, or from
excess of zeal, it may do in that direction will probably be ill
done, and have of necessity, with much vexation of spirit, to be
wholly undone and painfully redone. (Appendix Nos. 143-145.)
It is the University, not the Preparatory School, which has to do
with "style" and "individuality," " Mass, Coherence and Form,"
with, in a word, that much abused and misused branch of study
known in educational parlance as " Rhetoric." The province of the
preparatory schools is to train the scholar, boy or girl, and train him
or her thoroughly, in what can only be described as the elements and
rudiments of written expression, — they should teach facile, clear
penmanship, correct spelling, simple grammatical construction, and
neat, workmanlike, mechanical execution. And this is no slight or
simple task. It certainly, as these papers show, is not generally
accomplished now. Nor will the desired result ever be brought
about by occasional or spasmodic exercises of a half hour or one
hour now and again, at intervals of three days, a week or a fortnight,
throughout the school course, — it demands stead}-, daily drill, and
drudgery of a kind most wearisome. Its purpose and aim are not
ambitious, — its work is not inspiring ; — no more ambitious and no

* " I think, too, that my style of writing was never paid enough attention to.
One teacher told us that, unless we were geniuses, we probably had no style of
our own. I was no genius, but I had a style, and a very poor one it was. The
form of my work was criticised, grammatical and rhetorical errors were pointed
out, but no one was good enough to tell me to get back to simplicity and leave
off trying to make an impression. That I have had to learn myself." The fore-
going extract from one of the papers submitted by the Radcliffe College students
is, in several respects, suggestive. The writer was a graduate of a Massachusetts
city High School and Normal School.

422

more inspiring than the similar elementary drill in the musical scales,
or the mixing of colors and drawing of straight lines. Its end is to
so train the child, muscularly and mentally, from its earliest years,
that when it completes its school education he or she may be able on
occasion to talk with the pen as well as with the tongue, — in other
words to make a plain, clear, simple statement of any matter under
consideration, neatly written, correctly spelled, grammatically ex-
pressed : — And this is English A.

The scholar, when this result is accomplished, and not before, is
prepared for admission to college. The preparatory school has then,
in so far, done its work, and done it well. It remains afterwards for
the student, guided by his necessities or following his aptitudes, to
decide what use he will make of his elementary training. In nineteen
cases out of twenty, it will be found to suffice for his future needs.
He has all the power and facility of written expression he requires to
enable him, whether in college or in practical life, to do his work or
accomplish his aims. He may feel no call, and have no wish, to become
an essa}*ist, an author, or a litterateur, — but in his business or voca-
tion he can express himself indifferently with the tongue or with the
pen. Fortunately our college classes are not wholly composed of
would-be or even nascent Macaulays, Carlyles and Ruskins, Walter
Paters or Stevensons ; but when the one man in twenty presents
himself, who, after full and sufficient drill and drudgery in the rudi-
ments, elects to go forward to a more advanced literary education, it
then becomes the province of the University to take him in hand, and
afford him every facility for so doing.

Both the secondary and the advanced education will, in the judg-
ment of the Committee, continue in the present transitional, and
somewhat confused transitional, phase, until these distinct provinces
are recognized, and each confines itself to, or is left free to fulfil, its
proper functions. For a considerable time yet to come, it is to be
feared, the preparatory schools will continue worse than wasting much
valuable time, under the erroneous idea that through attempts, at
once futile and ludicrous, to make crude boys bear a remote resem-
blance to certain great authors, they are merely meeting college
requirements ; on the other hand, they will also go on sending up a
large proportion of those who annually present themselves for admis-
sion to the colleges untrained in the rudiments of written English,
for the very obvious reason that those thus sent up have never been
subjected to that monotonous daily practice without which ease in
the use of the pen can no more be obtained than could excellence
in foot-ball, rowing, or tennis. Meanwhile the college must con-
tinue to accept this unprepared material, and practically devote a

423

very considerable part of one of the four years of its course to
teaching those who now should be students, but are in fact still
school-boys, how to use the necessary tools. Having taught them
this, it is next necessary to disabuse them of the notions about
"style" and " rhetoric " which have been laboriously instilled into
them.

The 1300 papers, part of this report, show clearly enough the
degree of progress made up to the present time in this process of
separation, — delimitation it perhaps might be called. That it has
not been more rapid is greatly to be regretted ; but, none the less,
the indications are distinct that the system is steadily tending towards
the desired result, and that its attainment is a mere question of years.
In fact, as the body of evidence now placed on file shows, in this, as
in all cases of radical change, a new generation of instructors had
both to be brought up and allowed time in which to make their
influence felt. The old generation, — the masters of the old school,
— as their criticisms on the changes introduced into the system to
which they were accustomed, clearty showed, could only in rare
individual instances adapt themselves to the new order of things, or
appreciate either its significance or its necessity. It has devolved on
Harvard to lead in this great change, the far-reaching educational
consequences of which cannot yet be measured. It is enough for the
present to say that it manifestly aims at nothing less than elevating
the study of English to the same plane of dignity which has for
centuries been the peculiar attribute of the classic tongues.* Their
exclusiveness in the domain of the advanced education is challenged ;
and a race of young instructors is now at work, and is going out from
the University in yearly increasing numbers, whose influence has
only begun to make itself felt, but will in the end be little less than
revolutionary.

Under these circumstances, the Committee believes that the present
report, with the documentary matter placed in the College Library
in connection with it, will be the last of the series it has felt
called upon to make. Those reports have been four in number and
consecutive, in each case the evidence upon which the Committee
based its conclusions being made part of the permanent record.
As such this evidence will hereafter speak for itself, either in justi-

* " The Greeks would not have obtained so perfect a literary expression if
they had devoted less attention to their own language than to Assyrian or
Egyptian; but that is practically, in principle, what we are doing." Appendix,
No. 61. Extract from a paper in Course 12.

424

fication of the conclusions drawn, or otherwise. A basis for future
comparison is thus at least provided ; and it will remain for the
Committee which in 1920, or thereabouts, may then have imposed
upon it the duty of examining into the Department of English Compo-
sition and Rhetoric to report, after comparing the results at that time
attained with those now placed on record, whether the present Com-
mittee is correct in its judgment as respects the tendency and force of
the influences now at work. To the Committee the trend of develop-
ment as seen in the papers prepared for it seems so pronounced
and so strong, that the attainment of the end it has all along had
in view may be assumed. Correct, elementary, written English will
in the near future be scientifically taught as part of the primary and
secondary education. The complete relegation of the course known
as English A from the college to the preparatory schools will be the
first manifest result of this more intelligent elementary training, and
will be sufficient evidence that the change has taken place. That
result the Committee does not believe is remote ; but it is not likely
to be hastened by further action on its part. When, however, it is
attained, — be that time five years hence, as the Committee hopes, or
fifty, as may prove to be the case, — then, and not until then, will
the preparatory schools perform their work in elementary English
instruction efficiently, and without encroaching on the work appropri-
ate to the University ; while the University, relieved of rudimentary
drill, will be able thenceforth to devote its means and energy to its
proper function, that of the Advanced Education.

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS,
E. L. GODKIN,
GEORGE R. NUTTER,

June, 1897.

APPENDIX.

NORMAL SCHOOLS.

Page 406.
No. 1.

At the Normal School [Massachusetts] we were given no training
in English as English. In connection with the various studies we
were told to write essays on the different phases of the work, but the
work was criticized only in reference to the knowledge contained ;
the English being made of little account. I think any work in Eng-
lish would be a most beneficial addition to the Normal training. A
course in theme writing might well be introduced. Power to use
English correctly should be most thoroughly drilled into persons
intending to be teachers, and yet there is no such training given in
any Normal School in the state.

I should therefore recommend at least a one year course in English
writing for the Normal School. Daily themes — describing matters
of present interest — together with fortnightly themes would afford an
excellent course to round out the otherwise excellent training which
the Normal School affords.

No. 2.

The defects in my preparatory training are very evident. My com-
positions never underwent severe and careful criticism. In the High
School I had practically no training in writing English ; merit, it had
none, its defects were due to negligence. The time that should be
given to composition was devoted to the study of grammar. The
same is true of the Normal School. The writing of compositions
was delayed too long. We were supposed to write a good thesis
without any training. The system can easily be improved by giving
much less time to the formal study of grammar and much more time
to the writing of regular and careful compositions.

See also page 421, note.

426

THE DEBATE.

Page 415.
No. 3.

The one great unfavorable criticism which I make of my early
training in English composition, however, is not that I did not
receive training in the principals of composition, or that the hours
for it were cut, but that I did not receive practice enough. Pupils
disliked to write and teachers to correct, and therefore by unanimous
consent we wrote but little. I have compared the work which I shall
do in the half course in English which I am taking this year to my
last year's course in the [Massachusetts Latin School where I was
prepared for Harvard] . In the Latin School my average number of
words a week was sixty. In English B my average per week will be
two hundred and fifty. If we consider that these two hundred and
fifty words are rewritten then is the comparison of sixty words in the
Latin School a week to five hundred a week this }7ear in College. If
the amount written in English 22, is double that written in B there
stands the comparison of sixty to one thousand or sixteen to one.

No. 4.

From the School at Hartford I went to [a New England
Academ}']. The practice in English was singularly elementary in
comparison with the attention given other subjects. Once a week
the class met to recite a lesson in English grammar which no one
had looked at previousl}-. This was supplemented by writing a two
page theme once a month and by reading the Lady of the Lake out-
side of the class. The class in Algebra, Latin and Greek met every
day for one hour in great contrast to the classes in English a knowl-
edge of which was taken for granted.

My experience has been that English is regarded as a very second-
aiy subject at most schools in America the teachers consider that a
scholar obtains a sufficient knowledge of his own tongue in doing his
other work.

English should at least receive the attention that Latin and Greek
get and the work in the preparatory school should be pushed far
enough to enable Freshmen to anticipate English A.

No. 5.

But besides the mental training which men frequently fail to bring
to college with them, there is needed a sense of proportion and appre-
ciation which can be developed in no better way than by the frequent
exercise of writing English composition. It is this practice which
men need before taking the prescribed Harvard English. To expect
them to comprehend the principles of connotation fully when they

427

cannot even put a simple sentence together properly seems as futile
as it would be to expect a child to learn to walk by having lectures
read him on the correct method of locomotion. To instruct such
men in the ways of descriptive writing is of no more advantage than
a lecture on word painting would be to a bill poster. Therefore I
say, let more English composition be taught in the preparatory
Schools, and less thumbing of the dictionary in attempts to acquire
modern languages. Without such preparation the Harvard courses
are like splendid tools in the hands of workmen provided with no
proper material upon which they may use them.

Of course there are plenty of men whom endless culture could
never teach to write well ; there are again men at Harvard who
might, perhaps, more profitably turn their attentions to other Eng-
lish courses, were it not that conflicts in hours compel them to take
the prescribed English ; but generally speaking, if men came to col-
lege with their perceptions more keenly developed by the frequent
practice of carefully writing exercises in their own or some other
language, I feel sure that more benefit could be derived from the
excellent courses given us here at Harvard.

No. 6.

While, then, my Preparatory work seems to have been excellent in
the sort of work I have mentioned ; as this included all of my written
work, it is evident that a very important part of my English work, —
viz. writing compositions, — was neglected. In suggesting improve-
ment, however, I would not have the other work reduced, but have
the composition work added. We had but two recitations a week in
English, while in m}7 first year of Latin, we had nine recitations a
week : my point is, that four recitations a week in English would
have given me a far better foundation for College work, and five
recitations a week in Latin would certainly have been sufficient for
that first }rear's work. It seems very strange to me that so much
time is spent in the study of Languages — Especially Latin and
Greek — before we have little more than a slight knowledge of how
to express ourselves in our English tongue.

No. 7.

I don't like to recall m}T preparation in English, and it grieves me
greatly to write of it. I shall try, however, to give as accurate an
account as my poor memory will allow me.

In the college preparatory course in the High School [of a city
near Boston], from which I was graduated, but two years — the first
and the last — were given to work in English, and then but two hours
a week.

The first year we read Lamb's "Tales from Shakespeare," and
Longfellow's "Evangeline," besides numerous other books which I
do not remember. After reading we were required to write themes
and essays upon them. Once a week we wrote themes ; work very
similar to that in English A. We had, also, an extended drill in

428

punctuation. This first year's work I think very good. Could I
have gone on in the same way during the other three years I would
have no reason to bewail my English preparation. But it was not
again until the last year that we " college boys " as we were called,
heard anything more about English.

In my senior year we took up the reading of the books required by
the English department here at Harvard for the entrance examina-
tion. The books that I now remember are "The Abbot," "The
Merchant of Venice," " Twelfth Night," " Comus," " II Penseroso,"
and " L' Allegro," " Lysias," " Evangeline," " Sir Roger de Coverly
Papers," " Essay on Milton," and I do not know what others. We
were given topics from these books to write upon, or sometimes the
entire book. This was very helpful as it was exactly what was
required in the examination. I remember distinctly how hard it was
for me to struggle through Addison's composition on Milton called
an " Essay."

In addition to reading the required books, there were incorrect
sentences to correct. This is a kind of work in which a little goes a
long way : yet day after day, week in and week out, throughout the
year, we had our twenty or so sentences to correct. After correcting
them we were required to hunt through a long list of rules to find the
one which applied to each particular sentence, and then to put the
number after the sentence. This method of procedure seemed non-
sensical to us. We thought we should be given a list of rules, if it
were necessary to learn the rules, and then sentences to correct by
them. As we thought we were getting no good from this work — I
think now that it could have been nearly dispensed with, and advan-
tageously — we took no interest in it, and often times the work was
not truly and honestly done.

This last year's work was all right as a preparation for the examin-
ations ; but I think it is better to have the drill such as to thoroughly
ground one in principles. Composition as it is carried on here, that
is the development of each individual's style, was entirely neglected
from the result of which I have greatly suffered.

There has lately been a revision of the curriculum at [my] High
School. I hope and trust that English has been given a place there,
fitting to its importance. I think that the work done in English A
could just as well, yes could be better done, in preparatory schools,
leaving the time in college to composition courses such as English 31
and 22.

No. 8.

My training in English at [a central Massachusetts] High School,
where I fitted for college, was confined to fortnightly themes, which
continued throughout the greater portion of the course. It was not
connected with any study of Rhetoric or Grammar so far as I can
remember and the instruction was of the most formal and barren
kind. No attempt was made to develop originality of thought and
expression or to stimulate the imagination by the setting of good
models. It was a dreary, mechanical drudgery, unlighted by a
single gleam of interest. The subjects, assigned by the principal,
were stereotyped and prosy " Peace and War," " The manufacture

429

of sugar, cotton etc." subjects, which had no human interest to the
average boy and which compelled recourse to encyclopedeas and
books of reference, instead of human observation. The results were
meagre and were what might have been expected, when the narrow
aims of the instruction are taken into consideration. It ground out
bo}Ts, whose work would rival a good dictionary in vagueness and
lack of interest. From the High School, I went directly to [an
interior New England] College, where the prescribed English con-
sisted of a study of Genning's Rhetoric during Freshman Year. The
course was conducted by [an instructor who] had some vague glim-
merings of how to teach English and teach it successfully. There
were usually class room exercises, at which a student lamp, an oil
painting, a stuffed hawk etc. were placed on the lecture table and the
students were asked to write a description in their own words. This
was varied at times, by a request to write, from memory, a descrip-
tion of Weston Field, the view of East mountain down the street, the
last foot-ball game etc. There was no attempt to develop the under-
lying principles of narration, description and exposition. Indeed
principles of any kind were chiefly conspicuous by their absence. It
was the old story of the "Blind leading the blind" and the results
again were of no greater value than in my preparatory work.

No. 9.

My English work before last year does not play a very important
part in my present status, except probably as preliminary for what
followed in my direct preparation. We are asked "wherein your
training now seems to have been good and sufficient." In my case
that is not difficult to answer ; it has not been good and sufficient at
all, as far as I can see when applied to my present needs. The dry
details of the rhetoric I understand pretty thoroughly and I know the
principles of description and narration but, try with all my power, I
cannot put them into practice. At the tenth revision of my themes
they are as imperfect as at first and, when they come from under
the instructors pen, they are very highly colored. Incoherence,
awkwardness and point of view are my greatest faults. Whether
incoherence comes from lack of thought or inability to express
myself, I cannot say. It is surety connected with awkwardness and
probably with point of view. All three then come from one cause,
lack of training and practice.

No. 10.

I received my earlier training in English in a little old district
school far up among the New Hampshire hills. " Lickin' and
larnin'" was the motto of the much tried teachers. Of "lickin',"
at least, I received a full and sufficient share. The prim old maid
who taught me my A, B, C, and the rudiments of English composi-
tion, was true to her duty and never spared the rod. I was literally
goaded and beaten along the rugged road that leads to the Elysian
fields of " larnin'." From the dry and dust}T rules of an old gram-
mar I was supposed to learn to speak English in its virgin purity,

430

The most dreaded task that fell to my lot was what we then called
" putting sentences up a tree." Long complex sentences were given
us to analyze and put upon a diagram. I invariably got some clause
upon the wrong limb of those cursed trees, and never failed to get
my reward in the form of a dose of extract of birch. I was not an
assiduous bee, and the honey that I extracted from my clog-eared
grammar was of poor quality and still poorer quantity. If, as
Stevenson sa}rs, "Failure is the onl}r high-road to success," I
ought now to be well along on my journey.

My next experience was gained at a G-rammar School in [a large
Massachusetts town near Boston]. About once a month the stu-
dents here were required to write short compositions, the best of
which were read by their writers before the class. On every Fri-
day afternoon our teacher read aloud for an hour from some inter-
esting book. This was to me the pleasantest hour of the week,
eagerly anticipated and seldom missed. I gradually lost all taste
for those "blood and thunder" stories sometimes falsely called
literature. Guided by my teacher in my choice of books I became
deeply interested in good literature, and have ever since found great
pleasure in reading.

After a year of preparatory work at the Grammar School, I entered
the High School, where for two years I continued my study of Eng-
lish. The critical reading of required books was about all of our
work here. What little writing we did was in the direction of
poetr}", though our attempts were painfully crude. Sense was often
amusingly sacrificed for meter, and the latter was always in deep
subjection to ignorance and small vocabularies. I believe our time
would have been better spent in trying to write good prose.

On entering Harvard I expected to make rapid strides in ability
to write good English, but was wofully disappointed. It seems to
me that I might as well have never taken English A. Certain it is
that my year at [the Academy] was more beneficial to my style. I
believe that I did the work of the course faithfully, but the amount
of work required was, I think, ridiculously small. The course seems
to me to be far too easy and elementary for a college of Harvard's
standing. It should belong to the curriculum of a preparatory school
instead of to that of a great University. In all my school work, as
in English A, I believe that far too little practise in writing has been
required. I should have always been glad to do more writing, as I
think most other fellows would.

No. 11.

It seems to me that the requirements for the entrance examination
are wholly inefficient as far as composition goes. One gets slight
snatches of good english works, but reading what others have written,
does not teach you yourself how to write. It is like watching another
person use pulling- weights, so that you may get strong. If the
training gained by daily themes were afforded in preparatory schools,
the result would be a great improvement of work in college courses.
By the practice of daily themes, a person gains a readiness in express-
ing his thoughts. He attains ease and fluency in writing, and instead

431

of pouring over a blank sheet of paper, and in vain trying to frame
his thoughts in good words, he will be able to write with ease and
rapidity.

No. 12.

The lack of constant practice in writing, such as I get in College,
is, to me, the principal defect in m}' former instruction. I was
taught the abstract theory of rhetoric but I was never shown how to
put it into practice. Ability to write in the mother tongue is the
most necessary requirement of an educated person, and it is a pity
that it cannot be impressed upon the minds of those in authority in
western schools that that ability is at least as important as the study
of botany, algebra or Latin.

No. 13.

It can be seen from my description, I think, that the English work
at [the private school in New York city where I was prepared] is not
thorough. It does not give one any help for the work of the fresh-
man or sophomore years at College. If more original work were
insisted on and more frequent work in theme-writing and, above all,
if it received one half the care given to the instruction in Latin,
Greek and Mathematics, it might be a fit preparation for college
English. When I was there it was not.

No. 14.

[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

I do not think that I had enough training in writing English. I
did not write often enough to gain any degree of facility^. It seems
to me that in the last }Tear or two, I should frequently have been
required to write slight impromptu exercises in the class-room as is
done in English A. I did not write often enough to have it anything
less than a very distasteful, laborious task.

No. 15.
[A Massachusetts High School.]

The last year was spent, almost entirely, on the study of Milton,
with an occasional theme in connection with the work and a review
of the entire subject. We also studied Addison and read Macaulay's
essay's on Milton and Addison.

On the whole, it seems to me that a great amount of time is wasted
in the study of English (at least in my experience) in the preparatory
schools. Not one half enough time was spent on writing and into the
time set apart for that portion of the work so much was crowded and
gone over so hastily that very little was learned. That is the reason
why so many students come to College with so little ability for
correct writing. No doubt our instructors mean well enough, but
the method is at fault.

432

No. 16.

[A Massachusetts Academy.]

This was all the English we had during the six years. The time
spent on it was not nearly equal to the time spent on Latin or Greek.
The former received by far more attention than any other course in
school. The longest preparation hours were always given to Latin,
and the recitation hours always came first thing in the morning when
the pupils were at their best.

As a summary of the work in English, I think I can truthfully say
that I learnt more in writing English from the letters I wrote home
describing athletic contests and other events of boarding school life,
than I did from the school work, because they were returned to me
corrected, and because they were written on subjects which I felt I
knew all about.

No. 17.

[A Massachusetts Academy.]

So far as I am competent to judge I cannot see that my training at
sctiool has done me much good. It certainly did not train me to
express myself easily and naturally on paper, but in order to learn
to do this a person has to write continually and I cannot see where a
school can get the time to give to writing, when it also has to teach
boys enough Latin and Greek and Mathematics to pass college
examinations.

No. 18.

[A New Hampshire Academy.]

It appears to me that the main thing that a fellow should learn
before entering is to write good English : after entering he should be
able to devote himself to literature, which he cannot do as things are
at present.

No. 19.

[A preparatory School in Illinois.]

It seems to me that the preparatory schools don't have the pupils
write enough. Daily themes are a bother, a dreadful bother but
there is not a doubt in my mind that if the daily theme plan were
instituted in the preparatory schools the pupils would come to Har-
vard with an infinitely better command of the English language, his
vocabulary would be broader, his diction more cultivated and his
style more pronounced. In the schools I have attended the study of
rhetoric and grammar was severe but the theory was all we had little
practical application of the theories. No one on earth curses the
daily theme more than I and yet I know in my heart that it is the
best plan in the world for developing literary talent.

433

No. 20.

[A Massachusetts city High School.]

There is no other way in which to learn to write good English than
by hard and steady practice. A beginner at the piano can never
expect to learn to play well, until he has practiced and studied for
hours and even years at a time ; so I do not see how a tyro in the
English Language can ever hope to be able to write good and Rhe-
torical English without long experience in writing.

i^ think that the great mistake in the public schools is the lack of
English training for pupils, when they are mere children in the
primary and grammar schools. If the first principles of rhetoric and
of grammar were taught in the lower grades, so that a pupil would
be able to write fairly good composition on entering high school,
a greater success would assuredly be attained in English by the
freshman classes of the universities and colleges.

No. 21.

The next two years I was at the High School, and studied no
English at all — written grammar nor composition. Preparing for
college as I was, I naturally took the " Classical Course." Now in
all the other courses, I am quite sure, English was taught during the
first two years. We classical scholars were left, I suppose, to get
our practice in English from elegant translations of Caesar, and so
much of the Anabasis as could be read during the last two months of
the second year. Of course this amounted to nothing. All this talk
we hear, and all we read in gushing school catalogues about trans-
lating Greek and Latin into good English is nonsense. How is an
instructor who is interrupting the translation two or three times every
line, because a tense or a mood has not been given the correct shade
of meaning, to expect that the translation remember it's own English
moods and tenses ? I have often heard a good English sentence of
the scholar reciting, twisted and contorted into a barbarous mess of
solecisms by the instructor, in order that aSe or an dV might be cor-
rectly rendered, and that we might see what an exact language Greek
was. I do not say that in College it is not perfectly practicable to
give a correct and more elegant translation, but with the average
school boy, who is taking his Greek and Latin merely for passing his
entrance examination, and who intends to drop them as soon as he
enters college, it is asking altogether too much of the instructor that
he teach English and Greek at the same time. His task is to get his
pupil successfully through the Greek examination.

After the High School I was two years at boarding school — the
last two before coming down here. The school was an Academy [in
a Hudson River City]. Here they had worked out an exceedingly
good theory — and printed it confidently in the catalogue — of Eng-
lish instruction. To read it one would think that English really
played an important part in the curriculum. [ have no doubt the
catalogue account was written in all good faith — as we make New
Year resolutions, before we have tried them — but the workings of

434

the system were singular. In my first year I took no English at all,
and was therefore not able to judge until my second. In the second
year I read all the books set down in the Harvard catalogue as
requirements for admission — and no more — and I wrote I think
perhaps ten themes, or " Essays." These " Essays" were returned
with a few criticisms, the jist of which was either "good" or " bad,"
as the case went. Why the}7 were good or bad the criticism never
told. I do not think the instructor knew, and I am positive I did
not.

No. 22.

The training in English that I received before entering college was
very desultory and unsatisfactory. It consisted in what practice in
writing I got in the grammar school and academy together with what
little I got in teaching district and grammar schools.

As a special student in [a Western] University I went through
Gunning's Rhetoric but again it was mostly theory. I believe I
wrote six compositions during the }'ear. I took, while at that Uni-
versit}r two terms in literature. In this study, I was required to state
at length my ideas of each book read ; I think this practice was of
more service to me, in the way of writing, than any course I took
before coming to Harvard.

At School and at University I was required to render into fairly
good English the Greek, German, and French I translated. This
had, however, only an unconscious effect upon my ability to use
English.

I never heard of the idea of d;iily themes until I came to Harvard.
I think if I could have had a }'ear's training in them in my prepara-
tory training there would not be so much red on themes when returned
to me.

The great trouble with m}T training in writing English was lack of
practice. I am convinced that one ma}T be a giant in theory and at
the same time be a babe in the practical phase of the matter.

No. 23.

[A Massachusetts city School and Connecticut Academy.]

In view of nry later college work, in writing english, my prepara-
tion seems to have been lacking both in the amount, and thoroughness
of correct grammatical construction and punctuation. I usually wrote
a short composition once in three weeks, and rewrote it with the cor-
rections explained. It seems to me that the writing should have
been oftener in order that attention might not fall out of touch with
the work and that grammatical construction and punctuation might
be strongly impressed on the mind by a continuous reference to the
subject. Such a course would have rendered the first half of the
english A course in college unnecessary.

My work in reading was excellent but not full enough to be satis-
factory. For instance, I remember of having spent, at least, four
months of twenty recitations, e*ach, in reading Scott's "Lady of the
Lake," committing selections to memory and looking up synonyms

435

for words. The training in this was excellent, but it would have
been far more benificial to in}7 later work, had I covered more ground,
even at the risk of being less exact. Then, I thought of my reading
more as of a lesson in Caesar than of a masterpiece in my own
language, full of beaut}T. It seems to me that more ground covered
then, would have given me a more appreciative taste for good reading
and a better grasp of the language. To hunt up s3Tnonyms in a dic-
tionary, which are forgotten almost as soon as acquired, is training
but to acquire a large mental vocabulary by extended reading, which
renders the use of such a book less necessary seems far more advan-
tageous. Thus my preparatory' work was a training which has ren-
dered later writing far more easy, but which, with a little better
arrangement, might have put me in college at least half a year in
advance of where I was when I entered.

No. 24.

I received in [a California] High School, my training in English
composition. I must say, at the start, however, that my work, as I
remember it, seems to have been more in the nature of gaining a
superficial acquaintance with English Literature, and a knowledge,
perhaps a little less superficial of the ways of writing English, than
of real practice in writing.

During my first year, in High School, the class studied some of the
more difficult points of English grammar, with a little rhetoric. Occa-
sionally, we had to write short compositions, which were corrected
by the teacher, but were not rewritten. Here, I think, was a fault
at the very beginning. At that age, we got back our written work,
looked for the grade upon it. and then threw it awa}T. The correc-
tions did me no good, since I hardly ever looked at them.

The second year, we were taught, wTith the help of a very long out-
line, which we had to learn by heart, the principles of perspicuity.
The long outline we learned ; the principles we learned to recite,
much as a child may learn to recite a piece of German, the meaning
of which he has not the slightest idea. At any rate, that is the way
I learned them. It was not until a long time afterward, that I began
to understand the application of the principles. Beside the outline,
we had some work in books, learning whether the matter therein con-
tained was perspicuous, or not. Our exercise in writing, that year,
was rather slight.

The work of the third and fourth years was on about the same plan.
Our teacher, a graduate of [a female] college, was an enthusiast, a
crank, on the subject of outlines. She gave us outlines on per-
spicuity, outlines on force, outlines on elegance, versification, argu-
mentation, exposition, and narration, and outlines on description.
We got to calling her, after a while, "the walking outline." I do
remember that she once gave us an outline on the best method of
writing a composition, which we never wrote. We learned what
things ought to go into the introduction what things into the body of
the composition, and what into the conclusion. The trouble was that
we never, to any extent, put these principles into practice. We
learned their names, -with all their subdivisions, but, being given

436

nothing for which to use them, we soon forgot them. We were told
that certain authors had certain qualities of style. If I had been
asked to comment upon the style of any author whom we had not had
in class, I should have been at a loss to sa}r whether he wrote clearly,
or forcibly, or elegantly, or whether he had none of these qualities.

I may therefore say that while I learned fairly well the theories of
English composition, I did not learn how to put these theories into
practice. I learned what exposition was, but wrote none ; I learned
what good description was, but wrote none ; and so with all the
rest. Even though I might have been able to tell the characteristic
quality of a given author's style, I could not hope to attain to the
possession of that quality. I am thoroughly convinced, as, I sup-
pose, is everyone else, who has thought about the matter, that a
good English style cannot be attained by merely learning what good
style is, and what authors have that rare possession. The knowledge
of these things is a good thing, in its place ; but personal practice in
the difficult art, is, to my mind, what we most need.

From the results, thus far, of my English composition, here in
college, I conclude that we should not put off practice in writing,
until we have learned all the theories, and read all the good authors.
If, after we had mastered the principles of grammar, we began to
practice writing, and continued to practice throughout the prepara-
tory course, we should be far better able to express ourselves, by the
time we enter college. Coming to think, this is a sort of theory.
Would that I had had the wisdom to put it into practice.

No. 25.

[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

The trouble with the instruction in English of the average Ameri-
can student is that he has no solid foundation as a working basis.
You cannot expect the subsequent instruction to take root and bear
fruit when there is not enough soil. I feel sure that at least fifty per
cent of the fellows entering college are unable to parse correctly a
complex sentence in English. This simply means that the rudi-
mentaiy knowledge is lacking. The whole fault lies with the pre-
paratory schools, where so much valuable time is lost in aimless
instruction. What business has a college to waste its time in giv-
ing badly prepared persons instruction in the elementary knowledge
of the language? The college work should consist of the higher
branches of English. English A should be relegated to the schools.
As I have intimated before the reform must begin at the bottom

No. 26.
[A Boston private preparatory School.]

In no way does my preparatory training in school seem " good and
sufficient" and English A seems to be "defective and to admit of
improvement."

English A should be taught in school. In three months an}Tone
of reasonable understanding- can gorge himself with rhetoric. After

437

three months there is a cloging of the brain, a distaste and disgust
of the subject which I think last year was felt by instructor as well
as by pupils.

In the preparatory school, a candidate for admission to college
should be given a knowledge of English literature such as the college
demands, and in addition to this should know his rhetoric and should
have ample practice in the application of his rhetoric. English 22
should be the model for the schools. Though I think that daily
themes are impracticable there is no reason why there should not be
weekly compositions with subsequent revision or rewriting. Trans-
lating the classics is of course an aid to English but a minor one.

I think that the fault is at bottom with the college. So much is
required in other branches of learning, that the most necessary one
is shamefully neglected.

It is proverbial that Americans visit all the countries of Europe,
but to them the Yellowstone Park and to the Eastern the Golden
Gate are unknown.

Thus in school, a lad pegs away at his Greek and his Physics, and
graduates with a lack of knowledge of his mother tongue which
should put to utter shame, himself, his parents, and his teachers.
But the excuse, and the good excuse is that the demands of the
college leave only so much time for English and the pupil must
assimilate it as best he can from anywhere.

Why not give up making the stud}7 of Greek compulsory. A man
in this busy world can get all the classic study he needs from Latin
unless he chooses to make the classics a specialty.

This would leave more time for the English which a boy certainly
needs more than he does Greek.

Not to offer any more suggestions, it is my firm belief that every
man should enter college prepared to take a course like English 22
and prepared to do moderately well in it.

When he comes to college let him learn to expound and to argue
and to polish his narrations and descriptions but he should know the
rudiments of these latter styles of writing.

I speak strongly but I feel strongly and have many friends who
like myself resent the indignity paid to our mother tongue in neglect-
ing it so shamefully.

No. 27.

[Three New England public ani private Schools.]

Considering my training in English before entering college, from
what I have learnt while there, I cannot see how it did me the
slightest good. What little I learnt, was sufficient to pass the
entrance examination with ; so I suppose that nothing more could
be expected of the schools, as their aim is, of course, to fit pupils to
be able to pass the examinations for college. Either more should be
required, it seems to me, or the student should not be required to go
over practically the same ground again, as he does in English A.
To be sure he goes over it more thoroughly in college but why should
he not go over the ground thoroughly once for all, before entering
college? The ground covered by English A could easily be covered,

438

with perfect satisfaction, in the preparatory schools. Proof that this.
can be done is shown by the number of students entering Harvard
who "anticipate" English A. So it seems to me that a student
should no longer be required to do one year's work in two : either
that his training before entering college should be so thorough that
it will not be necessary for him to go over the same ground again in
English A, in his first year at college, or that he should not waste
his time before going to college in half-doing work that he is required
to do later. For I consider that the time I spent on English during
the four years before I entered college was completely wasted : when
I came to Harvard I had to go over the same ground, which I easily
could have, and should have, been made to sufficiently cover in the
four years, — now misspent — preparation.

No. 28.

In my five years' study of Latin and three and a half of Greek at
[a New York Polytechnic School] we were at first required only to
give a fairly literal translation but, in the last two years of each,
very particular attention was paid to a good free rendering and a
correct use of the English idioms and colloquialisms.

Twice a week during nry last year we read, in class, the major
part of the requirements for the admission examination in English
here at Harvard. This exercise consisted in reading and discussing
each day, ten pages or so which had supposedly been prepared out-
side— a crime of which I believe I was once or twice guilty. The
fortnightly themes continued, as they had during the previous five
years, but subjects were, as a rule, now chosen from books we had
recently been discussing in the class-room. The only suggestion I
can remember in regard to the mechanical structure of my composi-
tions, as a whole, was that at about the middle of the first page, I
should begin a new paragraph. Neither knowing why this was so,
nor considering whether the sense required it, I used methodically,
ten lines down, to start a new paragraph. It was certainly a most
barbarous suggestion and one that didn't tend to improve my knowl-
edge of the art of correctly writing the English language.

Looking back upon my early preparation, I sincerely feel that,
with the exception of the practice I gained from being made to
translate the classics freely and in good English, it was a howling
farce. Spelling and punctuation were the only errors ever cor-
rected and, as good penmanship was also demanded, these three
were the only canons I ever attempted to observe.

No. 29.

The idea in laying out the course in English in the Preparatory
Schools seems to be to try the inductive method. We are given a
great deal of model literature to read in the hopes of having us
adopt the style of these writers. But the system seems strangely
inconsistent. If we are to get our ideas of correct and forcible
English from reading, why do we stop in the Preparatory School,

439

and in college, commence to study the rules and theories? College
should be just the place to do careful work in reading, backed, as
we should be, by a knowledge of the principles and the foundations
of English.

The fault of the preliminary training is the scarcity of written
work. Compositions were seldom called for, so we missed all help
of practical work. When I entered college, I knew nothing about
the requisites for a good theme, even though I had read Addison.
The trouble is, we can admire no author without knowing in what his
charm lies. We may say a story is good and yet be ignorant of the
ordinary laws of the narrative. A few, such as the necessity of
motion in stories, you are bound to acquire, by induction, but those
that lie below the surface can be learned only from men whose read-
ing has been a hundred times as wide as yours. v

From what I have said, it is hardly necessary to express an opinion
of English A. It does seem strange that the rudiments of Latin,
Greek, French and German are required, though the elements of
English are to be taught in college.

No. 30.

I studied English for two years [in a New England Academy]
before entering college : our course was interesting enough ; we
read books ; looked over Mr. Hill's rhetoric occasionally ; dis-
cussed plots of stories, and received all the pleasure possible, but
we received no practical power in using the language. We read
plays from Shakespeare, sketches from Addison, Marmion by Scott,
and a great many more good things, but, through all the time, we
had no compositions or writing of any kind. The whole story is
this — the first part of our course, — we might say, — was given up
to seeing what other men have done ; the last part, — the extreme
end — was given to preparing to correct sentences, likely to be given
on Harvard examination papers, and no time at all was taken for
seeing whether we really could do anything for ourselves or not.

Classics were carried on for the classics, not for English. In Virgil,
true, we sometimes were asked to write out a translation into good
English, and were marked accordingly, but on the whole, we were
allowed to translate into student dialect, so long as the meaning fol-
lowed the Latin or Greek, as the case might be. French and German
were carried on the same way, now and then, our instructor took a
stand on good English translations, but soon relented, and fell back
again to the old way.

No. 31.

My first training in English, I received at [a school in Texas]. It
consisted of one theme each week, the subject left to the writer's
choice. As we corrected these themes ourselves, and as our teacher
never took the trouble to glance over any of our work, I am afraid
my first training was rather superficial. The school, however, was a
small one, and every Friday afternoon, each man had to read his
theme before the rest of the scholars.

440

This method, though somewhat peculiar, in spite of its many dis-
advantages has some very good points. No one likes to make a
laughing stock of himself, and the cases where a student would stand
up before all his associates, and disgrace himself by reading some
miserable excuse for a theme hurriedly and carelessly written, were
few and far between. So self-respect was usually a sufficient incen-
tive of a good, sensible and thoughtful piece of writing. If it was not
self-respect, it was a wholesome fear of our master, who felt no
scruples in wielding a hickory switch, and whose brawny right arm
was always equal to the task.

Of course, as practically no attention was paid to the mechanical
part of the work, such as punctuation, spelling and paragraph
arrangement, that was always faulty, but in the main, the substance
of the themes was good, and, as far as I noticed at the time, con-
tinually improved in quality.

I next attended [a private school, in New York City]. There I
met with the same system of weekly themes, only these were care-
fully looked over by the instructors, and carefully corrected. But
attention was paid chiefly to the mechanical part of the work, and a
theme whose punctuation and spelling were good ranked higher than
one whose substance was infinitely better, but which was lacking in
other respects. I remained in this school three years, and though
under the very best instructors that could be obtained, I don't think
I made much progress. I learned where to put a comma, and where
to begin a paragraph, but I don't think that constitutes a training in
writing English.

But, what I consider the chief fault in the training I received, is
the fact that L never had more than one theme a week to write, which
I think entirely insufficient, as it is my idea, that nothing less than
carefully prepared themes every or every other day, of different
lengths, and on widely different topics, can give the practice that is
needed, to write good English.

No. 32.

[A Massachusetts city High School.]

My work in English, both in composition and, especially, in litera-
ture has been neglected, seemingly for the reason which I have
already noted, namely, that I would have all I needed in college. I
believe that the rules of English construction and the ability to detect
errors is of the utmost importance to everyone who expects to write
even an occasional letter, and absolutely indispensible to the business
and to the professional man.

That year, past without any specific practice in the art of writing,
was certainly a detriment which was increased by daily encounters
with un-English constructions in the Greek and Latin, litteral trans-
lations of which were so often allowed, that I have not yet been able
to lose them entirely.

The fortnightly essays were not only not numerous enough, but
the course in which the chief benefit might have been derived was
not followed : re- writing was not required.

441

The principal aim of the preparatory school seems to be to get men
into college without conditions, no matter how they fare afterward.
As far as entrance requirements demand, the preparatory school is
very scrupulous, beyond that, it refuses to act. Otherwise this most
important item in every man's education would have been treated
with more consideration.

No. 33.

[A New Hampshire Academy.]

My whole preparatory training in writing English, as shown above,
was wholly profunctory. All the instructor had on his mind was the
entrance examination. He talked of nothing else aad would inform
us of this and that, that would please or displease the instructor.
The thought of what we might gain or lose after the examination, I
do not think ever entered his head. This was not his fault by any
m.>ans but the fault of the faculty. He was placed there to try and
make a lot of fellows pass an examination who previously had had
no training in writing English whatever, and a year is an exceedingly
short time to accomplish that in. The examiners were very lenient
of the English on the papers so the school itself did not suffer much
from this difficulty. The school now I believe has given the study
of English more thought so now the fellows come down properly
prepared for their future studies in that subject.

No. 34.

The great fault of the Preparatory School is that it simply prepares,
and does not lay a permanent foundation for knowledge. I was often
told at [the New Hampshire Academy where I was prepared] : —
u Now, this is simply to make you ready for the examination, you'll
probably forget all about it afterwards."

No. 35.

The training which I received before I entered College in writing
English was so in adequate that I may almost say I had none at all.
I had been sent to a School [in New Hampshire] , and outside of
writing letters to ury family, I don't think I ever put pen to paper to
express how I felt or what I thought on any subject. The year I
was to take my preliminary Examination for Harvard I left the
school and being ill I had a tutor. He did not think it was wise to
take up English. As he considered the time spent on other studies
of more advantage. In reply to a protest from my family he said,
" The Harvard Examination in English is really extremely easy, it
requires very little time for preparation."

Consequently I had no training in English until the year before I
entered College. For my last year I was sent to [a private preparatory]
School in Boston and here we had one resitation a week in English
in which our themes of one page in length of the proceeding week on
subjects taken from the prescribed books were criticized. I remem-
ber I had twenty hours of resitations a week, that is one twentieth of

. 442

my time was spent on English, and why? Because no more time
was required to pass it.

Now this seems to me to be at the bottom of the whole trouble.
To the average fitting school teacher the standard of the world is the
passing mark in the entrence examinations. These men have learned
by experience where to put the time to make it show, and have found
English requires no more study and consequently give no more time
to it. This state of affairs can to my mind be easily changed by
requiring a higher standard at enterence, what is now required by
English A.

No. 36.

I received my first training in English at [a Massachusetts city]
Latin School. In my first year there I studied Chittenden's English
Composition and also read Scott's Lady of the Lake. In the second
and third years, I read Longfellow's " Evangeline " Scott's " Marm-
ion," Irving's " Tales of a Traveller" and " Shakespeare's " As you
like it." In addition to reading these books, the class was required
to write three ten minute compositions a week on subjects given out
at the time. These subjects were many of them outlandish, for
example, "He was a mean old miser," "Times when it is hard to
talk," "Thanksgiving at the poorhouse" etc. How can a scholar
sit down and in ten minutes write a story on a miser, or what does
he know about the celebrations in an almshouse unless he has been
there himself, which is not likely ? The scholars at last refused to
write on such subjects and then were allowed to select their own
which was more satisfactory. The criticisms of the compositions
were not helpful, and as the pupils were not required to rewrite the
themes very few, if any, paid any attention to the corrections and
consequently did not improve in st}*le. The teacher herself could
not have understood the subject any too well, as after one boy had
handed in a theme deliberately copied from one of Emerson's essays,
it was returned to him covered with such corrections as "poor,"
"bad order," "poor constructions" etc. The fourth year we had
no English at all except the "Journal of the Plague year" to read
outside.

No. 37.

[A private preparatory School in Boston.]

As I think of it now I am alarmed to think how little attention was
paid to English at school and what is more I hold this lack of atten-
tion to be particularly prevalent at private schools, which simply put
enough into a fellow and barely enough at that, to ensure his getting
into college. How much more knowledge than this he acquires is a
matter of no importance seemingly.

How English is dealt with at the big Public Schools I cannot say
but I certainly hope that action will be taken in the near future to
require more knowledge of English than was possessed in my day, a
lack which showed itself not alone in English composition but in
translation some of which was execrable, which might have been
expected from street Arabs.

443

No. 38.

Any person who has followed the lines laid down [at the private
school in New York city at which I was prepared for Harvard]
should have no difficult}" in passing the entrance examination in
English. But the mere passing the examination does not mean that
the student is fitted to enter the course known as English A, and this
is where the school makes a great mistake. She does not consider
the welfare of the pupil after he has left her doors. Her main object
is to teach him enough English to pass his examination, and then she
gracefully drops him, and he has to fight his way through English A
without knowing a great deal about the work. This is the most
glaring fault of instruction in schools, and it applies to many studies
other than English. •

No. 39.

[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

The fifth year was spent in preparing us for the preliminary exami-
nations. As English was not one of them they considered it as a
secondar}r subject. The only English we had was the reading of
some of Shakespeare's plays. Although we were continually being
warned not to make such blunders in our sight translations and that
our papers would not be accepted over at Harvard if they contained
such English.

Finally in the sixth year the}T tried to make up for lost time in
teaching English. They seemed to teach it to us for the sole pur-
pose of making us pass the examination, because they continually
used examination papers as references and they said all the time that
we must do this or that if we expected to pass the examination.

No. 40.

[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

It seems to me that the all pervading idea at the school was not so
much to give us a lasting knowledge of the English language, but
rather to force enough of the rudiments of the language into our
heads so that we should be able to pass the examinations for Har-
vard. When we made a mistake in anything the teacher would say
that they marked this very hard at Harvard ; instead of merely telling
us that it was bad English.

No. 41.

[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

I think that the training I received was as good and thorough as is
possible for a schoolboy to receive profitably. The greatest stress,
by all odds, was laid on grammar, — though certain percentages of
the mark depended on Style, Penmanship, etc. — and on certain
points of style dear to the Harvard instructor's heart, such as the
cleft infinitive. We were drilled on this until we could detect one at.
first glimpse.

444

No. 42.

In general I think, from what I have seen myself and from what I
have heard of other schools, that in no school in Boston is enough
attention paid to English or sufficient time given to it. The two
schools which I have attended give, I suppose, about the best instruc-
tion in English of any, but even here it is awfully weak.

The fault seems to me to rest greatly with the College, which
scarcely demands a sufficient preparation in English. It seems to
me that the plan of publishing the English examinations with the
names of the schools from which their writers came, is an excellent
idea and would do much to show the utter incapacity of certain
schools as regards any intelligent instruction in English compositions.

If the schools could be compelled to do the elementary work which
is done in English A and Freshmen could be saved the waste of time
caused by sitting through some 50 utterly stupid and uninteresting
lectures on Rhetoric, which could be easily condensed into half that
number, it would be an excellent thing. More practice in writing
English should be given in English A.

No. 43.

Most every college man by the time he has taken one or more
English courses has been greatly impressed by the wide breach
between the study of English in College and that of the preparatory
schools. The greater number of us began our English education in
some public school where great attention was paid to the study of
grammar but little practice was had in writing English so that when
we went to a high school or a preparatory school we were like men of
theory dropped into a world of practical people.

My experience in writing English before coming to college was
derived mainly from two schools [in a large New York city]. I had
no practice to speak of in writing English until I reached the third
grammar grade. I remember that three short selections from the
works of Irving and Tennyson were read to us and we summarized
the reading. We were thoroughly drilled in grammar and were
always corrected for the slightest mistake in pronunciation or gram-
mar in our recitations but we lacked practice in writing English. As
a result, in our examinations it was always extremely difficult for us
to express ourselves and our work was thus hampered greatly.

No. 44.

Out of eight years of elementary schooling and four years of High
School instruction, in [a Massachusetts city], I remember but two
years practice in composition. During the last two years in the High
School, I wrote compositions, some on my own subjects, others on
the different books required for College preparation. That was all,
probably an average preparation in small cities. A certain small
cousin of mine who goes to a public Boston school is required to
compose on specified subjects. Her age is seven. From the amount

445

of work, I have seen her do, and from the result of her labor I am
convinced that it is a mistake to require such work from very young
pupils. But I am sure that two years preparation for College is
hardly adequate. It is enough fitting for English A in this Univer-
sity, but English A work should have been covered before the College
course is begun. Surely the elementary principles of Rhetoric should
be almost as second nature to a scholar before the age of eighteen.
Nearly all students at Harvard, have been prepared at prominent
Academies. In these Academies, the principles of rhetoric are
thoroughly discussed. Even I, in my poor High School, became
well versed in the teachings of the charming Mr. Strang, and others.
I believe that I could have clone English 22 work last year quite as
well as this and so could the other students also.

Daily themes are beautiful practice. I really can think of no
method of teaching composition writing which is as efficacious as this.
I can see myself, boiling with rage, as I would have been had daily
themes been required, when I was in my preparatory school, but I
wish they had been required. I always had to write themes upon
books. What good did it do me to write a composition based upon
Macaulay's Milton? If I had not been an enthusiastic reader of
fiction and if I had not kept up a correspondence with numerous
people, I believe I should not be able to express my ideas even with
the smallest degree of fluency.

I consider the chief faults of my training insufficiency of amount
and quality of work required, inadequacy of time, erronical notions
of the kind of exercise best suited for training.

No. 45.
[A Hudson River city Academy.]

In the entire course of six years, I do not recollect having written
any composition longer than one page, with the single exception of
my oration at commencement. However, influenced by the Harvard
system of daily themes, [our instructor] set us to writing short narra-
tions or descriptions two or three times a week. The composition of
these themes seldom occupied more than fifteen minutes. In the
course of the year the practice was given up entirely.

[Our instructor] frequently attempted to justify this disregard of
written work in English, by asserting that the average boy had noth-
ing of any importance to say, and that as soon as he did begin to
develope ideas, the words and the form would come to him spon-
taneously. On the other hand, [our instructor] always laid great
stress upon the value of Latin and Greek in giving one a grasp of
the English language. To Latin and Greek, then, and more especially
to Vergil and Homer, we owed all that we ever knew about English.
This was no small item, however. I am sure that we all in a modest
way came to feel the finish and the grandeur of Vergil in contrast to
the deep power and simple beauty of Homer.

As it was, on entering college I found myself, when put to the task
of giving expression to my thoughts, not only at a complete loss for
words but also in complete ignorance of how to arrange them effec-

446

tively when I had found them. I am sure that this was not because
I did not have any ideas to express, but rather because of my
inability to put them in vivid and accurate form.

No. 46.

I had very little training in writing English till I went to [an
Academy in Massachusetts], in 1889. While there, I had a good
deal of English Composition, and had a good deal of practice inci-
dentally in writing letters etc. During my last two years I wrote for
the school paper. I received the usual instruction for elementary
English for admission and also prepared for English A which I was
able to pass before entering.

As regards work in College, I find that it has in every way been a
great advantage to me to pass off English A before entering. This
preparation for the examination in English A gave me such knowl-
edge of English composition as every freshman should have. More-
over it put me a course ahead of the rest of the class as regards
English, and I was enabled to take English 22 in nry freshman year,
and after that to take English C two years in succession, without
getting behind the rest of my class. English A is much too ele-
mentary a course to be taught in Harvard college. It is a disgrace
to a civilized community that men of eighteen }'ears of age or so
should be obliged to take such an elementary course. And yet the
need of it is only too apparent. Some freshmen even fail to pass
English A in their first year, man}T do poorly in it, and most of them
show by their ignorance of the first principles of English composition
that they need some such course. The fault lies with the preparatory
schools. In many of these the training in English composition and
grammar is a mere farce, and this is shown by the entrance examina-
tions in English. Now the reason that the preparatory schools offer
such poor training in English is that the knowledge of English com-
position required by the Harvard entrance examinations is very slight.
The entrance examinations in English should be made more difficult,
and this would necessitate the introduction into the preparatory
schools of better and more thorough methods of instruction in Eng-
lish. English A, or its equivalent should be required for admission,
and there should also be in the schools some elementary course in
composition, on the plan of English 22. Many of the best schools
are working in this direction now. Every year more and more men
pass off English A before entering, and in some schools all the
bo}Ts are required at any rate to try the examination in English A
and are trained for it, and most of them succeed in passing it. The
system of instruction in English composition was very good when I
was there, but it was perhaps not quite thorough enough. However,
I believe the standard has been raised since I entered college.

No. 47.

For me to make any statement which might detract seemingly from
the gratitude which I always am bound to feel toward those instruc-
tors of the Latin School [near Boston], to whom I owe so much

447

would be both against my purpose, and contrary to my duty. Ever
since I met Harvard methods as displayed, peculiarly I believe, in
the English composition courses, I have been more and more con-
vinced that something more was possible for my preparatory school.
The defect in the system of teaching English Composition lies rather
in the direction of quantity than of quality.

The training in writing English was given in nry last two years.
Not that we did not study our language during the previous three,
but there was nothing done towards systematized composition. And
now what did we do in those two years? Our first duty being to
make ready for the Harvard examination in English, we gave our
attention chiefly to the literature prescribed for us by the college.
Each week, however, the class was asked for a theme, for the writing
of which an hour was given. We wrote usually upon our reading,
but considerable attention was given to individual thought, and
never, I believe, were we expected merely to summarize. For
example, I find among my old themes these subjects: "Barkis is
Willin'," " David's Mother," "The Character of Brutus," and many
such, requiring both a knowledge of the book represented, and some
power of literary inspection.

For this sj'stem, as we enjoyed it during two years, I have only
the highest praise. A stress was laid upon our language which was
beneficial in every way. We were required to write our translations
from Latin and Greek — one of each of which we had every week —
in correct English. Our Latin instructor encouraged us even to
translate Vergil at sight into English verse, — an undertaking at
which several of the class were unusually successful.

I have given as best I could, an idea of the actual written work in
English, as we did it. As far as it went it was excellent ; I com-
plain only that it did not go far enough.

Five years are given to Latin, three each to Greek, French, and
German. That these studies are overdone no one but he who believes
foreign languages a nuisance will maintain. There seems to me no
reason, however, for giving more attention to these tongues than to
our own. I believe that a course of practical, actual, work in writing
English should extend through the whole five years. That this is
practicable no one can deny, since our class gave two years each to
ancient History, Algebra, and Geometry, either of which many pupils
have taken in one. I remember that during our second year we
covered the whole ground of Greek and Roman History, only to go
over it all again during the fourth year to prepare for the preliminary
examination. Certainly the time thus practically wasted might pro-
fitably have been given to a course in English Composition. The
fact that but one out of a class of thirty five got honors at the
Harvard examination, is evidence enough that more English, and less
ancient History if necessary, would avail much.

Our school has always borne a record, at the entrance examination,
second to none. In Greek, Latin, and Mathematics, her students
have a preparation which none can call insufficient. Is it not a
defect then, that her record in English is low? Surely were the
training in writing English up to the standard of that in writing
Latin and Greek, the Harvard examinations would be met with far

448

greater success, and the students would be better prepared to meet
the somewhat chilling and overpowering atmosphere of the composi-
tion courses of the college.

Let me add in justice to whatever changes may have been made
during recent years, that five years have passed since I was a member
of one of the three lower classes at the Latin School [in question}.

No. 48.

During the last eight years before I came to college I went to
school at [an Academy in a city of Eastern New York]. My first
two years there I had practically no training in writing English — at
least so far as I can remember. After reaching the Academic, or
upper, department of the school, my training in English composition,
even up to graduation, was extremely meagre. I imagine that it was
intended to have it much more comprehensive, but English was
always made secondary to the classics and to Mathematics. The
sentiment seemed on the whole to be "Do your Latin and Greek,
your Algebra and Geometry, your French and German well, and
then, if you have any time left, it might be well to write a little
English." The time, however, rarely came and the English usually
went unwritten.

During my first two or three years in the Academic Department, I
had, if I remember rightly, a very little class room exercise and in
addition intermittent demands were made on me for the much dreaded
"composition." These compositions were only written once in a
great while. Moreover, although mistakes in Grammar were marked,
the compositions as a whole were not criticised and we were not
required to re- write them.

During my last three years at school, my training in English was
scarcely more full. Latin and Greek translations were occasionally
written out and these were supposed to be in good, forcible English.
A translation, however, is not by an}' means a sufficient exercise in
writing English. During this latter period of nry school education,
long themes were practically never required, although in my sixth
form year I had to write and speak an oration at Commencement
and was obliged to write a preliminary oration for practice. It was
during my last year at school, also, that the system of writing five or
ten minute themes on current topics or on daily experiences was
introduced. This work, carried on under the direction of a young
Harvard graduate, was on the same plan as the daily theme sj^stem
at Harvard. It was good so far as it went, but was not held
frequently enough.

During my last few years at school I also had some " unofficial"
experience in writing English in a debating club and on a school
paper.

When I look back upon it now, my English training at school
seems to have been entirely insufficient, if not, indeed, almost
ignored. The training in English composition that the average
school-boy receives is almost disgraceful. It is time that the old
idea of sacrificing one's own language to the Classics, to Mathematics
and to foreign language should be done away with. English com-

441)

position should be made one of the most important subjects in a
school curriculum, for the training a boy receives in that subject will
tell more in after life than that of almost any other study.

As soon as a young boy has learned to spell and has acquired the
rudiments of Grammar, he should be required to write themes.
These should be criticised by a capable instructor and rewritten by
the student. This work should be kept up until a boy graduates.
The requirements should be raised every year and in his last year
themes such as are required in English 22 should be written. A boy
should also study the principles of rhetoric for his last two or three
years. In short, the work of English A should be done in the
Preparatory Schools. This will scarcely be brought about unless the
colleges demand it, for school teachers are only too willing to be
contented with getting their boys into college well and then to leave
it to the college to atone for their sins and brush up the neglected
part of a boy's education. A determined stand by Harvard, requir-
ing boys to pass entrance examinations in English equivalent to the
examinations given in English A, would, as usual make the other
American colleges follow suit and thus force the preparatory schools
to pay such attention as they should to the much neglected English.

No. 49.

[A New Hampshire Academy.]

I think the work of English A should be taught and taught
thoroughly in the Preparatory Schools. By thoroughly I mean that
it should be taught not to pass the entrance examination, but that the
scholars should know the rudiments of the English language. I
spent some six or eight years studying greek and latin, studying the
grammar, learning all sorts of arbitral-}7 rules and yet I only studied
english grammar one or two years when I was too young to under-
stand it. At school I had a recitation every day in Greek and latin
and only once a week in English. I would increase the number of
the English classics to be read for the entrance examination. This
would not only cultivate the scholar's mind and give him a taste for
good reading but would prepare him to take some of the many literary
courses in college. These, which I consider some of the best courses
offered to the student, are now often neglected by students in college
because they never acquired a taste for good reading.

No. 50.

[A New England High School and Academy.]

I think it is necessary then, in the first place, in order to raise the
standard of the College entrance examinations in that subject, putting
them on an equal footing with the classics and mathematics. It
seems to me that it is a good deal more essential that a man be
intimately acquainted with the elements, at least, of writing and
speaking his own language correctly and intelligently, than that he
be able to conjugate a Greek verb or memorize a French fable.

450

When the college insists, by raising the standard of their English
entrance examinations, that the preparatory schools shall lay more
stress upon that subject, then, and only then, I believe, will the fitting
schools raise the standard of English in their curriculum.

When this shall have been done, as I hope it will, before many
years, there will be no need for such "prep-school" courses as
English A in college work. Then, when a man comes to college, he
will have a good foundation in a knowledge of the principles of cor-
rect writing and speaking, and will be ready to enter at once upon
the more serious English courses. That would surely benefit the
college as well as the preparatory school. The time and instruction
devoted to such courses as English A and even English B or 22 can
then be devoted with advantage to more advanced courses, and gen-
eral good to all concerned will follow.

No. 51.

My preparation for college was made entirely at [a Massachusetts
city] Latin School, and the work, as far as I can remember it, was
about as follows. There were the usual preliminary exercises in the
correction of faults in grammar ; they took the form both of oral and
written tests and of class-work at the blackboards, the work being
all based upon Hill's Rhetoric, although the latter was not used as a
text-book. There was besides, occasionally, critical study of bits of
standard English prose, as to their "correctness, perspicuit}', pro-
priety, and force." Written summaries of parts of the literature
required for admission to college were also exacted at certain inter-
vals, as well as compositions of medium length on various subjects
connected with the books read.

But by far the most valuable, in my opinion, of all the training in
English, was that, in what was called " daily themes " although in
reality they came only three times a week, in the regular English
hours. The first fifteen or twenty minutes (if I remember rightly),
of each recitation were devoted to the writing on any subject which
we might wish of a short theme, the length of which was never to
exceed one page. These were corrected, handed back, and revised
or rewritten by the student. By this means, habits of observation
were greatly encouraged — there was, I believe a proviso that we
should write on no subject that had come to our notice more than
twenty-four hours previously — and some ease in handling language
was acquired. More than any thing else in my preparatory school
instruction, I think that this was instrumental in bringing about the
transition from the crude and clumsy school-boy's st}de to the ease
which comes from work in the " dailv-theme courses" at Harvard.
If these " daily themes " could be made really daily themes — could
be written every school-day in the year, or if not that, every school-
day for a considerable part of the year, — I believe the results would
be even more beneficial. It seems, moreover, that by the adoption
of some such method as that used at Harvard, by which themes
are written outside the classroom — this plan would be entirely
practicable.

451

No. 52.

The training that I have received in English composition before
entering College has been very limited. I don't believe that all the
compositions ever written by me before entering college, if I could
recall the number, would amount to a dozen ; that is strictly in
regard to English composition.

I prepared for college at [a New Hampshire] Academy.

The way this professor, taught English while there, was in the
following manner. He compelled the members of the classes, which
came under his jurisdiction, to commit long passages from various
reputable authors, whom he would select ; at other times we read
various of Shakespeare's plays with comments.

When we discontinued reading Shakespeares's plays, we were given
a book with a large number of incorrect sentences in false syntax and
when we came into the class-room we were called upon to correct
them in a mechanical sort of way, without being questioned why we
made the various corrections. Now since I have entered College, I
see where that training I received, was not the sort I should have
been taught for nry subsequent work in College.

The training I should have received should have been almost iden-
tical with that I am getting now. During my course in the prepara-
tory schools I should have been compelled to do more composition
writing, in order that I might now be able to express my thoughts
with much more ease. Instead of that, I am taking a course at
present in English which should have been learned before entering
College.

No. 53.

I received my training in English composition in [a Massachusetts
town] public schools, the grammar and high school inclusive. I
cannot with any amount of accuracy speak of my training in the
grammar school, but will speak briefly of my high school training.
The course which I followed was a three years course, known as the
English course or Business course.

The school committee have made a rule to the effect that there
would be two compositions a term to be written. Thus there are six
compositions written a year. It is very evident that one cannot
receive a very extended knowledge of English composition when so
little composition work is required. The corrections upon these
compositions are mainly of errors of spelling and of punctuation.
The corrections which are in vogue at college should be followed
exactly. Therefore I would consider it a great improvement if more
attention was shown composition work both by the school committee
and by the teachers themselves ; English composition is of such vital
importance in college that it should be duly considered in public
schools which prepare students for college.

Even in the short time I have been at college I have felt forcibly
the need of a more extended preparation in the theme work. Now
it is evident that the school which I have attended does not give a
preparation required, therefore it is the duty of the school board to
have English taught in a manner which will enable the student to

452

carry on the work when he arrives at college. Do not understand
me as in any way reflecting upon the ability of my teachers, but upon
the incompetency of the school board.

No. 54.

[The High School of a city of Western New York.]

The instruction in English that I received while preparing for
college was varied and of different degrees of merit. I am inclined
to think that the most valuable training of all was my experience as
editor of our high school periodical, which always was "hard up for
copy" and accordingly provided me with much experience in careful
composition.

In the light of my experience at college, I should say that my
preparation was deficient, not in quality but in quantity. There
should have been more instruction in Rhetoric. For those who had
little or no outside practice in composition, the amount of writing
done certainty must have been insufficient. I think time was wasted
in what was called "Outward execution," in the perfecting of the
ornamental appearance of our compositions. Perhaps it might be
said that too much was taught by precept and too little by example.
I do not remember a single instance when an admirable turn of
thought or manner of expression was held up before us as an example
of what master- writers can do and learning writers should try to do.
But on the whole, much progress was made by all and few mistakes
were made by the teachers in charge.

Perhaps I can do no better in closing than to quote from an article
which appeared in the high school periodical recently, written by a
member of the faculty who is a Harvard graduate. He is rather
more tart in his criticism of the present system that I should be
inclined to be. He begins :

" Doubtless, the poor pupil who writes a composition regularly the
night before it is due has an unspeakable contempt for the invention
of language and the discovery of duty. For the wretched specimens
of writing now handed in as " compositions " there are many causes,
most of which point to guilt on the part of the pupil, while the funda-
mental cause (involving nearly all the other causes) is inherent in
the present system of teaching the subject."

He then proceeds to review present conditions, characterizing the
system of teaching now in use as too " spasmodic " and closes with
this statement :

' ' To write clearly at least and forcibly if possible is of the first
importance ; and the way to acquire clearness, strength and ease is
to keep "everlastingly at it." Composition should be raised to the
dignity of a full course with daily compositions and daily exercises,
. , . such a course is surely a necessity of the immediate future ; for
the colleges and the world at large . . . are . . . sure that there is
somewhere in the system of teaching composition at our secondary
schools a great defect."

453

No. 55.

All my work in composition preparatory to college was done in the
High School at [a city in] Minnesota.

The training in English, as a whole, was thorough ; what was
lacking was practise in writing, in getting thoughts upon paper. The
whole object of the work was to give us thoughts, and incidentally to.
show us how to express them. The course required four years work
in English, or eight terms of one half year each. The first half year
was devoted to composition pure and simple. For the next three
terms, or rather two, for very little work was done the second term,
the works of several authors were studied, and no writing was done.
The third year Rhetoric was studied from several text-books, and
gave opportunity for something like twelve compositions. During
the last year, the course corresponded to English 28 in Harvard, a
review with outline of English Literature with a stud}T of character-
istic works of authors who represented their time. Probably ten
compositions were written in this course. Expression was also
studied, and an essay was delivered before the school by each senior.
Before graduation, another essay had to be filed.

In all four years, English was balanced against the other work.
But the balance was not kept in the English itself. The work in
English seems to me to have been good, and better than that of the
ordinary preparatory school. The great fault was that the work in
composition, in actual putting on paper the results of the rest of our
work, was weak, and this weakness is what one feels first and most
strongly when he enters college.

No. 56.

My work in English while I was in the High School [of a Massa-
chusetts city not far from Boston] was so limited in its scope that I
can easily remember it all in detail and in a few lines can describe it
completely. The first }rear, English was prescribed for the whole
class. The work consisted of studying, or attempts at studying,
twice a week, single sentences of bad English out of a little primer-
like book with grej' covers. We read those sentences with all their
absuwl and improbable errors in punctuation and grammar, and then
read them with our own corrections ; next, we improved on our cor-
rections ; and then again, and again, the following week we reviewed
those same sentences until they were harrowed into our brains. I
still have hateful recollections of flashing streams leaping down
hillsides, of turbaned Turks seated on colored mats and smoking
long-stemmed pipes, of Lord Collingwood on the stern of his flag-
ship ; other pictures equally relevant swarm before my mind's eye.
If there is a single bad sentence in a certain elementary English
book that I cannot raise to the last degree of perfection, it is not for
lack of assiduity on the teacher's part.

The " college section " of the class now enjoyed a well-earned respite
of two years from the study of English — a period of relaxation more
agreeable to the young student's blissful ignorance than profitable

454

to his literary style, as this composition abundantly proves. It is
only fair to say at this point, however, that all the rest of the class,
the "regulars," had provided for them excellent English courses;
in the second year, Rhetoric, and in the third and fourth years,
English Literature. The College section could not be included in
these courses because of their extensive preparation work for college.

In our Senior year, we of the elect resumed our acquaintance with
the Queen's English ; and sad to say, this year's work, prescribed
by the colleges for admission was exactly the same as our first year's
work. We had to operate once a week on monstrosities of composi-
tion— artificial monstrosities, too — and to correct grotesque punctu-
ation. The most curious and interesting thing about this work was
that we did not have to review the sentences the next week. Besides
this, we read the prescribed books, essays and pla3rs of standard
English writers, and the prescribed amount was so large that our
first year's experience was not repeated ; indeed, we read so fast that
we thought of nothing more than remembering the narrative or plot
long enough to write a connected account.

With this preparation in English I entered college.

As I have thought over my High School work I have not been able
to see any chance for material change so long as preparation in
Greek, Latin, Mathematics and Science is delayed until schools
enter the High School. Beyond question, to my mind, however, the
first half of the first year in High School should be a review of Eng-
lish s}Tntax as studied in the Grammar School ; for strange as it may
seem, syntax is very soon forgotten, and in learning a new language
the High School freshman is unable to apply the simplest rules of
grammar. A teacher of French and German told me recently that
she always spent the first week or two of the freshman year in review-
ing English grammar, as experience had taught her that scholars
could not learn French and syntax at the same time.

After syntax is mastered, there should be training in English com-
position, but our High School, and probably many others, cannot
crowd it in with college work ; yet it is evident that English study
should be continuous through the four years, if for no better purpose
than to counteract the bad effects of oral translation. Think of a
Harvard freshman translating " Homo barba imissa in forum incur-
rit," " a man rushed into the forum with his beard which he had let
grow ! ' '

With the exception of a weekly theme, based on a part or the
whole of the reading for the week, during the last year, composition
was utterly neglected ; a fact which I have bewailed a great many
times. There seems to me to be no possible hope of improvement
until some of the college preparatory work is begun in the Grammar
School.

No. 57.

[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

The more advanced, or literary, side of composition writing how-
ever was greatly neglected. I remember distinctly receiving the
highest mark possible for a piece of work the only value of which

455

was that its punctuation, paragraphs, spelling etc, were without
errors, while the style was forced and unnatural, the wording con-
ventional and the arrangement stereotyped. That my work had these
latter faults I did not realize at the time for I had not been taught to
avoid them. It seems to me that the laws of '* good use " and the
other parts of rhetoric which ;t English A" took up in Freshman
year should have been taught at school for I was as capable of
understanding them then as a year later. Moreover a fault cor-
rected early is more readily forgotten than if allowed to take deep
root.

No. 58.

[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

The great weakness of the English training at the Latin School

was its hastiness. Mr. , whom I have mentioned above spent

most of his time. upon Latin, and although he insisted upon decent
English in translations, he could do little more than frown upon posi-
tive blunders.

Like nearly everyone else, I have my opinion of what ought to be
done for ante-collegiate training in English. The press of work in
the Latin School, where English got all of the very slight attention
that could be spared from the weightier matters of preparation, abso-
lutely prevented any thorough work in English composition. No
more time could well have been spared from other studies to English,
and I feel that the teachers did about all that could be done in insist-
ing upon careful translation. The trouble seems to me to lie in
making English count for so little in the admission examination.
After all, }Toung men go to school to pass the college examinations,
and if English composition counts for one sixteenth of the required
preparation, it must not expect to get a quarter of the students
attention, — and it must get something like that quarter if it is to be
what the Harvard Faculty demands of it.

No. 59.
[A Radcliffe College student.]

When in the course of human events it became necessary for me
to study my native language, my eldest sister began the arduous task
of drilling into my unwilling mind the first principles of English
grammar.

Now, according to my sister's ideas, children ought not to be given
homeopathic doses of anything ; this would, of course include English
grammar, and most rigorously did she carry out her principles in my
particular case. I was given large, unsavory doses of English early
in the morning, at stated intervals during the day, and an extra
allowance for my evening's -delectation.

This course of treatment continued, with my mother's sanction,
until my life became a burden. But as I grew weary my sister's
courage increased. I was given long extracts from Milton's " Para-
dise Lost" to parse; and even now the sight of Milton's poems
sends cold shivers dancing up and down my spinal column.

456

This system of cramming was carried out in my other studies aud,
distasteful as it was to me, it had the desired result, for in the course
of time I passed my examinations and entered the High School.
Here was to begin my real study of English, the foundation for
which had been so carefully laid. Here I was to acquire that knowl-
edge, by means of which I should become famous ; for so my sister
said, and had not her word been law to me? However I found that,
whatever else might have been his ambition, the master's aim was
not to turn out famous literary men and women.

In many of the shops in our village was displayed the sign : " Ici
on parle Francais." In our school, however, it was not necessary to
tack up in a conspicuous place the sign " We do not teach English
here." It went without sa}7ing.

From the first morning I entered High School till the beginning of
my last year, the study of English was shunned as if it were an evil
thing. Then, according to a time honored custom, there came an
awakening which was to our school what the Renaissance was to the
Middle Ages.

Following in the footsteps of our predecessors we, members of the
senior class, must write compositions, the number not to exceed four,
and these compositions were to be read before the school. In the
choice of subjects we were allowed a very wide range, but the num-
ber of compositions required seemed to us planned with the four
seasons in view, so, at least two thirds of all the compositions
were written on the seasons in succession, beginning always with
"Autumn." When it happened, as it did in my class, that the fourth
paper was not required we were sorry we did not begin with " Sum-
mer, being perfectly sure we could have written the veiy best paper
on that interesting subject.

These papers were returned to us without mark or comment. This
then was my experience in writing English before entering Radcliffe,
about nine pages of theme paper, written at intervals of ten weeks,
without previous instruction, with no directions in regard to the writ-
ing, and no comment upon the work when finished.

If a part of the time that I was required to spend in digging out
Greek roots had been devoted to the study of English I should not
now be struggling with "English A" That I am doing just that
thing seems to me to be a " good and sufficient " proof that my pre-
vious English training was very defective.

No. 60.

[A Radcliffe College student.]

I realize now what criticism means and how much I have lost by
not having had criticism. My work has always been marked excel-
lent and no particular fault has been found with it. Now when my
themes return to me, bespattered with red ink, marked "Frigid,"
"Conventional," "Wordy," "Not Specific," "Awkard," "Pathetic
in its Ineffectuality," I know that my work is not up to the new
standard, and I cau only set to work in a sort of despair to submit
some new effort to pitiless criticism. Of course it is only by cutting

457

that a tree can hope to bear good fruit, but I suppose it hurts the
tree to be cut.

I cannot quite tell what has been inadequate in my training. Per-
haps a course in English literature would well take the place of the
list of books in the college requirements, for pupils in the so-called
" college course" in our preparatory schools know almost no English
literature, and in fact little beside the college requirements. Then
there should be much more original work, all of which should be sub-
jected to a really good criticism. I think if I had had some such
preparation back of me, I should not feel so " pathetic in my inef-
fectually."

No. 61.

[A Massachusetts city High School.]

The study of English composition as conducted there was not very
thorough although equal to that of the average High School. Monthly
exercises were called for which were returned corrected to be rewritten
but the corrections as I remember them were more in regard to punc-
tuation, spelling and grammar than to general technique or excellence.
The importance given to the subject was not such as it deserved.
Regularity of work was called for but the marks given were not re-
garded as important as in studies like Greek, Latin or the mathe-
matics. They occupied a position as regards their weight in the
make up of the monthly " report cards " about midway between the
marks of the courses just named and the marks in what is called
4 ' deportment." The teachers I had in this branch of study I am
utterly unable to recall. The Principal of the High School has made
great improvement in the study of English composition especially
since so much has been said within the last few years concerning the
poor training of the average college undergraduate in this branch of
study.

The importance of the study of English composition as a fine art
is wholly misunderstood. We study literature as we study the works
of Greek art or of the period of the Renaissance. The study of
composition goes a step further. The study of literature is helpful
to the one who wishes to master composition but in composition we
apply our own hand to the marble and the brush. If proper atten-
tion were given to it, it might become our great national art of
expression. Before it can ever become so however, it will have to
be considered not of secondary but of primary importance in ele-
mentary education. The Greeks would not have attained so perfect
a literary expression if they had devoted less attention to their own
language than to Assyrian or Egyptian but that is practically, in
principle, what we are doing.

No. 62.

I prepared for College at a private school in Boston, where I studied
for six years. In all these six years I had only two years' training in
English. The year I entered the School I studied the English gram-
mar. The name of this book I have forgotten, but I can distinctly

458

remember its appearance. It was a book about three-quarters of an
inch thick, six inches long and four inches wide, bound in a reddish
brown cover, and the edges of the leaves were colored a bright red.
From that year until my last year at school, that is, during a period
of four years, I received no instruction whatever in English.

During m}7 last }Tear at school I prepared for the entrance exami-
nation in English. The preparation consisted in reading the required
books, and writing a two to four page theme once a week, on some
subject taken from the prescribed books. The only purpose of this
composition work, was to enable me to pass the examination in En-
trance English, which I did, with a D. This then was the only pre-
paration and experience I had in writing English before I came to
College.

During my Freshman year I took English A, I took English B my
Sophomore year and English C last year. How well I remember my
literary struggle and seemingly vain efforts of my Freshman year.
How I blamed my preparatory school for not giving me a better
grounding in English. It seemed sometimes as if it were impossible
for me to write good English. At the midyear I received a D. The
second half-year was somewhat more encouraging. I seemed to have
more facility in writing English and I think I must have continued to
improve up to the end, for I received a "C" for the whole course.
The next }Tear, by dint of steady hard work I got a C in English 5,
and last year I got a C -\- in English C.

I think the whole reason why I have not done better in English
composition at College, is on account of my training at school. One
year of English Composition before entering College seems to me
totally inadequate. How can a fellow who has had so little experience
in writing English, be expected to write well when he comes to
college? I think the course of English composition at preparatory
schools should be increased so as to include the English A of Har-
vard. If that were done by a good course, of say three years'
duration, a fellow would enter college well grounded in the principles
of Rhetoric and English Composition, whereas now, the majority of
the fellows who enter Harvard have no idea whatever of these
principles.

But until the requirements in admission English are arbitrarily
raised so as to include the present course English A, and thus com-
pel the preparatory schools to furnish the required preparation, those
schools will continue to send fellows to college who know just enough
English to "scrape through" the present examination in entrance
English.

No. 63.

[A private School, New York City.]

In the light of my college experience I should say that what my
preparatory training in English should have given me, but did not
give, was a reasonable amount of fluency in expressing myself on
subjects wholly within my knowledge and understanding. This was
due, I think, mainly to a lack of practice in writing. In grammar
and spelling I was, on the whole, adequately drilled, but of sj'stematic

459

training in the writing of English I had little or none. The isolated
compositions required were a considerable tax on my mental powers,
but helped me little to express myself in writing. The subjects were,
as a rule, far too ambitious and difficult of treatment. It ma}r be that
I had a tendency (which, however, should have been suppressed) of
choosing the most difficult out of a long list of alternatives.

Why could we not have had simple subjects, chosen mainly from
our other subjects, or from daily life, definitely assigned to us at fre-
quent and regular intervals, say once every week ? This would have
given us fluency of expression, without requiring spasmodic efforts of
a superhuman kind. Why could not our English teachers have adhered
to the simple principle that the scholar should be taught to express
what he already knows well, in good English, rather than to be forced
to express what he knows ill in bad English ?

No. 64.
[A New York city private School and Massachusetts Academy.]

The trouble with all preparatory training that I have ever heard of
was that it made out of that study which should be the most direct,
the least complex — the art of self-expression, an affair of heavy
topics childishly discussed, of attempts at grown up thought and
modes of expression, of dictionaries and daubed fingers.

They were moreover, too long and too infrequent. The boy has
nothing to say at length, and the boy becomes a prig if forced to.
But he is sure to see things, and may be counted on to do it. The
only possible training that it seems to me would do us any good at
that time, is, either a daily theme sort of thing — a resume of a reci-
tation, or of the walk to school — prescribed before hand, short,
never rewritten, and if bad, read before the class ; or the transcrib-
ing from dictation of standard prose. This latter would be death to
half the boys but for those few who knew or were going to know,
the great method.

My subsequent training has shown me that I am completely lacking
in any coherence or even sequence in my ideas. If the place that
took up all my working, and the best hours of the day, my school,
had given me any outlet for what ideas I had, for the things that I
wanted to talk about but never did for want of time at home and
opportunity at school, if the school, I say, had made me write one
firm sentence a day I should not have come up here in a state in
which you cannot tell the bubblings from the soup.

No. 65.

The training I received in writing English preparatory to entering
college was so brief as to leave but a very indistinct remembrance of
it in my mind. As I look back [the master of th-3 private school in
Boston, from which] I entered, seemed to have had the idea that, all
of his scholars being gentlemen, they knew the King's English. All
his methods of teaching were founded on the very attractive, though

460

necessarily loose, principle of common sense and subs and bases were
left to the winds. The obligation he especially urged upon us was to
make the English translation of any other tongue straightforward,
clear and grammatical. This of course gave us considerable prac-
tice, although I realize now that we were wording blindly. Beyond
this daily practice, I do not remember that the art of writing English
was seriously considered until the last half year preceding our gradu-
ation. In this I may be unjust ; but it is my impression and that of

my two roommates who graduated in my class. A Miss was

the teacher who assisted us in composition. The greater part of her
time was given to a part of the class who were trying to pass English A
as well as the admission examinations. Three times a week, how-
ever, she gave an hour to the regular class. " Hill's Rhetoric" was
the text book used. Short themes were required once a week upon
specified subjects as well as upon books we were supposed to have
read. Much attention was given to correcting sentences given to us
for that purpose. With this slight preparation, the only experience
any of us had in English composition, the greater part of the class
passed well. With these scant facts, though salient and true in
general, my efforts at reminiscence must be satisfied.

Speaking in the light of my subsequent work and experience in
college, I should say that such a training as I received was lament-
ably insufficient. It may be true that Mr. views as I interpret

them, were right, that all his scholars were gentlemen born and
bred, and as such ought to know their native tongue well enough to
speak it without committing Barbarisms, Solecisms or Improprieties ;
it may be true that the omnipresent principle of Common Sense was
well enough to follow for educated minds ; yet it is equally true that
this same principle cannot be useful save to those who have a good
foundation to work on, and that gentlemen born may be quite as
much at a loss when it comes to more lengthy matters than those
met with in ordinary conversation, as the veriest tramp. In other
words, no man can be a master until he has been a workman.

English 12, my first course in College which treated solely of com-
position, was, in vulgar terms, an " eye-opener." I had never consid-
ered literature in the light in which this course presented it to me.
Before, I had believed composition an application of the principle of
Common Sense to thought, and in the writing done purely for amuse-
ment, I was at a loss to explain where my weakness lay. What
English 12 has done is to analyze this principle of Common Sense,
true in generalities, but unfathomable to superficial minds, and give
me formula b}r which I can tabulate my thoughts, and from which I
can trace my mistakes. The whole matter seems to be simply a
question of Science and Art. The science of English composition is
an analytical knowledge of the English language. The art of writing
is the product of that knowledge in the hand of a genius. From this
it seems that a knowledge of the rudiments of composition ought to
be in the hands of every student, whatever may be his final disposi-
tion of it. It is this intimate knowledge that, until now, I, for one,
have sadly lacked.

461

No. M.
[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

In my second year [1890] at this school, work was commenced
irregularly and half listlessly on the books prescribed for admission
to Harvard. Here again too much time was spent in memorizing
portions of Tennyson's tl Locksley Hall" and Wordsworth's " Inti-
mations of Immortality" and Macaulay's Horatio. But little writing
of compositions or essays was done and that only irregularly. The
translations made in class were rarely put to the test of good English
— one of the greatest encouragements to bad English that I know of.

During the last two years in the school proper justice could not be
done to English, as sufficient time was not given to it. Where Latin
and Greek were studied five times a week, English was studied but
twice. Though the amount of writing was increased somewhat, it
was riot sufficient to give continued practice. The writing which was
done did not leave room enough for original thought by the student.

The results of the entrance examinations taken by the class show
I believe the direction which reform should take here. Almost every
member of the class received honors in Greek and there were no
failures. In Latin there were a great number of honors and but few
failures. In English however there were no honors and more failures
than on any other subject. This shows beyond a doubt I believe,
that the amount of time and attention given to the subjects offered is
not evenly enough divided.

It was not so much the want of method, as the want of time and
attention which caused this deficiency in English.

No. 67.

Speaking for [the private school in Boston where I was prepared] ,
I think I may safely say that the training in English was entirely
superficial and insufficient. Had as much time been given to English
as to Latin or even to French or German, I feel convinced that the
graduates would have known enough to write decent English, that is,
English fairly free from grammatical mistakes.

To me, the remedy seems to lie with the English department at
Harvard. If the entrance examination was enlarged to two hours
and made so stiff that at least two years training in English was
absolutely necessary to pass it, I am convinced that in a few years
English A could be abolished. The University is now teaching the
rudiments of -English alone, to a horde of freshmen. Why should
she allow the preparatory schools to impose this burden on her?
The newcomer know the rudiments, at least, of the other languages.
And Harvard overseers hold up our English to ridicule and ask
why ? Do they expect preparatory schools to teach English without
incentive ? How foolish !

462

No. 68.

My English training before coming to Harvard, I may say at the
outset, consisted more of a dilatory study of English literature than
any training in English composition. The schools that I went to all
seemed to start with the basal idea that to study English meant to
study English literature ; composition was deemed a very secondary
part of English training. In fact, in the majority of cases, I may
say that I seriously doubt if my English teachers were capable of
giving any instruction of real value in English composition. Many
of them did not even know how to write well or even correctly ; if
they did, it was more the result of good native instincts or some
accident than that they really knew from training in the subject,
what correct writing was.

Naturalty, teachers of this sort, went largely on the theory that
after their pupils had learned to spell, to punctuate and to avoid the
most flagrant grammatical errors, the rest must be left to the pupils
themselves. The only additional help they thought of giving was to
give the pupils a chance to acquire a certain fluency of expression
and glibness of treatment, by making them write "compositions"
and "essays" on various conventional subjects. After this they
thought their duty was done. They never criticized the aforesaid
compositions with anything approaching thoroughness. Comment
was entirely general ; where it was specific it was only with regard
to the most obvious errors, such as any newspaper correspondent
knows enough to avoid.

In fact, I think most of my English instructors had very little idea
that there is a correct way of writing, which must in the main be
followed or else, no matter how brilliant the spirit of the work, the
writing will technically be wrong. They realized that there was a
correct way of spelling, a correct way of punctuation, even a correct
way of paragraphing. In general, they understood the principle of
unit}* when applied to a whole piece of work, in that they were able
to tell when the general result was effective. But that there were
rules and more or less arbitrary methods by which all pieces of work,
no matter how mediocre the theme, can be raised to a maximum
degree of effectiveness, both in part and in whole, they usually did
not realize. They thought good writing was entirely a question of
the person who did it. They believed it required talent, the spark
of genius or what not, to write well just as we believe it requires the
spark of genius to write brilliantly or originally. That writing well
is a question of training they did not understand. They would
undoubtedly have admitted that training is a help but had somebody
suggested that any intelligent person can write correctly and well if
properly trained, they would have said, " Ah, my dear sir, it depends
upon the man."

With what they called "English literature," it was different.
Here they thought anybody could be made to learn anything. Here
it was merely a question of application, a question of opportunity.
Anybody can learn facts they thought. So we were set to work
learning literature from text-books. In other words, the correct
process was exactly reversed. Instead of letting us imbibe our

4G3

literature naturally from the authors themselves, they tried to pound
it into ns. On the other hand, instead of pounding into us the rules
for correct English composition, they thought to let us imbibe them
from the air and the fields and what not. To sum it all up, I never
received any training in composition, beyond the most elementary
sort, that was worth a straw ; and I never was encouraged to any
study of literature that was worth a straw until my last year at [a
New England Academy], when I was obliged to read the list of
books that were put down for the Harvard entrance English.

Now the point I wish to make is this. The primary fault with all
preparatory school English training is with the teachers themselves.
When they in general don't know how to write correctly themselves,
how can they be expected to train others to write well ? Now any
remedy, in order to cure the condition of preparatory English must
obviously strike directly at the root of the matter. It must strike
directly at the men who teach English in preparatory schools. But
how can this be done ? As a matter of fact, it is my solemn opinion
from what I have observed, that Harvard is the only college in the
country that regularljT and consistently turns out men who know how
to write English. Men from Amherst and Yale and other places
may happen to know how to write but if they do it is an accident.
In most cases they do not. Many of them are well-versed in litera-
ture and get positions as English instructors on that ground without
knowing anything at all about composition. The only instructor at
my preparatory school who knew anything about English composi-
tion was a Harvard man and he was teaching Greek.

Now Harvard may go on appointing investigating committees and
raising entrance standards and passing regulations, but what good
will all this do when the teachers at preparatory schools do not even
intelligently understand what Harvard is after? They don't under-
stand the principles of good writing ; how will smj of these means
make them capable of doing teaching which primarily rests upon the
existence of such knowledge.

The case is hopeless. Harvard can't compel the preparatory
schools to put Harvard men over their English departments. As far
as I can see Harvard is simply obliged to wait until the graduates of
other colleges know something about English or until her own pres-
tige in English is so great that preparatory schools will take only
Harvard men for English instructors. Until that time it is deliber-
ately unfair to the great body of schools, to radically raise the stand-
ard for entrance examinations in English.

So that most excellent course, English A, cannot justly be said to
be doing work which can reasonably be expected of preparatory
schools. Harvard will have to keep it up indefinitely in order to
prepare her men adequately for the really literary work done in
Ena-lish 22.

464

THE INCIDENTAL METHOD.

Pages 412-416.

No. 69.

In the [Latin School of the Massachusetts city where I prepared] ,
we were required every three or four weeks to write themes of between
six hundred and a thousand words. Various subjects were suggested
by the instructor, but my recollection is that we usually wrote on
subjects connected with the books, read in preparation for the college
examinations. These themes were read aloud before the class ; and
by devoting two or three days to this reading, each one of us was
generally given a chance to read his theme. Then, the rest of us
proceeded to criticize it. This oral criticism was very informal and
was allowed the widest range. We noted any grammatical or rhetori-
cal mistakes, we criticized violations of the principles of composition,
we discussed the method of treating the subject and the qualities
of style, and sometimes we discussed the writer's opinions. The
instructor in turn criticized our criticisms ; and after we had finished,
gave his estimate of the theme and suggested ways in which it could
be improved. After receiving this oral criticism, we re-wrote our
themes, and they were corrected and commented upon by the
instructor, and returned to us. In many cases, they were then
rewritten a second time ; in every case the criticism was thorough
and helpful.

In addition to this regular work, we frequently wrote impromptu
~themes during the recitation-hour, and occasionally criticisms of each
other's themes. Besides such work under the direction of the
instructor in English, we received a good deal of training in writing
English from the instructors in the other departments. We were
trained to translate foreign languages into readable English, and
failures to write idiomatic English were marked as severely as mis-
interpretations of the Greek and Latin. Even in Geometiy, we
received a good deal of instruction in writing through the emphasis
placed on clear and definite statement. Every instructor, in short,
paid careful attention to the student's English.

The general nature of this training in composition, I thought then
and think now, was admirable. The practice of. having the themes
read aloud and criticised by the class, seems to me particularly benefi-
cial. We all enjoyed it, and, I think, learnt more of the practical
rules of rhetoric and received more insight into the methods of com-
position than we would if the time had been spent upon a text-book.
Apart from the consideration of specific mistakes, general questions
of method were continually arising, the discussion of which was cer-
tainly of great value. This oral criticism, above all, encouraged in

~ indent that most desirable trait, alertness of mind.

405

The care taken with the English of our translations was of almost
as much service as the writing of regular themes. I don't know how
the instruction in this respect could have been improved unless by
the radical method of lessening the amount of Greek and Latin
studied and the substitution of English authors.

Finally, I ought, perhaps, to speak of the benefit our study of the
English classics must have had on our writing. We were not taught
to write in imitation of Macaulay or Addison or any other English
writer, but in reading the great prose-writers we were taught to
notice the methods and qualities of their styles. Without going into
the details of such instruction, I can best state its result, and indeed
a very important benefit of our training, by saying that many of us
came to feel that even in our simple themes, we were practicing at a
noble art.

To encourage this literary sense and utterly to discountenance the
ordinary school-boy's slovenly writing were perhaps the chief aims of
teachers.

No. 70.

[At the private school in] Cambridge, on the contrary, where I
studied (1892 and 1893) the two years previous to entering College,
English was taught as one of the most important subjects and was
applied to all the others. Our instructor in English and in Latin,
not only strove to make us write our translations of Vergil and
Cicero in good and idiomatic English, but arranged with other
teachers that a similar effort should be made in written translations
from the Greek, the German, and the French. Our papers in His-
tory, too, were criticised not less for their style than for their
substance.

The first of those two years we studied Longman's " School Com-
position," and read the " DeCoverley Papers," reproducing these

from memory in the class room. Mr. corrected each theme in

detail and discussed it personally with the pupil.

M}^ last year at school, we took up Professor Hill's "Principles
of Rhetoric " and went through the book so carefully that English A,
in College, proved an easy review. At the same time, we read the
books set by Harvard College (in Emerson, Irving, Dickens, Scott,

Shakspere) and reproduced sections of them as Mr. directed.

He was severe in his criticisms, and brought me down to earth with
a shock more than once when I was inclined to soar. I did not like
this treatment very well at the time (though I always thought his
judgment keen and appreciative) but I believe I have felt the good

of it ever since. Mr. was very thorough, also, in matters of

technic, and he tried constantly to teach us simplicity, directness,
and accuracy of expression. For this purpose, he made us write,
and rewrite, continually, both on the set of books that we were read-
ing and on the principles of Rhetoric.

466

No. 71.

The three years before entering college I spent in [a California
city] High School, (or Boys' High School, as it used to be called),
whose course of instruction followed the requirements of admission
to the University of California. These requirements were English
1, or "The English Language," and English 14, or "English Lit-
erature."

In describing the work of these three years, I shall speak first of
the English which was not writing, for that which was writing is
closely connected with it. That work, then, was of two kinds, the
study of the Literature, and the study of the Language. In the lat-
ter, which was the less important, several poems (Evangeline etc.),
were taken, when we started in, as materials for the stud}r of the
sentence and of words, their analysis, use, and so forth.

The most important element of all the work, however, was the
study of poetry and prose as pieces of English Literature. Work
corresponding to English 28 took up part of the time, while such
books as the " Alhambra," " The Newcomes" Macaulay's " Warren
Hastings," took up what was left. Much outside work was required,
several of Thackeray's and Scott's novels, DeQuincey's Essays, and
others being on the list of required readings.

This, then, is a sketch of the work in English that was not writing.
Of such theme work as is required at Harvard I do not remember
any. However, a good deal of writing was required in connection
with what I have described above. For example, written analyses
of scenes of Shakespeare's plays or discussion of chapters of the
Newcomes, were frequently called for. At such times a choice of
several subjects was allowed.

Outside of English, written work was required in Government,
(corresponding to Government 1), History (corresponding to History
1), and in the classics, of which I took only Latin. In translating
this, good English was alwa}*s insisted upon. In Government and
in History, papers of considerable length were frequently called for.
They were, however never revised as pieces of English Composition.

Letter-writing has been the only experience in composition I have
had outside of school work.

Looking back now, I think the training I received in writing Eng-
lish was exceedingly good, but insufficient. It might well have been
extended at the expense of some of the other work. In the light of
my stud}^ in College since, I think increased composition should have
almost entirely supplanted the work in Rhetoric, for, having gone
over that for the second time, in English A, I feel convinced that it
is as useless to a person learning how to write as the study of logic
is to a growing child, learning how to think. What both need is
good example, and in this respect I feel that my training in English
was not only good, but sufficient. The defect seems to have lain in
a lack of sufficient practice in following the examples.

467

No. 72.
[A Massachusets city High School.]

The subject of my preparation in writing English would, I think,
separate itself into two divisions ; the principle or direct training in
English composition by theme writing and in Literature classes ; and
the secondary or indirect, the criticism of our English in the transla-
tion of the classics. Of this later class I shall first speak.

My work in Greek and Latin was on the whole valuable as training
in English with the exception of my Junior yesa\ In the work of
that year, the chief aim seemed to be to dig out the Greek and Latin
with but little real regard for the English. In my senior year, how-
ever, the work was conducted along the lines of good English. In
Latin especially, a clear idiomatic translation was required, even, as
I sometimes felt with too little regard for the literal meaning. In
Greek, the stress was perhaps less marked but still of value. Our
papers were marked from the standpoint of good English as well as
the literal Greek meanings. As a whole, then it seems to me, that
with the exception of my Junior year, the use of clear, idiomatic
English in our translation work was made an important and useful
part of our training.

In our direct training in English composition ; that is in our theme
writing, our course was a miserable failure. In the first year we
wrote a few themes, not more than once a month. These came back
with the glaring mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling
marked. The style, however, was never commented upon ; there
was no regular or required time for talking over the work ; occasion-
ally the themes were not returned. Our work in the second year was
carried on in much the same way ; a few themes were handed in which
were returned or not as it happened but which were never really
criticized.

No. 73.

[A Philadelphia Academy.]

Most of the students went directly to college but I chose to stay at
school for two more years before entering Harvard.

The first of these two extra years I did no regular work in English
composition spending all my time on studies I was preparing for my
preliminary examination in June. We were always required to write
our translations in as good English as possible but the putting of
Latin or Greek into good English and at the same time the showing
the teacher b}r a fairly literal rendering of the text that I had some
knowledge of what was in the text always bothered me. In choosing
between good English and a word for word translation I was very
likely to prefer the latter as showing that I at least understood the
words I was translating.

468

No. 74.

[A private School in New York City.]

Our themes were sometimes on our own, sometimes on required
subjects. During some years they were written in class, during
others at home. In all cases these themes were corrected and
usually rewritten. The best were frequently read in class and
commented upon by the instructor. From time to time, he would
give us little talks on the art of writing. Every now and then, the
composition work was varied b}T debates and oral discussions of dif-
ferent topics.

In translations from the classics and from the modern languages
great stress was always laid upon the use of good idiomatic English,
keeping as close to the text as possible. The translations, usually
oral, were sometimes written.

Close, yet literal translation of the classics and the modern lan-
guages seems to me an excellent method to increase one's vocabulary
and facility of sentence structure. Indeed, I think nothing is of such
benefit in enabling one to handle the language without any difficulty.

No. 75.

[An Academy in New Hampshire.]

I was also greatly helped by Profs. and of the Latin

and the Greek departments, respectively, both of whom took great
pains to give their classes frequent exercises in writing translations
with especial attention to the English used.

In one respect, I notice a conspicuous difference between the

method used by Prof. and that of English 22. In teaching

us to cultivate a style in writing, he did not continually harp on the
advantages of imitating a certain author or authors, but urged us to
notice carefully the style of every author that we read and to strive
to combine the good qualities of as many of them as possible.

No. 76.
[A private School in New York City.]

Less classics, and more logical mathematics, would tend to lay
more stress on English branches, and to get rid of classical phrasing.
More frequent, but not daily themes would be practical, and benefi-
cial. These should be written at home, criticised, and rewritten in
class. The English department should require, as was seldom done
with us, instead of themes very frequent translations from Greek,
Latin, German and French, and paraphrases of English, the entire
attention to be given to the form of English.

469

No. 77.

In 1890, when I went to [an Academy in Massachusetts], the
English course was considered an important one, though there was
really no very great stress laid upon it. At that time, the custom of
having translations of all kinds rendered into good English, had not
yet sprung up.

During 1893 and 1894, we read Shakespeare's pla}Ts, with a good
deal of care, but, though we wrote many compositions upon these
plays, the english we used was not very vigorously critisized. Our
latin translations were still hideous to read. All the words used were
taken directly from the latin ones and a small vocabulary was the
inevitable result.

It was not until 1895, that any effectual system of teaching English
was introduced into the school. From this time on, all translations,
both verbal and written, were required to be rendered into good, pure
English. This was a great assistance in acquiring a larger vocabulary.
But besides all this we had a regular English course. We studied the
old edition of Hill's " Principles of Rhetoric" as far as "Argument."
We wrote themes on the books required for preliminaiy English at
Harvard. These themes were re-written with special care for the
critisisms. Again this was a step better than the work of the year
before and the next year's progress proved to be greater still.

In the 1896 term, our English instructor [a recent Harvard grad-
uate] taught me a great deal about writing English. The class
studied the new edition of Hill's "Rhetoric" in a very systematic
manner. Our fortnightly themes were carefully corrected with refer-
ence to the " Rhetoric," and, after being discussed, were re-written.
We had lectures on the 18th century authors and each member of the
class wrote an essay, describing the lives and works of the men. We
read the books required to anticipate English A and critisized them
in our themes which in their turn were critisized.

This last year of my school training in English did me more good

than all the former }7ears work put together for I had begun to look up

the writing of English as an interesting study and not as mere drudgery.

,In the fall of '96 I entered Harvard. As I had satisfactorily passed

the English A examination, I took English 22 as my English course.

No. 78.
[A Massachusetts city Latin School.]

In the second class, we analyzed very carefully certain plays of
Shakespere. Essays were required from us concerning the different
characters of a play ; and for a certain time tri-weekly bits of prose
were called for, which corresponds somewhat to the English 22
" daily." Contemporary prose authors were also recommended to us.

In nry last year more careful analyzation of Shakespere and Milton
was called for. We were asked for criticisms and reviews of books
we were supposed to have read. The early method of black-board
work was still continued ; sentences containing solecisms and bar-
barities were put on the board to be picked apart by the class.

470

Besides the strictly English work we did, we were aided, or rather
driven, into correct English by the other teachers, noticeably Mr.
, our Greek instructor. These gentlemen would not allow us to-
present " translation English " in their several courses ; they insisted
on a good English version of whatever language we were studying.

I have very little criticism to offer against the School. I think the
command one partly acquires, who graduates from this school, proves
its efficienc}'. I think I developed there a taste for literature. The
constant reading the school requires, and later, the analysis and
dissections of various authors and plots, helps one greatly.

I think, however, the efficiency of such a course might be increased.

Raise the standard of English required to enter the Latin School,.

by some stress on the importance of English in the grammar school.

One is, as I have said before, supposed to be able to write a short
piece, to spell ordinary words and to read simple English. Now
every boy that passes into this school cannot write a short piece cor-
rectly, nor spell ordinary words in the right way. So the first year
or two is spent in mere technical matters, and literary style must be
neglected till a command over grammer is acquired. If entering
scholars were up to the standard the first year might be given over
to laying the foundation of literary appreciation, and one might

graduate from the Latin School with nearly as complete a

knowledge of English as the newly-made sophomore at Harvard
possesses.

No. 79.

Our work in writing English in the Latin School [near Boston]
was excellent as far as it went, but it seems to me now that we
should have gained greater facility in writing if we had had more
practice. The work of writing compositions of some length, out of
school is rarely popular with the students, and I doubt if it would
be advisable to require them much oftener than once a month,
especially in the lower classes of the preparatory schools, but I am
very sure that much good would come from the introduction of a
s}7stem of short themes to be written in class in a limited time. They
might be written, weekly, semiweekly, or daily, (the oftener, the
better) . The subjects might be given out the day before to be con-
sidered and looked up, and thus, by the judicious selection of subjects,
a considerable fund of general knowledge would be gained ; or the
fellows might be required to write on a subject "impromptu," or
upon anything they chose. These themes would correspond closely
to the English A weekly themes. If such a system as this would not
improve the qualhry of the English presented at the entrance exami-
nation for Harvard, it seems to me it is doubtful if anything would ;
it would moreover sharpen the fellows wits and teach them to think
quickly and to express their thoughts. This system might also be
adopted in part, by the upper grades of the grammar schools.

In translation there is often the difficulty of translating literally
enough to suit the teacher and at the same time write good English.
Translations in poor English were always severely criticised, though
I doubt if poor English, excepting in a few special cases, ever mate-

471

rially lowered the writer's mark either in English or in the other
language.

Much good might be done by requiring translations to be written
in good English, and by severely marking down all poor English
translations.

No. 80.

After leaving the public school, I entered a school of which
Mr. is Head Master, in Chicago.

Then began the direct work of preparation for college examina-
tions. This was done under the care of Miss . The work

now became more systematic. The books required for the examina-
tion of 1895 were taken up in order and carefully read and reviewed.
With each book, according to its nature, the development of the
plot, the portrayal of character, the historical bearing or the beauties
of the diction, were brought out in class-room discussion. At least
once a week, we wrote for twenty minutes on some point in the
reading. The papers were corrected and we rewrote occasionally
but more often merely recast them. At intervals we wrote on what
we pleased but always briefly and in classroom. During the last
year, we also hjid considerable drill in technique intended rather to
help us avoid solecisms than to acquire any knowledge of the princi-
ples of different kinds of writing.

At the same time with this direct instruction in English, we were
made to use good English in our translations from Latin and Greek.
Written translations, especially, were not accepted unless the}' were
phrased in correct language and in our oral work, every effort was
made to prevent us from falling into the Latin or Greek idioms and
we were constantly encouraged to find the best English idiom rather
than make a less idiomatic but more literal rendering.

Looking back over the last few }rears, in the light of later experi-
ence, I can say that the preparatory training that I received, brought
me most successfully to a point where I could take up the work of
English A with ease. If I were to attempt to criticise the prepara-
tion it would be in details rather than as a whole. The aim of the
College requirements in English seems to be two-fold : first, to give
the candidate a fairly thorough acquaintance with eight or ten pieces
of good literature ; and second, to give him the ability to write cor-
rectly, at least, short compositions. Now, with these objects in
view, a different choice of books seems to me advisable. Within the
last few years, Webster's " First Bunker Hill Oration," Macaulay's
essays on Chatham, Clive and Hastings, Emerson's essay on "the
American Scholar," and Arnold's " Solirab and Rustum " have been
among the requirements. These works, with the exception of the
last, in order to be read intelligently require a great deal of outside
study. Macaulay's essays cannot be grasped and remembered with-
out a minute study of the period of history which they treat ; the
"American Scholar," involves a study of Transcendentalism ; Web-
ster's oration comes nearer home to the average schoolboy but even
that needs some outside work of a historical nature. Sohrab and
Rustum is open to objection of another kind. While there are plays
of Shakespeare, poems of Tennyson, Shelley and others, and novels

472

of Thackeray and the other masters, that the preparatory student
does not know and ignorance of which is a crime against literature,
he should not be made to put time on the study of a comparatively
unimportant writer like Arnold. In place of those works which
require outside historical work, I should like to see substituted more
plays of Shakespeare, or more novels of Dickens, Hawthorne, Scott
or Thackeray, or something of Goldsmith or Pope, the "Vicar" or
the " Rape of the Lock," for instance. In this way, the labor of the
reading might be materially reduced and more time given to the
acquirement of technical skill in writing while at the same time
the general knowledge of the common body of our literature with
which everybody is supposed to be acquainted would be considerably
increased.

No. 81.

I prepared for college in a public Latin School [near Boston].
The English work in that school has been revolutionized since I
graduated. As it was then conducted, it seems to me its chief defect,
on the side of litterature, consisted in the limited amount of the work
required. We had to read only the books required b}r the College,
and the instruction in them, so far as I remembered^ was designed
simpty to acquire a certain general knowledge of the characters of a
certain book, and the general plot of the story or play, and was not
designed to awaken in interest in the methods of the given author,
or the influences which had produced his style or the influence which
he may have exercised upon his successors. The work was done by
the teachers as required work, in which they were not much interested
and for which they were not prepared.

In the School much attention was paid to translations from Greek
and Latin. We were continually urged to put the thought of the
ancient into idiomatic English. I think this was a far more valuable
exercise than that of writing essa}rs on English books. The work
consisted in avoiding certain evils of grammar and rhetoric. We
were not guided in imaginative work, nor indeed in an}' of the partic-
ular kinds of writing. No effort was made for purity of thought in
the various well defined kinds of writing. We were not taught to
distinguish sharply between description and narration, nor were any
suggestions offered which would tend to awaken perception of the
" litteresque." The criticisms were, however, always sym pathetic.
The teachers tried to look at the subject treated in an essay from the
point of view of the pupil, and did not make use of ridicule as a
means for arousing interest in the work, nor as a correction for
mistakes common to all young writers.

My first theme in College, written wholly without preparation, was
marked A, a mark with which, so far as I know, no succeeding theme
has ever been decorated. Writing is one of the fine arts, and it is
natural that certain schools should prevail at certain times, and
should predominate in the minds of certain teachers. As near as I
can make out, success in theme writing depends on imitating the
artist who is the recognized master of the instructor who reads the
themes.

473

No. 82.

I have been requested to describe my training in writing English
before I entered College. By the training in "writing English" I
take it to mean not only the themes and compositions I have written
for my courses in English, but in addition the translations that I
have made from other languages.

This is rendered the easier for me by the fact that all my prepara-
tory work was carried on in a single institution in Chicago. Let me
speak first of my English courses proper.

During almost my whole course of study I was under the instruc-
tion of Harvard graduates. They were all fresh from their work
here, and followed its methods for the most part. Every week, and
sometimes oftener, we were required to write a resume of the book
we were reading, an account of the author's life, to describe some
event in it, or to give our impressions of the writer's style. One

year, under Mr. , we wrote a series of daily themes, much on the

same plan as we employ in English 22. And in my last year we
were required to take notes on a course of lectures which was being
delivered before the school, and these were handed to the instructor
and criticized by him.

Probably no less important than this composition training was the
practice we received in translation. Both in oral and written work
we were required to use idiomatic English, and to avoid the Latin
and Greek construction. Even on our examination papers the style
of the translation was taken into account. This was also true in
French and German although not to such a degree. For we did very
little written work in these, and it is much harder to make a good oral
translation than one on paper. Even in our geometry our speech was
taken into account. We were required to speak without hesitation,
to be clear and concise.

In governing the preparatory school work, it seems to me the
colleges have made one great mistake. They have required too
much reading. I know that my school gave an extra amount of time
to English, and yet we did not get the training in composition we
should have gotten. With the number of subjects a student has to
take up in order to enter college, and the number of books he has to
read for English, it is inevitable that he must neglect his composition
work, — the subject which will be of the most value to him in his
after life.

The way to remedy this fault seems to me to be this, — to cut
down the number of books required, and to raise the standard of
writing. This has one flaw, namely that the students do not get a
grasp of the best authors and poets. But this could be remedied by
making a course in literature required, — say English 28.

This seems to me the one great thing that was lacking in my
preparatory training, — a great amount of composition work. — Could
this higher standard be established I think the Universities would
find the students in a much better condition to derive benefit from
their work. The study of a rhetoric should be entirely unnecessary
in College.

474

No. 83.

[A private School in Boston.]

In the regular English courses of these two years the only things
which I can now remember to have gained were an acquaintance
with the books and lives of a few American authors and a slight
knowledge of rhetoric. Beyond the regular English courses however,
I received some indirect training from the translation of the classics.
In these the extent to which good English was demanded varied. In
recitations litteralness was expected rather than smooth idiomatic
English, but in examinations good English was more explicitly
demanded. The habit of translating in stiff unidiomatic English in
recitations became too strong to be counteracted by the occasional
influence of examinations. Still I think my vocabula^ was greatly
strengthened during those two years by this translation even if I did
not gain a proficiency in writing good sentences.

Our compositions were returned to us but we were not required to
rewrite them or to look them over with the instructor, so that we
soon became so slovenly in style that the habit could not be shaken
off when in the following }Tear a new instructor tried to raise the
standard of English. In this year's course, then, there was almost
no drill in writing good English, but what we did learn was a very
thorough knowledge of the books given us for our year's work. The
number of compositions that we wrote that year must however have
given us some proficienc}^ in putting on paper an outline of a story
or of a character.

During this year our work in the classics must have helped us in
some measure by adding to our stock of words but the tendancy to
use a stiff steriotype expression rather than hunt about for a free
idiomatic phrase was very strong, and, though the standard of Eng-
lish was raised in translations the daily work in the class showed
little sign of the change. The idea of striving alwa}Ts iu translation
to find exactly the right word was not brought forward as it should
have been. If it had been I should have gained a knowledge and an
appreciation of words which I now feel I sadly lack.

As a class I think we were well prepared in a knowledge of the
subject matter required for the examinations, but we had very little
proficiency in writing good English. The fault lay in the fact that
we were never obliged to rewrite our compositions when they were
returned to us b}^ the instructors. We simply looked over the cor-
rections that they made and then laid the composition away without
another thought.

No. 84.

[A Chicago School.]

I might here mention another kind of work which might be con-
sidered a part of our English training. Once a week we were
required by our instructor in Latin or Greek to make a written trans-
lation of some given passage from Homer or Virgil. These, after

475

they were examined by him, were taken to the English instructor,
who went over them with us personally, and marked them as part of
our English work. This drilling was of great help to us later, in the
examinations.

We have now only to consider the original written work which was
required of us. For a period of six weeks in the fall, and again for
six weeks in the spring we wrote daily themes.

Besides these we had sometimes longer themes to prepare, coming
perhaps every fortnight on an average. These were much like our
" fortnightlies " of English 22 in substance, though much shorter and
on prescribed subjects. We sometimes, too, wrote short themes in
class on subjects given by the instructor, which were afterwards read
and corrected by other scholars and handed in, with their names.

No. 85.
[A St. Louis School.]

The course in the senior year was practically the same as the year
before. Excepting that during the last half of the year we quit the
discussions at the beginning of each recitation and instead wrote
short themes. In addition to six essays, each student had to write
a graduation thesis. The best six theses were delivered as orations
at our graduation exercises.

This system of English was not a smooth running one when it was
first adopted some six or seven years ago. At first it was not con-
sidered of much importance that each student should do his work in
English as thorough as his Greek, his Latin or his mathematics.
And because of this reason we, who were the first to graduate under
the new system, are not as well prepared as those who graduated
this year or as those who will graduate hereafter. The system now
works admirably and English is looked upon as being equally im-
portant with the other classics or mathematics, and hereafter all

students coming to Harvard from Academy will have a training

in English equal to the best eastern preparatory schools.

No. 86.

Five years before entering college I began my preparation [in a
public Latin School near Boston] , which was eventually to pass me
into Harvard. During my first year I received little or no practice
in writing English. The study of English, that year, consisted in
reading a few of the books, a knowledge of which I must have five
years after. We read as standards, Irving's Sketch Book, Evange-
line, and the Lady of the Lake. This work came only once a week,
and it was very seldom that we had to write a theme. That year we
began the study of Latin, which consisted in translating short sen-
tences from the classics. We translated orally, only being obliged
to write the translations when we had an examination.

During the next three years there was practically no work in Eng-
lish. We were obliged, however, to write numerous translations from

476

the Greek and Latin classics, and one of the instructions accompany-
ing each paper was, that it was to be written in good English. This
rule, had it been insisted on, would have done much to increase our
facilit}^ in writing English, but it was not enforced. I do not mean
by that, that our translations were a jumble of meaningless words,
but in a great many instances our words were not put together ac-
cording to the English custom.

The last year in school we gave three hours a week to English.
Our work consisted in reading the books that were prescribed in the
Harvard Catalogue for admission to College. Each week we wrote a
theme, summarizing our reading, or describing some character in a
book. That year we wrote our translations from the Latin and Greek,
and the use of good English was enforced ; if the English was bad,
the mark was low.

This year in English 22 I find the work much different from that
of last 3^ear, and I think my preparation for the course is very defi-
cient. Now I am requested in my fortnightly themes to describe
something, or write a narrative. When I attempt to write on the
life around me, I make an utter failure of it. Daily themes seem a
bore ; to write every day is something my previous work has not
fitted me for, so in English 22 I feel I am working under great dif-
ficulties.

No. 87.
[A Massachusetts city High School.]

In connection with our study of the classics, we were required to
write out in blue book form translations of considerable portions of
Ciciro's Orations, the Iliad, and the iEneid. Several times, also,
we were expected to render short passages into blank verse ; these
would doubtless have been pronounced melodramatic by the English
department of Harvard.

In my English course then, the primary emphasis was placed upon
study of what others had written ; this is doubtless a vital element in
the attainment of proficiency in composition : regarded merely as
such, it is, nevertheless, an element of which the ordinary high school
boy absorbs but little.

No. 88.
[A Massachusetts city public Latin School.]

Though the class, once in a while, was asked to correct specimens
of bad English, this was considered of little value. The main exer-
cise, the class got in writing English, was in weekly examinations in
Greek and Latin. In these tests, good English translations, as near
the original text as possible, were required. Examinations in geom-
etry, though less frequent helped to improve our English, especially
as the teacher required us to say, in our best English, exactly what
we meant.

Finding too little practice in composition in school, I began to
take private lessons thrice a week. Every lesson, I wrote a short

477

composition of about fifteen minutes, which, after carefully correct-
ing, [my instructor] returned the next lesson, with detailed explana-
tions for the improvements he desired. He also went over the
themes, which I wrote in the Latin School, and criticised them more
severety than Mr. .

As to the merits of the methods of my teachers, there is probably
less to say not because methods were poor, but because, when things
run smoothl}T, they attract less attention. The literal translations
from Greek and Latin into English and the written work in geometry
have, I think, done me much good by enlarging my vocabulary and
by forcing me to hunt for exact expressions of my meaning. And,
the correcting specimens of bad English — which, if thoroughly done,
I consider, invaluable — in addition to affording the same advantages
as translations from Greek or Latin, gave me, also, a complete re-
view of grammar and rhetoric and enabled me not only to learn the
theory, but enabled me also to see if I had grasped the theory suffi-
ciently to put it into practice. Lastly, I find, that Mr.

method of writing short compositions, without any preparation, in-
creased my ability, more than anything else, to write fluently.

No. 89.
[A Massachusetts city public Latin School.]

In all written translations of foreign languages our English was
always taken into account, and on examinattons two marks were
given, one for the English which we wrote, and one for our knowl-
edge of the subject at hand. We were continually reminded to guard
against the so-called " Translation English.''

I think the training I received at school helped me very much in
regard to imr Fortnightly themes, when I have plenty of time to
think the subject over before I write. But on the other hand, I
think my daily themes would be better if I had had some previous
training in writing short extracts. Why can't the English instructor
in the preparatory school today give out some subject at the begin-
ning of his recitation hour, and let the scholars write on it for five or
ten minutes ? If this was done two or three times a week during the
student's course in English at school, it would help him a great deal
when he came to write the short extracts in English A at College,
and the daily themes of his Sophomore and Junior years.

No. 90.

My training in English composition before entering college was
received in a Latin School [in a city near Boston] . From the lowest
grade (sixth class) in the school, the scholars were required to write
compositions on various subjects chosen by the teacher. But if any-
one wished to write on any particular topic, he might consult the
instructor in advance.

478

Eight or ten compositions were thus written during the year ; one
or two of which were written in class, on subjects prepared before-
hand.

A much-disliked innovation was tried several times during nry first
and second class years. Twent}T-five or thirty lines of Latin would
be given us for translation into good idiomatic English. On this
work, not only our Latin but also our English mark for the month
was based. This scheme excited a storm of criticism and angry
remonstrance on the part of the boys, but they were finally con-
vinced that it was a just one.

I think that the only suggestion that I could make to Mr. ,

would be that he should try the scheme of short daily themes, for per-
haps two months in the year. It might be a good way to have them
written in class, allowing perhaps twenty minutes for the process.

No. 91.
[A Massachusetts city High School.]

Although I do not believe in speaking ill of one's preparatory
school, I feel urged to speak frankly in this case by the very nature
of the composition. Speaking in a general way, I should say that
my whole preparatory training in English was of a too elementary
nature to produce the best possible results. Although I recognize
the great importance of learning to use correct grammar and to
punctuate according to set rules, yety at the same time this is being
taught, I think a scholar should be encouraged to express himself
clearly, easily, and with force, which was not the case in my pre-
paratory training. I think, too, an immense amount of good would
have been gained if I had had practice in daily theme writing.

As for other studies, scarcely any attention was paid to the quality
of English used. 1 thoroughly believe that a scholar should be
required to use as good English in translating Latin or Greek, for
instance, as would be required on an examination-paper in English.
I believe, also, that the quality of English used on a history paper
ought to materially affect the grade. In this wa)', a scholar would
soon become accustomed to speaking good English without any effort
on his part.

As a final suggestion, I would say that the study of English ought
to be made a more important part of preparatory work than it is now.
Many teachers seem to think that mastery of the English tongue
comes to an English-born person by instinct, and so the subject is
pushed aside to make way for Latin, Greek, and other foreign
languages.

No. 92.

I ma}' say here that at [the Academy in Massachusetts where I was
prepared] the masters were always particular about any written work
which was handed in, regardless of the subject. Good English was
required, and if work was handed in badly written, it was marked
accordingly. English translations were also required in class.

479

No. 93.
[A Massachusetts city public Latin School.]

My preparation in writing English was confined mainly to the work
done in the two years immediately preceding my entrance to college.

The work done in English composition may be divided into two
main parts : first, sight translations from Greek and Latin into Eng-
lish ; second, short compositions on books read in the class.

In preparation for the preliminary and final examinations in
classics, we wrote, in the second half of each year, translations
of from one to two pages in length. A good English and not a
literal translation was asked for, though of course more attention
was paid by the instructors to a correct interpretation of the Greek
and Latin than to a polished English style. Though there was no
rewriting, the teachers read aloud some of the best and some of the
worst of these exercises, calling attention to gross mistakes in Eng-
lish expression as well as to any error of translation. These papers
were written once a week.

The compositions written in connection with books read in the
classes were, from the point of view of English instruction, more
important. In the preliminary year, this work was slight and
irregular. If I remember rightly, there were not more than six
or eight compositions during the school term. But in the final
year, more attention was paid to the subject. Twentyfive themes
(roughly one a week) were written and criticised in conference.
There was no rewriting.

I have tried to point out, as near as I can remember, what my
school training in English was. I am now going to give my own
unpretentious estimate of it. About the Greek and Latin transla-
tions, little need be said. They served admirably the main purpose
for which they were designed, and it is unfair to apply to them the
standards of English literary style.

The case of the avowedly English compositions, however, is dif-
ferent. I think it is not too much to say that the methods pursued
and the standards held up were about as bad as they could be.

In the first place, compositions of a certain arbitrary length were
encouraged. I have had a theme marked down severely for no other
reason than that it was not the required two pages in length — in
other words, it was not redundant enough. Secondly, the composi-
tions were, with rare exceptions, merely summaries of certain chap-
ters of a book. No formation of ideas, no expression of opinion
was encouraged. The clerk who wrote out, in well-spelled words
and with the proper number of commas, what somebody else had
said, received as high a mark as the scholar who ventured to point
out the charm of Addison's style, or the attractiveness of some of
his characters. Lastly, the criticisms by the instructor were wholly
technical. And the mark (on the scale of ten) was determined by
deducting one for each two mistakes in spelling, punctuation, etc.
Such a system is, of course, a stone wall to any literary efforts and
even to the development of a man's character.

480

No. 94.
[A New Hampshire Academy.]

During the third and fourth years our class in Greek recited to

Professor , and to him do we owe the preparation in English

which has been of most service at Harvard. Professor insisted

on idiomatic translations, and to gain these was in the habit of send-
ing a portion of the class each day to the board, where the lesson
was put down in white and black. This I consider to have been a
singularly good drill, which helped alike my knowledge of Greek and
of English. Moreover, in all oar classical work considerable stress
was laid on good English translations.

During these three years we hardly knew what theme writing
meant ; and the themes which we did write were insufficiently cor-
rected. Herein probably lay the greatest defect of the course. If
we could have spent a part of the time which was consumed in com-
mitting to memory verses, in transferring our thoughts in logical
form into written matter, more lasting results would have been
attained. Moreover, reading unless it be conducted in an intelli-
gent way, is, in the class room time wasted. For boys to get up
week after week only to stumble unintelligently through a paragraph
of English is alike to instructor and students, thoroughly tiresome.

No. 95.

[An Academy in Massachusetts.]

In my fifth form year, our time was devoted almost entirely to
those subjects in which we had to prepare for the preliminary exami-
nations.s Still we read a few of the books which were required in the
final English Examinations. On these books we were made to write
compositions, which amounted to nothing more than copjing down
the plot in a brief form. In connection with Latin and Greek, every
day we had to write out some translation. In regard to the English
construction of this translation they were very strict ; it had to be
grammatical, as well as accurate in respect to the text. A large
proportion of the marking was based upon the excellency of the
English.

No. 96.

[An Academy in Massachusetts.]

Besides the " study" of English in school, we were carefully trained
in other ways. Twice a week, for the first three years, we wrote
historical exercises ; and the translations of foreign languages were
required to be in good English. Indeed, the last year, if our version
of Cicero or Vergil was not very carefully polished, it was not
accepted for a moment.

481

No. 97.
[A city High School, Maine]

My first year of preparatory school work in writing English was
largely devoted to practice on Rhetorical rules. Frequently, how-
ever, selections were read which were to be produced in the language
of the author. The fourth class spent much time on the history of
the English Language and studied works and short biographies of
several American writers. These topics furnished material for
occasional brief compositions.

The next year was given entirety to the study of literature. We
read one author after another, and were reminded to keep a note book
of their lives and works. Every two weeks, I think, we wrote in the
class a theme of two pages on some subject assigned on the basis of
a certain amount of prescribed reading. These themes were corrected
and almost invariably rewritten.

After the second year we did no writing in the class but every three
or four weeks passed in compositions at least three pages long, pre-
pared outside. We generally wrote on subjects assigned from our
reading but were occasionally given outside subjects and sometimes
chose them ourselves. I have at hand an affecting essay on Poverty,
a subject which I suppose must have been original. During the first
three years we underwent two written examinations yearly, in which
every pupil was supposed to be able to quote accurately something
from every author he had read, and might be expected to write a
composition.

The last year compositions came every month, and were the usual
size. We were studying Shakespeare and were asked to select our
subjects from the text. I believe that on several occasions I made
use of the characters themselves with tolerable success. The com-
positions were returned to us corrected and were to be rewritten if
containing more than three mistakes.

This then, strictly speaking, was my prescribed training in writing
English before entering College, but outside of it comes the almost
equally important practice I received from other sources. We were
constantly writing two page exercises in History, and were required
to put our translations into good English or have them rejected.

We certainly covered as much ground in the study of Literature,
as could reasonably be expected, and on my first two years work I
have no comment to make. We were constantly criticized in our
themes. But I do not think we wrote often enough under criticism.
A composition of three or four pages once a month does not give
a student as much practice as he needs. I should suggest the four
page theme every six weeks and a writing half that length every
two weeks with three half hours a week devoted to class themes.
Under an arrangement of this kind I am sure that shortly a course
like English A would be superfluous in any College.

482

No.. 98.
[A public Latin School in a Massachusetts city.]

I have briefly described the work demanded outside of recitation
hours. I shall now explain the writing that we did in class room.
It consisted of short, fifteen or twenty minute papers on subjects
previously looked up, with an occasional hour composition. During
the last two years we were required to write criticisms, in the last
half hour of a period, on whatever we had read in the first half.
From time to time we were obliged to write translations of Latin and
Greek as exercises in English. These translations were marked
solely from the English point of view, and not as to the correctness
of the rendering.

I shall next treat of the advantages or disadvantages of such a
course of training. I consider that work, done in a set time in class
is of greatest importance for the cultivation of quickness of thought
and expression. We, however, did most of our writing outside of
school hours, which were taken up with reading. I should reverse
this s}rstem ; write in class, and read outside.

No. 99.
[A public Latin School in a Massachusetts city.]

A word upon the effect of Classics and French on my English will
not be amiss, since the Classics at the Latin School are not the major
part of its curriculum.

Our study of the ancient models of style was a distinct aid to our
English. We always were expected to translate into idiomatic Eng-
lish, foreign idioms were often wholly refused. Under Dr. , the

value of Latin to English was clearly brought out. We sought to
put the spirit rather than the letter of our authors into English which
thus, unconsciously becatne clear, concise, and strong.

No. 100.

First, practice in original compositions ; in this, before I came to
college, I had almost no practice. I began [at a private school in
New York city] to write weekly subjects chiefly chosen by myself.
From these compositions I had some benefit in grammar, but little, if
any, in the choice of words, or in the arrangement of the sentence.

Secondly, from almost the beginning, I was obliged to write trans-
lations from Latin and Greek. Here I gained a certain faculty of
expressing my thoughts, but, at least at first, more attention was
given to the meaning of the text, than to the expression of that
meaning. The sentences were nearly always loose and of the same
general model. I think this neglect of form was due, not to ignorance
of the importance of English, but to a desire to cover as much ground
as possible in the translation.

483

In translations, I believe the main fault lies in that reading of
Latin and Greek is begun too early, even before the student can write
his own language. If, say one or even two years were given to the
study of English before the classics were begun, then the student
would naturally and involuntarily write good translations. Besides,
this same writing would improve, instead of harm, his already acquired
knowledge of English.

No. 102.
[Public Schools in Massachusetts cities.]

In the last year's study all our energies were devoted towards the
English required for Admission to College. It was about this time
that the great stirring up in English occured at Harvard ; and then,
and then only, was the necessity of the command of good English
impressed upon us.

In Greek and Latin we translated without any regard for English,
the whole aim was a liberal translation of the original. In Greek
especially was this the case.

On the whole, to sum up I think that the English in the school did
not amount to a row of pins in the first three years of my training in

the school. But the fourth year a strong effort was made by Mr.

to make English a prominent part of the instruction obtained in the
school which before was almost wholly given up to classics and
classical histon*.

In the Latin school [Mass.], English was treated in a very

different manner. The first year's work consisted of the study of
Chitterdon's Rhetoric and reading of Shakespeare. As the ground
had so often been covered before it could not be anything but tedious,
and I think it was without any good results. In the second year the
work varied quite a little.

In the last year a thorough review of all the books read in lower
classes and a few new ones, together with discussions in the class on
any weak points, brought the class up immensely. Our written work
on these books, were severely criticised and rewritten. But perhaps
the best and most practical part of all the work in the Latin school
was accomplished in the Latin and Greek classes of the two upper
grades. Terrible examples of wretched English were held up before
our eyes, and we were thus guarded against the use of that text-book
dialect so disastrous to good English. This last work carried on
conscientiously by the teachers had greater results than all the other
courses in English.

No. 103.

[A public Latin School in a Massachusetts city.]

If four or five hours a week are allotted to English, spend at least
two of them in writing in the class-room. Give to the class some
subject about which they have some knowledge and have them write
in a half hour or so, in as good English as possible, what they know
about the subject. This will teach them how to write quickly and,

484

at the same time, coherently. Then the teacher can explain the
faults in their work and how they should be improved.

This system of class-room exercises will aid the students in writing
their compositions for they will be better instructed in st}*le and will
be able to write preparatory school English. For the compositions,
as I remember them, were too laborious, they " smelt too much of
the lamp." Each sentence read as if it had worked over many
times and the whole effect of the composition was not one of unity.
Make the English in schools to resemble, as nearly as possible, a
course like English 22 or 12, only have the " dailies" written in the
class-room. The manner of teaching English, while I was at school,
does not seem to me to fit a man for his entrance examination in
English at Harvard, for then the student must be able to write, in
an hour and a half, a composition on some subject, which he is
expected to know something about, but which he has not planned
beforehand. Remedy this by having more daily work at the schools.

No. 1C4.

[A Philadelphia Academy.]

To my mind the greater part of my training in the use and appre-
ciation of good English was derived from the practice of having
written examinations once a month in all subjects. And in these
tests accuracy of expression of thought and attention to a detailed,
uniform arrangement of expression was insisted on. At all times
was I studying and translating from two languages Latin and French,
or Latin and Greek and for one year from all three. To this con-
tinued practice in translating I attribute the greater part of whatever
benefit I ma}* have received.

No. 105.

I received my training in English before entering college at [a pri-
vate school in a city near Boston]. On some points of my instruc-
tion I have but an indistinct recollection, but I shall try to explain
my training as clearly and correctly as I can.

In the preparatory department we studied the elemental rules of
grammar. We had also to write weekly compositions, usually on
subjects of our own choosing. These compositions we had to read
to the class, and then we handed them in. They were criticised
mainly for grammatical correctness, and were rewritten.

The next year I was in the regular school, and there, it may be
said, my regular training in writing English began. We read Tom
Brown at Rugby and every week we had to write a composition on
something connected with the reading. Once in a while we had to
write a composition on a subject of our own choosing, a description
of a walk or something similar. I remember that in these composi-
tions Mr. laid great stress on our keeping ourselves out of the

theme, simply telling in a clear, brief and interesting way our obser-
vations. These compositions were minutely criticised and rewritten.

485

The next year similar work was kept up, we read the Sir Roger de
Coverly papers and wrote weekly themes on them. We had selec-
tions of good writing read to us, and studied the means by which
themes could be made correct, forcible and easy.

The next year there was the same kind of work, reading and
weekly themes. In our preliminary year we read the prescribed
books, and wrote themes on every good subject in them. These
themes were most critically read, and we had to rewrite them, once
if not twice.

During our last year at school we had our greatest practice in
writing. While in the other years English occupied three hours a
week, this year we had English ever}T day. We had a most careful
training in Rhetoric and in writing. We had at least two themes a
week, generally on prescribed topics. Often we wrote them without
warning, in the hour set apart for English, to train us to think
quickly, and to write correctly under press of time. We also wrote
longer themes, that were prepared out of school. These themes were
criticised and rewritten.

This is, so far as I can remember it, the wa}7 in which I got my
experience in writing. I am afraid that I may not have made it
clear, how much time was devoted to the study of English and of how

much importance it was considered by Mr. . It was not policy

of the school to shirk English, to cram up on those subjects that
counted for more hours in the Harvard examinations. Not in Eng-
lish alone as a study were we required to write good, idiomatic
English, but in all subjects. If, for instance, our translation of
Latin was good, but our English rendering of it was bad, our mark
was pitiably low. Even in Mathematics, where English plays so
small a part, that part had to be good. At [this school], in all sub-
jects the English at any rate must be good. Throughout our course
stress was laid on originality, brevity — Mere "padding" was not
countenanced, clearness and so far as we were able, force and ease.

In my college work I have found my school training helpful to me.
My constant practice in writing made English 22 easy for me, that is,
I found that I could write readily, and pretty correctly, if nothing
else. I believe that the general criticism I got in the course was,
that my English was good, but my style had nothing characteristic
about it. In my other courses, too, when an}7 writing is needed, I
find that if I know the subject that I am to write on, I can write it
readily. In conclusion, I cannot praise too highly the English train-
ing that I received at [this] school ; there, English was not slighted,
it was considered of the greatest importance. If in this exercise I
have written incorrectly lay that fault not to my school training but
to me.

No. 106.

I was prepared for college at [a private school in a city near

Boston]. Here, under Mr. who taught the English, I received

all my preparatory training. Before describing the work I had to do
in English composition let me say that throughout the school good
English was required by the teachers. The translations had to sound
like English and even the mathematical work had to be clearly

486

expressed. The year before I graduated the school even went so far
as to mark all written work on its form.

Beyond this general oversight over the literary form of all the
work a great deal of time was devoted to English itself. On gram-
mar and later on Rhetoric we spent about a third of this time. The
rest of the time we spent in reading and in composition. The read-
ing was sometimes done in class and served as a basis for our com-
positions. These were almost always in the form of summaries.

Mr. usually went over the ground which the composition was

to cover with us in class, mapping it out and planning it, with sug-
gestions from us, often very minutely. Though we were of course
not bound to follow this plan we were supposed to have some plan
drawn up before we undertook to write out our compositions. The
actual writing out was done in class with no reference to any written
plan, and was supposed to take not more than forty minutes. Why

Mr. made these two rules I never understood. The only reason

that I can assign for them now was an idea that having forced us to
get our subject matter by heart and to know what we wanted to say,
he could force us by limiting our time to say it spontaneously and
forcibly. If this was his object he never made it very clear to us
and in my case at least never attained it.

These compositions were read in class and as the class was small
there was usually time to discuss almost all of them. They usually
had to be rewritten or more properly speaking done over again.

For if they had to be more than corrected Mr. usually made us

write entirely new ones without any reference to the first ones except
in making use of what we had learned from them. We also had at
various times other written exercises, such as for practice in para-
graph structure a fifteen minutes composition after the style of an
editorial paragraph.

The results of Mr. teaching having been in the end most

excellent I feel a certain hesitation in criticising the means by which
these results were obtained. And yet, making due allowance for a
tendency to all sorts of uncontrolable irregularities on the part of a

boy's mind when allowed to act at its leisure I think that Mr.

would have taught the boys more had he allowed them as much time
as the}T wanted to elaborate and express their ideas. No one but a
genius can put a couple of pages of subject matter, no matter how
well acquainted with it he may be, in good literary form spontane-
ously and with a rush. Even a genius will not be able to do it so
well that he will not on revision find some corrections to make. For
us school boys to be able to write out this composition spontaneously
with anything like the best results was only possible in case we had
worked them out and learned them word for word by heart. And in
this case the forty minutes spent in writing them out would have been
but forty minutes wasted. As it was our compositions were usually
hurreyed and often unfinished.

Though he may have made one mistake in his methods I think that

on the whole Mr. obtained remarkably good results. I used,

while at school, to think that the stress he laid on the necessity of
method and planning in litterary work as well as all other work was
pedantic and unnecessary. Since, however, I have seen the time

4S7

wasted in and the results obtained from the bewildered flounderings
in the tangled meshes of their subject matter of those who had never
had a training like that which the men [from this school] had had I
have changed m}- mind. As to the effect of his teaching in the more
detailed field of Grammar and Rhetoric I may safely say that it was
to root out of us " bad English" to what 1113' acquaintance with men
from other schools has taught me to consider an extraordinary
amount ; and to impress us not only with a clear conception of what
clearness, force, and coherence are, but to teach us a few simple
wa}7s in which to obtain to a certain extent these qualities for our
writings.

This last was due more to the man's litterary good judgment and
common sense than to anything in the way he taught.

No. 107.

I received my preparation in English at [a private school in Bos-
ton]. Mr taught English himself and I believe that his way of

teaching it is the best.

I was given a chapter to read in some one of the classics, such as
Julius Caesar, The Abbot etc. After I had read it I was requested
to write a composition on it. When I had written this composition,

Mr went over it with me and corrected my mistakes and showed

me where in it might be improved.

Not only was I taught English in this way, but in all my daily
work, whether in Latin or in Geometry I was always required to
write good English, and many times when my proof of a geometry
problem was all right, I was made to write it over again on account
of poor English.

And I candidly believe this method to be far above any which I
have seen or heard of. It not only teaches the pupil a thing so that
he knows it for the time being, but after he has once worked the
thing out for himself, he will find it a rather hard task to easily
forget it.

No. 108.

Another practice in writing English, that [the instructor in this
private school in Cincinnati] attached importance to was the writing
out of Greek and Latin passages with special regard to English form.
This work, if I remember rightly, we did once or twice every week.

No. 109.

I prepared for college at [a private school, in Boston]. While at
his school I read the books required for the examinations. I did a
great deal of work in correcting specimens of bad English, in fact,
I did much more of that style of work than any other. I also wrote
themes on the various books or characters in the books which I had
read for the examination. We were required to be very particular
about our English in conversation during school hours, and Mr

488

was very anxious that our translations should always be made in a
smooth, easy style of English ; many times I have been obliged to
rewrite my geometry propositions on account of bad English. This
kind of constant preparation in all our studies for the English ex-
aminations was much more practice than the mere mechanical task of
writing themes.

No. 110.

The faults of my preparation [in a Massachusetts city High
School] were two: (1) too much attention to substance and not
enough to form. (2) the lack of any bit of original work. I should
not, however, neglect to speak of the training in writing English
that I received from my translations of the classics. The instructor,
insisted upon careful, idiomatic translations.

No. 111.
[A public Latin School in a Massachusetts city.]

We always had impressed upon us the importance of writing our
translations from other languages in the best English.

Occasionally our rank in English was determined b}T the language
we used in our translations in written examinations. The greatest
objection to this practice was that the translations were liable to be
sacrificed to style.

No. 112.

Having had so little to do with composition, I am hardly in a
position to criticise. The way to learn to write English is to write
English and it is this very thing that 1 have missed. On the other
hand, I may have been helped by debating and much historical read-
ing ; this last being possibly the reason for which my English is
criticized as stiff and bookish, even when grammatically correct.
Such work cannot take the place of real practice in writing.
• I have little fault to find with my instructors [in the High School
of a city in the State of Washington, where I was prepared for
Harvard] ; as far as the English itself is concerned they could do no
more than they did. But if they had insisted on better English
translations in the classics, I should have been the gainer. I think
they were too often satisfied with stiff, ponderous and, at times, even
with incorrect English. If more attention were paid to this, Latin
or Greek would mean work in a living, as well as in a dead tougue.

No. 113.

My serious training in writing English began in the winter of '94 at
[a private school in a city near Boston] . The greater part of the
exercises in English composition were written in the class. During
half the winter and the spring of '94, I wrote a weekly theme, which
was corrected and rewritten. The next school year, much time was
devoted to the study of paragraph structure : one paragraph not

48i>

exceeding in length one page of theme paper was written nearly
every week ; these paragraphs were usually expressions of opinions,
not narrations or descriptions. When, during the year and a half
before last June, the books required for admission to Harvard were
studied, I wrote reproductions of scenes from "The Merchant of
Venice" and "Silas Marner"; short themes, for four or five of
which one hour was allowed, on subjects chosen from the required
books; and a few longer themes on the stories or parts of them.
Of work outside the class-room there was little, — an occasional
theme needing careful reference to the text of one of the required
books, a few translations, and one thesis, of a more ambitious char-
acter. Great pains were taken that all translations should be in
good English, and all the written English handed in to every teacher,
was counted in the English Composition mark : thus opportunity
was given for the constant practice of what I was learning.

1 consider my preparatory training in writing English excellent :
it was systematic yet varied, and gave the chance for the imagination
and ingenuity to grow along with the power of expression ; and
above all it was interesting, which is the surest incentive to work. I
look back upon my hours spent in writing English as some of the
most profitable of my school course.

No. 114.

I received my training in English at [a private classical] School,
New York City.

In looking back upon the eleven years of my school life, I notice
that the work in English was carefully maped out, and from the
Primary to the Senior Department, presented one natural, steady
progression. With the exception of the two years in the Primary
Department, during the nine years of school work, one composition
a week was written. It was then discussed either in class or in
private with the instructor, and then rewritten.

The compositions were sometimes on imaginary subjects, especially
in the lower classes, but more frequently on topics of the day and on
the reading that was done in the other periods devoted to English.
In the very first composition hours, charts were placed in front of
us, representing either some scene or some animal, and then we
were expected to write on anything that the picture suggested or on
the picture itself. This served the double purpose of object lesson
and composition work. The books we read were chosen with great
care, read in class, explained and every effort made to interest us in
good literature. I was guided in my outside reading b}r suggestions
from the instructor, as well as by those of my parents. In the last
few years a certain number of good, interesting books were assigned
for summer reading, which we were expected to read. These were
chosen frequently from works of contemporaneous literature, for
during the school year little time, of course, could be devoted to
these. This outside summer reading was assigned chiefly to stimu-
late an interest among us for good literature. I know that it had
that effect upon me.

490

The corrections of compositions by the instructor were good, and
care was taken to point out not only the unmistakable errors, but
effort was also made to bring out the finer points of rhetoric. This
was the case especially in the Senior Class. Opportunity for expres-
sing thoughts in writing, was not limited to these composition hours
alone, for besides the oral translation from German, French, Latin
and Greek, there were written translations in these same subjects.
The instructor always tried to impress upon our minds the importance
of good, idiomatic English. In the stud}T of a foreign language, like
German or French, the first object of the teacher always was to try
and make us learn to speak the language, and as we had a born
German and a born Frenchman as instructors in these languages,
they naturally did not always correct the mistakes that were made in
translating into English. To counteract any bad influence this might
have exercised on our English, we had an instructor one year, who
was master of both English and German, and who insisted upon
good, idiomatic translations into English.

No. 115.

I prepared for College at [a classical School in Philadelphia].
From this school most of the students go to the University of Penn-
sylvania or to Princeton, so that of a graduating class of thirty about
four come to Harvard.

All the students of the same class are at first given identical
preliminary training in English but as they approach their entrance
examinations they are divided into sections according to Colleges.
Thus there are often gathered in the same class room at the same
time fellows going to all these colleges, and each set doing different
work under the same instructor. In this wa)T, the Harvard division
gets only a small share of the instruction as the teacher is apt to pay
more attention to the larger divisions.

We did most of our work at home. AVe read the books required,
wrote our compositions on them, and then had our mistakes collected
in class. Under this system the Harvard division received very poor
instruction. This happened last year. The 3-ear before we had an
abler teacher, who with the same time, class, and method gave us
better instruction. Besides our outside compositions, on Mondays
and Fridays, we would read passages from the books required by
Harvard and then write a few paragraphs on what we had read. On
Wednesda}Ts we corrected specimens of bad English and discussed
general faults, likely to be made.

After a rule had been made that English and neatness would count
twenty percent of our examinations there was an apreciable improve-
ment in our work. Although this rule was not strictly enforced by
all teachers, our Greek and Latin instructor, a Harvard graduate,
paid special attention to it and would not, in fact, accept any trans-
lation that was not good English. Although he did not directly
teach English, he exerted an influence in that subject over me that I
cannot overestimate.

491

No. 116.

[At the Academy, in a town near Boston where I prepared for
college], I also studied English in connection with my course in
History. There, for the first time, was the importance of unity, and
the need of an outline or digest in writing every theme, impressed
upon my mind. Each week all the important news of the great
nations of the world was cut from the newspapers, and at the end of
the week a theme was written, great care being taken to make this
exercise, not a mere chain of facts, but a connected history written
in good, idiomatic English, and in as interesting a style as possible.
Each week we also handed in translations of passages from the
Greek. This was made wholly an exercise in English, as the main
object was, not merely to render a translation, but to present the
Greek ideas before the reader's mind in the best English possible.
We were also taught that, in the study of foreign languages, we were
also mastering our own, since all translations should consist of the
original thoughts expressed according to the English idioms. So far
I have found no new methods in college in studying English.

No. 117.

[An Academy near Boston.]

The next year T had no English recitations, but my practice in
writing English was kept up by written translations of French, Latin
or Greek. These translations were corrected with strict attention to
the English, and no-one could get a good mark in it unless the
English was good.

During my last year at school there were three recitations in
English a week ; two of these were devoted to criticizing already
written themes, and to writing new ones. Besides these themes,
written translations of French, Latin and Greek were still kept up.
In fact that year's work was principally devoted to the study of the
English language in all its branches.

No. 118.

I received my training in writing English during my four years at
[an Academy in a town near Boston] before entering college.

My instruction in English during my first }Tear consisted of three
hours a week ; one devoted to spelling, and two to reading. Besides
this I had to write compositions of three or four pages every month,
the subject of which I could choose for myself, although it was
usually specified, narration, description or exposition.

The next year I had only two hours a week ; the first was taken
up in reading books ; and the second in writing a short half hour
theme, somtimes choosing a subject myself, but often writing on a
book read in class.

During nry third year, although I had no English recitations my
training in writing English still progressed owing to the special care

492

taken in the departments of Latin, Greek, and French that all trans-
lations made should be good English. And I think this is as good
training for expressing oneself in good English as the study of the
rhetoric or the writing of themes.

In my last year I had three recitations, two of which were devoted
to writing themes and having old themes criticized by our instructor.
Long compositions were also written about once a month, sometimes
a summary on a book to be read for entering college, or often a
criticism of a book.

The writing of short themes, the subject being left to my choice
helped me a great deal in the short themes I had to write last year
in English A. It gave me a great experience in deciding upon a
subject quickly, and in writing clearty what I wanted to say, without
wasting time thinking how to express this and how to say that. The
long compositions I wrote once a month, my first and last years at
school, correspond with the fortnightlys I have to write this year for
English B.

On the whole this preparation I received in writing English has
Tbeen very satisfactory. Of the writing of short themes all I can say
is, the more the better. Thejr are certainly a great aid in teaching
anyone to express his thoughts clearly and forcibly.

No. 119.
[A public Latin School in a Massachusetts city.]

In the third class I began to study with an aim towards College
English. I read aloud from Addison's papers in the Spectator, I
read aloud and recited Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome and a few
other poems of standard authors. Our compositions during this year
were from subjects of our own choosing, and once in a while from
subjects given out by the instructor. I also had exercises in trans-
lating from Greek and Latin. These translations were criticised as
much from the English standpoint as from that of a translation.

In the second class niy study took a jump (as it were) . I now began
to study plays of Shakespere and one vr two other English classics.
I also began to study part of the English required for admission
to college. This was the study of the principles of rhetoric such
as are taught during the first half of English A in College. I trans-
lated as in the lower class passages from the Greek and Latin
languages. These passages were longer and much harder than
before and more sharply criticized. Besides these translations I
also wrote compositions from subjects of our own choice. These
were expositions and narrations.

In the first class I studied altogether the English requirements for
college. I read outside of school hours a number of books, from
those given out by the Harvard Authorities. When the time given
for reading these books had expired, I had to write on either some
character or characters, or some topic taken from the book. Three
times a week I had to write ten minute themes on any subject we
chose. These were handed back to us and we were supposed to cor-
rect all errors. I recited some poetry and wrote inauy long sight

493

translations from the Latin and Greek. These translations were
taken from Virgil, in Latin, and Homers Iliad and Odyssy in Greek.
These translations from foreign languages did me the most good of
anything. It taught me to have a fairly large vocabulary and to
think quickly. Those ten minute exercises were a sort of introduc-
tion to English 22. These also taught me to think quickly. I do
not think enough was taught me about expositions and narrations
and the difference between them.

EDUCATIONAL ANOMALIES.

Pages 419-421.

No. 120.

Of the four year's instruction in English Composition at a High
School [in a city near Boston], the first amounted to practically
nothing. We could not have written more than five or six exer-
cises, and these were never returned corrected so that we could see
where our faults lay. I remember reading some of Irving and of
the "Spectator" and drawing up tables showing the treatment of
the subject by Introduction, Development, and Conclusion with their
various sub-topics. All our work in the three years following was
carefully planned on these lines — a careful introduction and moral
or summary at the end. Our teacher was an admirer and student of
English writers of this century and based the work mostly on that.
Every one had a list of standard authors — a little beyond him, I
think — such as Walter Pater, Symonds, Matthew Arnold, Ruskin
and Harrison and from a selection of one, weekly drew up a sort of
summary — half criticism and half copy. These were read in class
and criticised more for what they contained than for the wa}r it was
put. Then a sort of discussion would begin about art and originality
which was rather interesting and which gave us a lot of rough ideas
on those subjects. A review, as it was called, was expected to be
written on these recitations or discussions and be ready for reading
at the beginning of the hour. This as a matter of fact was seldom
done and then only in an off-hand wa}T. Toward the end of the third
year we were asked to write verses — simple ones of four lines — and
showed a little about the technicalities of English verse.

This was all the English training we had, aside from history and
reading Latin and Greek. We got a sort of general idea about the
English writers of the century, what were their peculiarities and what
they stood for. The result was that the themes contained big words
got from Matthew Arnold and placed so as to mean nothing. More-
over these themes were apparently never corrected. I remember one
fellow handed in three blank sheets of paper inside the conventional
cover ; the theme was returned approved.

Of course some of these mistakes and omissions were due to the
largeness of the class. However, it seems to me that the whole

494

work was based on too high an ideal. We were making poor copies
of great authors instead of going through the drudgery of minute,
careful preparation.

No. 121.

My second year training consisted in reading Irving' s Sketch Book,
the monotony of which was broken by weekly exercises in figures of
speech, short compositions on the various Sketches, synonyms and
antitheses.

Let me protest right here, against having to read the same works
again and again. I have had the " Sketch Book" and " Evangeline"
rubbed into me so thoroughly that I never want to see the former
again ; the latter is redeemed by its beautiful sentiment. No less
than four times in six years did I read those " Sketches," with a
growing dislike, not for the sentiment or for the style, but for the
dull disinterest which such a book must necessarily have for one
between thirteen and seveenten. Of course, I except " Sleepy
Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."

In the next }rear, I began my study of Shakespeare with "Mer-
chant of Venice," all of which I failed to appreciate, except the
speeches of Launcelot Gobbo. This was followed by " Twelfth
Night," which made a much stronger impression on my youthful
mind, from "the very nature of the beast."

As to "translation" English, I have only the highest praise for
the care that was taken in Greek, and in Latin. Good English was
always insisted on b}^ all the teachers whom I have had. On this
point, therefore, I have no suggestion to offer.

On entering the High School, there should be at least three hours
of the average fifteen of recitation , devoted to short theme work, and
analyses of simple books and the characters therein. More of the
modern writers should be read, as well as more of the ancient.
Enough ground is not covered in outside reading. Milton, whom I
failed to mention in the statement of my reading of my two last
years in school, should be wholly laid aside. The undoubted beauty
of his poetry is hidden too deep for the ordinary school-boy and girl
to appreciate. In his place more Shakespeare should be read, but at
a later date than it is now taken up. The time devoted to theme
work should be increased as every year goes by and more themes
should be written outside school-hours. In this wa}^, English A
would be made unnecessary, and would cease to waste time when
it is far more valuable than it is in school-life.

No. 123.

Long monthly themes were required of us, which were severely criti-
cised, and had often to be rewritten. We also wrote comments on
books connected with our study of English literature, from Beowulf
down to the works of Hawthorne. . . . During my second year at

495

[this Academy in Eastern Massachusetts, the instructor] had us
spend much of our time studying figures of speech. We wrote
original metaphors, similes, and especially, the more elaborate
fables and allegories. We also learned the different kinds of
metre, and verse, and did a great deal of paraphrasing, mostly
from poetry to prose. I remember paraphrasing, among other
poems, Browning's Caliban on Setebos.

No. 124.

Practically little or no practice in writing English was given me
before entering Harvard, which had any tendency towards assisting
my work in any of the prescribed English courses at College. We
had little or no rhetoric or grammar or in fact anything which would
tend to give us a foundation for correct writing of any sort. Our
instructor, considered that we should be doing other work ; he there-
fore kept us busy reading Tennyson, Browning and Wordsworth, a
work in which, at that age, many of us naturally lost interest on
account of the depth to which we were driven. We were obliged, in
our written work, to " criticise" the authors, we, who could not pre-
tend to write correct English ; we then were compelled to deduce
from these works the state of mind in which the authors were when
they wrote the books, and to juge for what cause and with what end
in view they did so.

As a result, those of us who were not naturally "good spellers,"
and not apt at literary composition are at a very serious disadvan-
tage in the more elementaiy work to which we have ' ' risen " at
college.

No. 125.

It is with pleasure that I look back upon my career and meditate
upon the course of English as prescribed for me in the the preparatory
school, from which I came, for, as an undergraduate, I thought that
the system was perfect, now I can see its defects.

I was in the class of Ninety-five in a High School [in a city near
Boston], and for my education in the English language, I was placed
under the care of a very able man. I spent my first year in the
study of Washington Irving's Sketch Book and Webster's Bunker
Hill Oration. I was expected to read these books, get what I could
out of them and come into the class room and tell what I had read.
I was also expected to give my opinion on the writer's style.

The third year of my work in English was spent in writing book
reviews. I was obliged to read books and essays by Emerson, Mat-
thew Arnold, Dr. Johnson, De Quincy, Winter, George Eliot and a
host of others. Once a week, I had to read one of these books and
then reproduce its contents. There was little chance for originality
and this is one of the chief flaws in the course. In my senior year,
I studied Milton's works and wrote essays on them. Twice a week
I did this. Besides that work, a sketch of the English language was
given me, which I was expected to learn. It described the different
periods of the language, giving the names of the greatest writers of
each period.

496

Then I thought that I was thoroughly prepared to take the Har-
vard examinations. I was told to "cram" on Milton's works as
there would certainly be questions on the paper based upon them.
I obe}red orders. The last of June found me taking the examination.
I was greatly surprised when I read the paper to find that it was based
upon Longfellow's Evangeline and other books which I had studied
in the grammar school and which I had not read for four years.

No. 125.

I think that part of the system which provided for our writing upon
what we had read did us the most good. We learned to imbibe the
style and elegance of the author better and it was much easier to
conform our language to his than if we had been obliged to follow
rules. We also, by reading different works got acquainted with dif-
ferent styles. We learned to compare and distinguish.

If we were summarizing a portion of Macaulay, it seemed to be
more natural to write short crisp sentences, each laconic and periodic
than to write the flowing style of Matthew Arnold. Thus each stu-
dent had the opportunity of creating his own style of writing, and I
think a person's own natural style, whatever it be is the one for him
to use and endeavoring to change this to conform to others makes his
writing mechanical and not pleasant.

No. 126.

In my Junior year I had but one lesson a week. In the first part
of the year we read certain books and then we wrote reviews on them
telling the plot of the story and discussing the words, sentences, and
paragraphs. We wrote these once a week and talked about tnem in
class. In the latter part of the year we read Webster's Bunker Hill
Oration. We studied the periods of American literature and Web-
ster's place in them besides his life and the periods into which it was
divided. We separated the Oration into its several divisions and
made a paragraph analysis and later we compared it with Webster's
three other great orations.

I again had English twice a week in my last year. The first book
we studied was Macaulay's Essay on Milton and of this we made a
paragraph analysis. Besides studying the periods in Milton's life we
read his early writings and later L' Allegro, II Penseroso, Comus, and
Lycidas and then we divided his literary work into periods. We
went over the prescribed reading carefully, looking up the classical
allusions, examining the metre, and reading up the cause and history
of the works. After we had finished Milton we took up the Drama
in ancient countries and then that of England especially. Next we
studied Shakespeare's life and three plays, The Merchant of Venice,
Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest. From an examina-
tion of these plays we found out the order in which they were written
and the periods of Shakespeare's writings. We studied the history
of the plays ; when they were written, the date of the editions and
the sources of the stories.

497

No. 127.

My next experience was at University. In the fall we

read Macaulay's essay on Johnson. A few pages were assigned for
a lesson but these were carefully reviewed as to meaning, paragraph
and sentence structure, correct use of words, historical and other

references. Our teacher was a young graduate. He seemed

more particular about topic-sentences and meaning of words than
about literary st}Tle. I think I learned or at least tried to learn Irom
Macaulay's style one thing, and that was sticking to the subject
under consideration. In the winter and spring terms we read Car-
lyle's essay on Johnson and Johnson's Rasselas. In these we found
more literary qualities and less topic sentences etc. The meeting
for reading these essays took place twice a week throughout the year.
Once a week all the freshman class met for a lecture by the head of
the course. This gentleman, I understand, is a good philologian, but
as a lecturer in English he was a sorry failure. The first half of the
hour was spent in this lecture and the last half in writing a short
theme on some subject taken from the essays. These were corrected
more or less carefully by the instructor and handed back. I think
these weekly papers did me as much good as all the rest of the course.
Two or three long themes were written during the year, which were
corrected upon the principle of "whatever is, is wrong.'' State-
ments that the most ignorant person would understand were rejected
and if there were enough blue marks on the paper it was rewritten.
The term examination were based upon rhetoric, words, and a short
essay.

No. 128.

The work of the third year bore directly upon the preparation for
the Harvard requirements in English. Instead of confining our
Shakespearean study to the required work, we took up other plays as
well as those assigned, and much written work was based upon the
reading. In the play " Julius Caesar" particular attention was paid
to character sketching, and in "Midsummer Night's Dream" we
were asked to write an essay on " Shakespeare's Use of the Fairy
Elements." In the study of "The Merchant of Venice" we wrote
an account of the famous "Court Scene," bringing out the characters
and motives of the individual personages. In the study of Shake-
speare we also wrote an essay on "The Elizabethan Stage." The
work on Shakespeare was divided among different parts of the year,
and, to produce a pleasant variety, we read from the works of other
writers in the time intervening. Among the poems read were " Evan-
geline," and Tennyson's "The Princess," also "The Lady of the
Lake " by Scott. I wrote an essay on " The Burning of Grand Pre "
in connection with the reading of Evangeline. The fourth year,
English was simply a continuation of work in preparation for Har-
vard. In the study of Washington Irving, as of all the other writers,
I wrote an essay on the author's life. We were asked to write a
character sketch, trying to imitate Irving's style, and also to write a
bandit story similar in character to those of Irving. When we read
Defoe's "History of the Plague," we wrote upon " The Method of

498

Burial." In speaking of the rest of the work, I will simply name the
essays written: "The Time of Cromwell," "The Scene in the
Church" (from "Woodstock"), "Scott's Estimate of Cromwell,"
"Charles II as portrayed in 'Woodstock,'" "The Character of Sir
Roger de Coverly," "The Time of Addison," "How Silas Marner
became a Miser," and " Leaves from the Journal of Silas Marner."

The main object in the advanced work was to write an original
essay in the stj'le of the author, from whose work the suggestion as
to a topic was gained. In carrying out this idea I think the best
results are to be obtained.

On the whole, I consider that the training I received in prepara-
tory schools was mosJ$ efficient. It started with the method of
reproducing the words dictated by another, and later developed into
the original writing of the scholar, upon a subject either original or
else suggested by the work read, and with an effort to imitate the
style of the author. These two methods are being used in the
work in English at college. As an illustration of this, we were
asked to write the substance of Cardinal Manning's essay on " Intel-
lectual Training," after this essay had been read by the instructor.
Again, we have listened to selections from some modern author's
works, and have been called upon to write an original theme upon
something suggested by the reading. This has given an opportunity
to imitate style and develop originality. In my High School study
I was fortunate to have as instructors two ladies who had recently
graduated from college. The instructor whom I had for the greater
part of the time, is a graduate of RadclirTe College, and she is for
this reason in close touch with the methods of this Universit}- . The
only thing I wish to criticize about the methods used in the High
School [of the town near Boston where I was prepared] is that
originality is not sufficiently encouraged. I remember at no time in
nry High School course of being called upon to write an essay, or
rather, a theme, upon a topic of my own choosing, having no refer-
ence to a particular matter. Because of this deficiency, I find it
difficult to write successfully according to this method, which is used
most frequently in theme-writing in our English course at college.
I think less time should be spent on the study of grammatical pecu
liarities in the authors read, and more time on originality in writing.

No. 129.

Looking backwards over my preparatory course there is much that
I find which would have admitted of improvement. The Grammar
School might well have gone into Rhetoric a little deeper. In the
[school in Boston where the writer was prepared], English on no
account should have been so neglected for other studies ; particularly
Latin and Greek translation, tend to cramp and freeze one's Eng-
lish style. From my preparatory course I should have had help
in my' College English; but I got a load instead, which bore me
down.

After this struggle with the dry bones of Caesar, I find myself
now able to write in a lively, interesting style. In this I have con-

499

quered ; hut there is another load, the off-spring of my preparation,
which I have still to lift. This is my failure to attain an easy style.
However, with this as with the other relics of my preparation, I shall
conquer in the end.

No. 130.

The next year ... we wrote compositions and read the Deserted
Village by Goldsmith and Gray's Eulogy. [Our instructor] made the
course very interesting ; but I think the class was too young to
appreciate such works.

During my [next] }*ear we wrote compositions once a week, and
studied Milton's poems and read Paradise Lost. I never understood
Paradise Lost, and so was not interested in the course. We also had
to memorize different parts of Paradise Lost ; I never saw the good
in this, and I am sure I never got any good out of it.

[The next year we had a new English master] and therefore my
fifth year in English was very dry and stupid. We wrote Discrip-
tions and Expositions, and read some English authors, such as Keats
and Byron. During this }~ear I learned nothing whatsoever.

My training in English while at the Academy [in north eastern
Massachusetts] seems to me defective in that it spent too much time
in reading poetry that we were too young to understand, and did not
give time enough to the teaching of English Composition.

No. 131.

Short themes" once a week on the plays of Shakespere were fol-
lowed by the reading and writing of themes on Webster's Oration on
" Bunker Hill." Sir Roger de Coverley came after Webster's Speech.
At the time of reading " Sir Roger," I was not old enough to appre-
ciate Addison's style. I remember at the time I thought Sir Roger
about the driest and most uninteresting book that I had ever read.

No. 132.

My work at [the Academy in Eastern Massachusetts, where I was
prepared] was slightly more advanced. We were given a certain
part of a book to read, and then in class we were questioned on it.
Our study of the First Bunker Hill Oration was particularly thorough,
though somewhat tiresome, as our instructor admitted. After read-
ing the Oration through two or three times we studied it by sections,
and then by paragraphs. After a month's study we knew how many
paragraphs there were in each section and what each one was about.
When we read the " Merchant of Venice " and " Midsummer Night's
Dream" we used editions with notes at the end of the book, not at
the bottom of the pages. For each recitation we had to read a cer-
tain number of pages and write the notes in the book. In this way,
we remembered the peculiar words better.

500

No. 133.

"In studying Webster's "Bunker Hill Oration " we had to be
able to discuss any paragraph in the following manner : — First,
give the substance of it in one sentence ; secondly, taking each sen-
tence in turn, tell how it explains the general thought of the para-
graph, and why it could not be left out ; and, lastly, give reasons to
to show whether the paragraph as a whole is a good one or not.

No. 134.

The third years work was exactly the same as that of the second,
except that we had a different set of books to read. It was counted
in the same way, and I did just as much work upon it. The books
we had to read were Addison's " Sir Roger de Coverley " and Web-
ster's " Oration at the Laying of the Corner-Stone of the Bunker
Hill Monument." How much I enjoyed these books may be under-
stood when I say that I can recommend either or both of them as
soporifics, positively not followed by any evil effects.

No. 135.

I attended a High School [in a town near Boston] and took the
regular English of the College Preparatory Course.

The third year was taken up with a history of English literature.
The most important of the authors from Chaucer to our own time
were studied and parts of their works read. We were required to
write character .sketches — delectable occupation ! — of many of the
authors, and criticisms of their works. The general faults were
these. The themes were not criticised severely enough either as to
form or subject matter. The}' were almost never rewritten, which
rewriting although an unpleasant thing, is nevertheless most excellent
practice. The amount of work done in class in a limited amount of
time bore a very small relation to the whole amount done. The
productions were usually prolix or else read wonderously like the
encyclopedia, although this fault was not so marked in the work of
the last half year. Both of those evils could be corrected by a little
fierce criticism and the revision of a few themes.

One.good feature of the instruction was the reading of themes in
class, for the students could get an idea of the work being done by
the others. Themes so read were criticised by both teacher and
students. •

Against one thing would I protest. That is the writing of criti-
cisms of the style or works of an author by students of the high
school grade. The result of such attempts is either a failure or a
simple transcribing of the opinions of others. Let the written work
give some room for individuality, for the man to express things
which he himself has observed and felt. If he really has opinions of
his own on any author's style, " something that won't stay unsaid,"
then let him write thereon ; but such will seldom be the case.

501

No. 136.

In my first year at [the Academy in New Hampshire] . I learnt
more English than at any other time in my life. We had two recita-
tions and wrote three themes a week besides a voluntary lecture
Saturday on Shelly, Keats, Wordsworth and Fielding. These lec-
tures were very interesting. I learnt enough that year to pass my
entrance examination for Harvard.

The next year we had another master. He was a very clever,
literary man, but his weak point was his fondness for Milton. I
found this out and before every examination in English I used to
call on him and discuss the beauties of Milton's four lesser poems.
In this way I not only got good marks in my examinations but also
made him think I was quite a literary person. We learnt a lot of
Milton, and a little about writing compositions and that was all.

No. 137.

My early training in English was obtained at the High School [of
a Massachusetts city near Boston] and was I think decidedly lacking
in many of the essential points. In the first place the training in
English there was largely discussing the merits of various authors
with little attention given to original or critical writings. In my
second year in this school we took up such things as ' ' The Vision of
Sir Launfal" and read them, but the instructor pulled the poem to
pieces and discussed its philosophy with such vigor that I became
disgusted. Then we were required to tell our views of the poem and
talk philosophy. Imagine if you can a youth of fifteen or sixteen
years doing such critical work as this. Why in some ways as much
was expected of us as in such courses as English 7 and 9 in College.
Whatever love I had had previous to this time for poetry immediately
vanished. I remember in my last two years we took up Wordsworth,
Tennyson, and Browning, and were required to write short themes
showing our appreciation of the work read. We had very little if
any original work.

Now I believe if a person is earl}' taught to write on experiences
and the like he will learn to be observing and will, before he gets to
college know something of the value of clear expressions. It seems
to me that if my time had been spent writing a few themes on topics
of this nature instead of on Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Browning
I should today be more able to express myself clearly which is such
a necessary adjunct to college work and examinations. I think if
this study of Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Browning had been left
until college or after, it would have been more beneficial and I should
perhaps understand better what even many much older people have
difficulty in understanding.

No. 138.

The next year, we read Irvin's Sketch-book, writing short essays
on a few of the stories. We also read Plutarch's Lives, and many
other books. We devoted most of our time to analyzing sentences

502

according to a diagram afforded by the teacher. I do not see any
advantage in this work, which used to occupy three hours a week.
Perhaps if I tell you that some days the hour set for English was
given to Latin, yon may see of what great importance English was.
I now had rather be able to write and speak English correctly than
to know all the Latin and Greek imaginable.

No. 139.

I received my first training in English at the Latin School [of a
city in Massachusetts]. At first my attention was directed almost
exclusively to spelling and punctuation so that I learned to be care-
ful and particular about my work. I thoroughly believe that the
chief advantage of this was that the style and individuality of the
writer was left alone. This I think is where the teachers of English
of the present time seem to trip up. They try to dictate a certain
style which they expect their pupils to follow. They say, " Look at
the great writers of the world. In their youth they studied and
copied the style of other so as to perfect their own." This seems
reasonable at first but realize that all these great writers were great
writers. They had strong individual genius which was bound to
keep them individual. Yet we must all admit that they must have
been helped by their stud}' of other style. However everyone is not
a genius and those of us that are not might become good individual
writers if it were not that our entire individuality is swallowed up by
the constant attempt to imitate the style of others. We have not
power enough to withstand our natural instinct to copy so our indivi-
duality is lost and we become more or less successful parrots.

At the end of my first few years of training I had not lost my
individuality. I had strong imagination and I could write clearly
and simply, though I must admit my sentence structure was often
faulty. I even won a much coveted prize for the best composition
in the lower school. Where is my imagination now? Where is my
simple direct style? Gone ! Now I write in a forced artificial st}ier
trying to get color and imitate the style of Stevenson. Everyone in
college tries to copy the same style with more or less success. Only
the other day I heard a fellow in Eng 22 say "If I could only get
into the swing of these dailies, I'd get a B in the course easily."
Get into the swing ! It is only a matter of time when you will have
all your wet boots " squelch," and all your trees " purple/' and all
the passing electric cars give a " dull monotonous rumbling."

From the time I entered the upper school of the Latin where

they began teaching " style," my work has slowly fallen off. When
I came to college I found this idea of imitating styles in a much
higher state of development. I had passed off English A and so I
went directly in English 22. At first my themes were marked " not
specific" and " colorless" and advice was given that I should read
Stevenson's works. I read them and I imitated. My themes were
praised but where was my own individuality ? I am now only a fair
imitator. My work is neither one thing or the other and I lay it all
to teachers who taught me to imitate.

503

No. no.

The study of representative works of classic authors, and the
writing of compositions, either on the subject of the book in hand,
or in a conscious imitation of the author's style, together with the
thorough use of a text book on English Composition, made up the
work in English of the class in which I was graduated in 1892 from
a High School [in a cit}7 near Boston].

This study of the authors included the careful reading of the life
of each author as well as his books ; some memorizing, among the
poets ; and, as it seems to me now only a little writing. My efforts
to put thoughts of my own into words in the peculiar swing of each
author's style were exerted in a task at once as pleasant and as pro-
fitable as I can conceive that a teacher could set ; although, of
course, such attempts were always far from successful. I remember
in particular how I liked to mimic Addison, whose quaint, clear,
quietly humorous style made him my favorite in a group including,
among others, Shakespeare, Webster, Longfellow, Macaulay, Scott
and Dickens. The inimitable personal traits of each author became
more evident to each of us who thus strove to copy his manner, than
any mere criticism could have made it, and we were at the same time
improving our individual styles.

An increase in the amount of such written work is the only change
which I am able to suggest in the methods of my preparatory
training.

No. 141.

In the autumn of 1895 I went to [a New York University] . At
this University the English department was considered a strong one ;
Freshman English certainly was — I never had to work on the subject
so hard in my life — too much, in my opinion, was required of us.
Mondays and Wednesdays at 8 o'clock we studied Macaulay as a
model of style, having to analyse all paragraphs, words, and con-
structions. Thursdays all sections of the department met in Library
Hall to write paragraphs as similar to those of Macaulay as we were
able. To the degree that they approached Macaulay 's were they con-
sidered meritorious and were marked accordingly.

No. 142.

As I remember it [the reading the prescribed books and writing
themes on subjects chosen from them] was turned out by the yard
and was naturally of unvarying worthlessness. On looking over my
themes, I find those that got the highest marks, written in a stilted
high-flown imitation of Macaulay, who was revealed before our daz-
zled eyes as the " Apothesis of Style." Of the other themes, one
especially in which I managed to get down a little nearer nature was
scarlet with its shame !

504

WORK UNDONE, AND REDONE.

Page 421.

No. 143.

I went two years to [a Massachusetts city] High School where
very few compositions were required and my practice in writing
amounted to very little. Then I went three years to [a well-known
private school in Boston of old standing] , where much attention was
paid to all branches of English, especially declamation and composi-
tion. We were required to write a great many compositions, stories,
and exercises : but these commonly laborious and disagreeable tasks
were made very interesting ; and when I graduated, though I may
not have acquired much ability in composition, perhaps, I had, at
least, a strong interest and pleasure in writing.

It was their aim at [this School] to make writing a pleasure not a
task, and in my case they succeeded. They realized that every body
writes in a different style, and that it kills a young student's ambi-
tion to improve his own style if he is made to write in that of another
author of a different turn of mind who has spent years perfecting his.
If a scholar had originality of thought, expression, and imagination,
they cultivated it. Just because he did not follow Dickens, Thack-
eray, Irving, or Hill's Rhetoric, they did not slash through his pet
ideas and phrases with bloody ink, saying that reputable authors
didn't write that kind of English. They knew that young men's
thoughts must necessarity be crude and awkward in expression ; and
that by proper direction and training, those minds which write ques-
tionable English now may create masterpieces when they reach
maturity ; whereas, if checked in their first original ideas, they will
get into the rut of mediocrity from which they will never get out. I
know my own compositions suffered all kinds of toning down and
redressing, but whatever of newness, brightness, or wit there was in
them was carefully left. I was always encouraged, never discouraged.

No. 144.

So far as it went the instruction in English at the High was good
in every way. The teachers used excellent English in comparison
with that of the Harvard instructors. They did not, as men do here,
pronounce the same word at different times in different ways. How-
ever it cannot be expected that in four years we could obtain even a
good knowledge of English, for as in most preparatory schools, less
time was put to English, on an average, than to any other study.
The principal object the teachers have in view is to enable us to
tk pass" the Harvard examinations, so that they give us only mediocre
instructions in all subjects ; and yet, the Harvard examiners, taking
for granted that we know English better than anything else, because

505

it is our native language, mark us a great deal more severely in that
than in other subjects.

Somehow or other I have not received much benefit in English at
Harvard. The Wednesday work is very pleasant, I enjoy the dean's
remarks, but the trouble is, we do not have enough time for our themes.
The study of Mr. Hill's rhetoric would be beneficial, but our instruc-
tors do not care whether we get out lessons or not ; they say it is for
our own good to get the reading assigned ; and that they are mere
automatic marking machines. I know it is for our own good to do
as they tell us, but still an instructor's indifference has no good effect
on the class.

No. 145.

One other thing, which I have noticed since entering Harvard, is
that u fine writing," or an}r attempts at that are much more harshly
criticised here than in a preparatory school, or at any rate, the one
which I attended.

THE ENVIRONMENT OF SCHOOLS.

Page 417.

No. 146.

The greater part of the very meagre training in English composi-
tion, which I received previous to entering Harvard College, was
obtained in [a high school in Maine]. The instruction in English at
this school seems to me almost astonishing in its scantiness. The
school is intended for a fitting school, to the Maine Colleges, and the
standard, particularly in English is, for this reason very much lower,
than in the schools fitting for Harvard. But not only was the instruc-
tion itself of a comparatively low grading, but the instructors seem
to me, as I look back, utterly incompetent to teach anything more
than the most elementary principles of English composition, and this,
probably owing to the fact that the majority of them were not even
college graduates themselves, but at best had only received diplomas
from the very high school in which they were now deemed fit to lay
in others the foundations of, perhaps the most important branch of a
good education.

Perhaps the best way for me to show how deficient this training
really was, is by showing the method of work as it then was, and, for
ought I know to the contrary, is to-day.

The work was without system. During the first year, of the four
years course, the instruction amounted to very little. For the first
two terms there was no instruction whatever in writing English other
than writing (I think) two regular compositions of perhaps three
pages, ordinary note paper, in length. The subject of one of these
** articles," as they were called, was given out by the instructor, of
the other, chosen by the pupil himself. Besides these two composi-

506

tions, there were several exercises in writing extemporaneous com-
position. All of this work was of the most cursory kind. The
pupil merely handed in his work, and after a certain time received it
back again, with perhaps a few grammatical corrections. No criti-
cism whatever as to the style, and no directions as to the wa}T it
might be greatly improved. Never was the pupil required to rewrite
his composition. During the last term there was a small amount of
instruction given, with " Lockwood's Lessons in English," as a text
book. So much for the Freshman year. In respect to the English
instruction I received, I think it was the most satisfactory of my whole
high-school course, because the instructor was a man who might have
been valuable had he been encouraged.

The second and third years may I think, as regards English instruc-
tion, be counted as a blank. The work was practically the same,
as that of the first year except, I think it was on a lower plane. One
of these years the training was conducted by a female teacher, who,
while I esteem her highly in other ways, knew, in my opinion, almost
nothing of English composition. Why should she be highly educa-
ted, when she was but a graduate of this same school?

In my senior year, there was some improvement. For the first
term the work was practically the same as in the preceding years.
The occasional writing of an extemporaneous theme, with perhaps
one longer composition. The last two terms however were given up
to the preparation of two long compositions, one of which was the
graduating essay. This work was supposed to be considerably above
the standard set for ordinary work, and it would have been so in
realit}', had proper criticism been given it. As it was, this work was
only superior to the other in its length.

I cannot say then, in looking back upon it, that my preparatory
training in the high school, as regards English composition, was good
and sufficient, in any respect. It was defective because it lacked a
good system, because there was too little practice in writing, because
there was too little criticism, and hence no chance for improvement,
and most important of all, because the instructors were (it seems to
me) inadequate. I do not think that Harvard expects too much of
the student applying for admission, but I think the fault lies almost
wholly with the preparatory schools. I consider, that I owe my
good fortune in my English entrance examination, to my own outside
work in preparation.

No. 147.

I was sent to an English preparatory school, when 11 years and
3 weeks old.

I was there well grounded in eveiything except English, there was
no such thing as writing essays, or even dictation.

At 14 I was sent to [a large preparatory school, not far from
London], where I remained till last summer.

I was there taught the Classics, a little Mathematics, French and
J of an hour history a week.

There was no attempt made to teach English, the [nearest] approach
to it was a weekly paper on the history to be done out of school.

. 507

The spelling mistakes in this were generally corrected, and the
papers handed back to ns.

This however only existed for the lower forms. During the
Christmas and Easter holidays we were obliged to read some speci-
fied book, and answer a few questions on it's plot, on our return.
But this was merely a farce, little or no attention being given it.
Most boys read their books in the train on the way back to school.
This is a great school in many ways, but it certainly cannot pretend
to teach one to write good English.

I think that if the boys should be compelled to write a weekly essay,
much good will be done.

As there is no English examination, for admission, I believe, to
either Oxford or Cambridge ; this seeming neglect can perhaps be
understood.

No. 148.

I had not the advantage of being trained, under any such system
of schools, as that of primary, grammar and high school, in this
country. Almost all nry schooling was obtained at a large private
establishment, (some four hundred boys,) in the north of London,
where my father left me when he came to settle here. The ....
principal was a delightful man, for whom every boy had the sincerest
personal regard, and whose general school system I believe to have
been excellent, though deficient in some particulars, distinctly so, in
English.

We started in the lower forms by learning a good deal of spelling,
from a regular spelling-book, and did, I think every da}^ some simple
dictation, the commas and stops being read out to us, as the reader
proceeded. In the middle forms we dropped the spelling books, and
wrote, about twice a week, longer dictation from standard authors.
Whether, during these times, we were supposed to be involuntarily
imbibing the style of the author, I do not know ; I am quite sure such
an idea never entered my head at the time, nor do I remember that
the object of the work was, definitely, so stated to us. The dicta-
tions were always read over afterwards b}r the masters, and marked
with a maximum of ten, anyone getting seven, or less, had to stay in
and do the work again. They were marked partly for spelling, and
fair writing, and partly for the observance of periods, the putting of
capitals in the right places, etc. The spelling mistakes made by
every boy in the form, both in the dictation and through out all his
written work, were put together upon a list, and hung up in the form
room. We were supposed to keep an e}'e on this list, as it grew
towards the end of the week, and learn the words ; for on Friday it
was removed, and on Saturday dictated to us by the form master,
when we were supposed to write it without error, and were punished
if unable. Beside the dictation in the middle forms, we also had
short essays to write upon given subjects, but so far as I know, we
had no text book of composition, nor were the essays criticized in
detail at all, but simply marked from ten down, and the errors
crossed through in pencil. In the higher forms, spelling, dictation,
and essay work, were all left behind, and our studies were confined

508

almost wholly to the derivation, and history, of the words of the
language. The text book we used, was fully1- illustrated with extracts
from standard works, to give the idea of proportion of Saxon to
Romance words used by any author in any extract. There was now,
however, no practise in writing English, as such, though written
answers to questions on other subjects, were generally criticized for
clearness of style. The construing of the classics was mostly done
in class, in the hammer-and- tongs method peculiar, I was about to
say to boys, but I fear it is not unknown at College. Provided a
boy's translation showed that he grasped the construction it was
passed, the use of idiomatic English not being insisted upon, though
the master would often render again, idiomatically, a passage, which
had been too completely mauled by the other method. Also, in any
public examination we went in for, the English History and Grammar
papers generally bore the legend, that composition, writing, and spell-
ing, would be taken into consideration in awarding marks, though
how we were supposed to acquire the composition part of it, I do not
know — perhaps by some such process as the " unconscious cerebra-
tion " method, to which Mr. is so partial.

Looking at the arrangements of this School therefore as a whole,
two faults strike me as especially prominent.

First in the essays written in the middle forms, the giving of sub-
jects by the instructors, instead of letting the boys choose their own.
This resulted in the things to be written about, being such, as very
few mortal boys, ever regarded otherwise than as necessary evils —
such as u oil-painting" " music" and the time-honoured " Coal."

Secondly, the lack of clear criticism is evident. I can imagine no
better method, than that pursued in regard to our daily themes ; for
in the reading of a few selected contrasting themes, there is the living
interest of listening to the other fellow's work, which would act quite
as well, if not better, with boys : often, too, the mere reading of two
themes well contrasted, is itself sufficient criticism without an}r elabo-
rate consideration of principles, which tends to get dry to young
boys. This sort of work, combined with the use of some good primer
of composition, should render such a system as the one I went through
fairly efficient.

The main fault I have to find however with my training in English,
as with all my school work, was the want of apparent purpose
throughout, so far as I personally was concerned. It seems to me a
boy should be buttonholed somewhat in this fashion.

' ' Do you see that 3-ou are a member of a civilized community.
Do 3Tou see, that it is to your interest, to learn to express yourself
clearly, and accurately', in writing or speaking with }rour fellows?
That it may be bread and butter to you, that it certainly is your only
chance of a high standard of development? But perhaps you are
content to be a mere log, dragged through life by circumstances?
Or do you want to be one of those who can take a living, intelligent,
interest in it? Because communication with others, is the only thing
that can give you such an interest, and writing and speaking the only
means to that communication."

Through some perversity of things, a boy is expected to arrive at
the knowledge, of the proper view to take of this work, by some

509

method of growth, like Topsey's and so generally regards school
work, as a something he has to swallow, not taste, and this, just to
please his people. He only learns the true point of view, when the
opportunity for using it, is, as for most boys, left behind with his
schooldays.

No. 149.

My first training in writing English began in the graded schools of
[a large town in] Iowa. From about the fifth grade up we were
required to write short essays of from two to three hundred words,
about three times a year. These essays were corrected by the teach-
ers and handed back to us to be rewritten.

When I entered the High School I was given a book upon English,
composition by Lockwood. It was a ver}^ good book for first year
High School pupils, being simple and clear. During this year a
short piece of writing was required every day, usually upon subjects
tending to illustrate the rules laid down in the book for that day's
lesson. Sentences and paragraphs which were incorrect and mixed
up, were given the class, and the pupils were required to write the
exercise correctly.

After the first year in the High School, no more regular themes or
written work was required of us. We went off into reading writers
of English, beginning with Irving and Longfellow and ending with
Milton and Bacon. The only writing we did now was in the shape
of essays which were required about six times a year.

In the translation of Latin in this school we were required to be
excessively literal and were not allowed to translate freely or into the
English idiom. In French we were encouraged to produce as polished
and well-formed translations as possible.

I think the course in English given in the first year of this high
school was very good and certainly as far advanced as was suitable
for pupils of thirteen and fourteen years old. After the first year
the English courses given were certainly very defective as far as
writing English is concerned. Had the writing of daily or semi-
weekly exercises been required through the whole four years course,
introducing a more complete text-book (such as Hill's principles of
Rhetoric) toward the end, I believe I should have come to Harvard
knowing something of English composition. Toward the end of the
course, longer and more difficult compositions should have been
required of the pupils and above all, the written exercises should
have been carefully criticized and the pupils made to rewrite them/

I will say that the schools [in question] are among the best in the
state and Iowa prides herself upon the fact that she is second only
to Massachusetts in the excellence of her public schools. I say this
that the neglect of proper instruction in English composition prevalent
throughout the west, may be seen.

Even in the colleges of the west English literature and English

composition are sadly neglected. I went from the High

School to [an Iowa] College. Here I found that no English what-
ever was taught until the last year of the college course. At this
place, I did some work upon the college paper but, in the absence of

510

intelligent criticism, my work could only be the practise of what
principles of writing I already knew.

Returning from College, I worked as a reporter on a daily news-
paper for six months. In this work I did a great deal of rapid,
slipshod writing and acquired a habit of carelessness of expression
which I have found very hard to break.

I think that the student entering college should be, at least, as far
advanced in writing English, as he is after completing the course
called English A in Harvard College. I think the student in the
preparatory schools should have much practise in writing English
and above all should be made to rewrite all his compositions under
criticism.

No. 150,

For the first three years of my school life, I had of course, the
ordinar}' teaching in reading, writing, spelling, and short composi-
tion work, which every boy, from ten to thirteen years of age, has to
undergo. This work was very elementary. Although the teachers
were good, at that age, not very much progress could be made.

After graduating from this primary school, I went to [a New
York] Free Academy. This is one of those delightful schools,
which are under the supervision of a board of uneducated politicians,
or friends of politicians, who are very careful to have own friends as
teachers, and not to let any "newfangled" ideas come into the
system. This system was good enough for them, twenty years ago,
why should it not be good enough for the boys of to-day ?

As English is a language of so much less importance to Latin,
Greek, French, and German, it is not necessary to have a teacher of
it at the Academ}7. The result of this is, that, during my first year
there, my course in English was under the German professor.
During my second year [the] professor of science of all kinds, had
charge of the "Advanced English Course." This gentleman, although
a fine scientist, and a very popular man was never intended to teach
English. When he returned me my compositions, I took them home,
and my father corrected both my mistakes, and [the professor's].

One more year I remained at the Academy. This year things

were a little improved. Professor , a graduate of Harvard, who

has had charge of the classical department of the school, and been
principal, since our fathers went there, took us in hand. Although,
perhaps, the brightest man in the city, a man of great intelligence,
and refinement, and an excellent scholar, both in classical and Eng-
lish studies, he had been too long in his place to make a good teacher
of English. His methods were those of thirty years ago, altered and
hampered a little by the ridiculous rules of the school board. As I
remember, the entire work of the year was reading Julius Caesar,
and writing half a dozen themes.

Getting a little impatient of this old fashioned method of carrying
on a school, I left the next .year, and went to [a New England
Academy]. Here I looked for a change for the better and found it

in everything except English. To be sure Mr was a young

man, a recent graduate of Harvard, and supposed to be a very fine

511

English student. If lie were the hitter, he should be congratulated
on the excellent manner in which he conceled the fact. Now and
then he would give out the book to be read for the next recitation.
When the day for this came around, he would have a copy of the
book before him, and the hour would be spent in each fellow reading

aloud a certain number of pages, while Mr followed him, and

asked questions. For a while this kept the boys doing their reading,

but, at last, they found that Mr 's questions were all from the

notes in the back of the books, and that he knew nothing about them
except what he learned from these, and the reading suddenly stopped.

As to writing, we did it at . Yes, we really had a theme due

nearly once a month. In the lower school the penalty for disorder
was writing so many lines for each mark. Upper classmen, however,
were exempt from such lowely occupations, and I had entered the
sixth. After such "good and sufficient preparatory training," is it
strange that my mark in admission English was E?

No. 151.

In the Junior class [of Southern State College] we studied
Oenning's Rhetoric and did almost no theme work. Our professor
supplemented the recitations with sharp lectures of his own, and being
a most ardent rebel — and never " reconstructed " — and directed by
the artful question of a shrewd but unstudious pupil, he frequently
was led to dilate on the excellencies of the style of John C. Calhoun
or Jefferson Davis. It was but a step from the style to the character
of the hero, for our professor held that '; the style is the man," and
soon would we have presented to us with convincing logic the logic
of the lost cause.

Our best training in writing English came from another source.
All Juniors and Seniors had to write and deliver four orations a year.
These were a source of great profit to the whole college. It must be
understood that all the students were required to attend the chapel
exercises held every morning and that very few of the men desired
to be absent. At this exercise the roll was called, a selection of
scripture was read, one or two hymns were sung, and pra}xer was
offered. After these were over, the president stepped forward, made
the announcements for the day, and closed his remarks by saying,
uWe shall have an oration this morning from Mr. Blank; subject,
4 Result of the Crusades," or whatever it might be. Mr. Blank, who
had been trembling in his boots now came up on the platform and
for the next ten or fifteen minutes held forth to his two hundred and
odd fellow-students. When he was through and had received his
due applause, his speech was criticized by the professors. First, the
professor who taught the Junior rhetoric criticized the speaker's choice
of words, his sentences, and his style generally. Next the professor
who taught Mental, and Moral Philosophy, Logic, and Political
Economy, criticized the subject itself, the matter of the discourse,
the logic, and the arrangement of the parts. Each professor, for all
teachers were professors, was called on .in turn to make a comment
and most of them responded in a two or three minutes talk.

512

In some of the courses in English Literature themes were occa-
sionally required. In other courses, often in History and rarely in
Greek and Latin classes, essays were written. In translating little
regard was given to the quality of the English tortured out of the
classic texts.

As to the actual training in writing, the composition courses were
far inferior to the work in the English language and literature. In

College, as seems to be true in the Southern schools generally,

the courses in English composition were not thoroughly organized
nor systematically conducted. Daily theme work, the best training
in English was unknown.

No. 152.

My early training in English was marked by the lack of that
important feature, theme writing. When I entered the high school
at home, in Indiana, we were told that we should write three compo-
sitions during the first half }^ear. I remember what fun we used to
have in reading them before the class. The English in them was
poor, indeed, but they were never corrected by the professor. He
was an excellent writer of English himself, but I don't know why he
never saw the necessity of teaching it to his pupils.

The work in English for the whole three years in the high school,
was mainly confined to " studying literature," a thing I never under-
stood. The professor would take his book, walk over and sit down
in front of the class, look wise, make a few sage remarks, and then
ask some poor unfortunate to stir up the depths of Pope's Essay on
Man, or Emersons Compensation. I remember one day how he
berated me for giving a wrong conception of a verse in Tennyson's
Locksley Hall.

In the second year we studied Rhetoric two days in the week and
" Literature " on the other three. The onty good that I ever got out
of my English, in that school, consists in the broad extent of good
English which I received as a basis for my future reading. Although
I did not get the conception that he wished me to, yet I could enjoy
the fine ideas conveyed by those masterpieces of English Literature.

At our graduation, we each had to write a theme of eight hundred
words, although we had had no training whatever, to train us for it.
Thus we were supposed to be giving in these themes at the end of
our course, a sort of " resume " of our three years training, when, in
fact the professor had more the writing of them, than we ourselves.
We were instructed to hand in the name of our essay, and on his
approval of it, we were to write our theme upon that subject. That
was the last we had to do with it. He corrected it, cut out what he
pleased, and put in what he pleased. Then that was supposed to be
the result of our efforts.

The one great feature in training pupils in English, I think, is
practice in writing English. It is an accomplishment which few have,
but which all need. Too many schools lack this training, but it is
becoming a more universal feature in all our schools, every year.

513

No. 153.

My study of English can be divided into four periods which are
distinguished by the different schools that I attended ; English in the
common schools ; English in the Academy ; English in College.

From six years of age to fifteen, I attended the districts schools of
Vermont ; there I learned the rudiments of English. The books used,
were Patterson's English Grammar, the American Spelling Book, and
Franklin's Readers. The class read this set of " readers " in fixed
order ; when the last of the set was reached, the class read and reread
again and again the last of the set. No such thing as an idea of
literature ever entered the head of a district-school committee. I
remember that one teacher tried to introduce a course of literature
and began by giving Goldsmith's Deserted Village to the class. But
the illiterate old fogy of a school committee, shaking his bald pate
and slyly winking his eye, said : " I've got a " schoolmarm " down
in "destrict" number three, whose come home from the academy
with new-fangled notions in her head ; but I " reckon" she'll get 'em
out " afore " the terms over." She did lose those u new-fangled "
notions ; she was powerless to oppose the opposition of parents and
committee. Our course in literature was at an end ; we returned to
the old reading-book and reread it, until wre knew " Sparticus to the
Gladiators" as well as we knew the Ten Commandments.

During this period of ten years, I had almost no practice in original
writing ; perhaps I wrote ten " compositions " in the ten years. Most
of these were read aloud ; and thus the teacher never saw the written
work. The criticisms were on the subject matter and not upon the
form and structure of the English. I hope that I have made it clear
that this period of study gave me but poor preparation for the
struggle that came when I entered the Academy.

The second period of study was spent in a different State where
more modern ideas of teaching English prevailed. For four year I

studied [in a New Hampshire Academy]. Professor object in

teaching English is to prepare men for the entrance examination to
Harvard College ; he told us the fact on the first day and four years
later ended his " goodbys " by giving directions how to pass the
examinations most successfully. If I said no more, I should do him
a great injustice ; he did often forget those formidable examinations
and dwell on the purely literary side of his subject.

The class used Hill's Foundations of Rhetoric throughout the four
years. The manner of using the book was as follows : he explained
the principles involved in the lesson at one recitation, and at the next
gave slips, on which were printed the incorrect examples of the book,
to each student ; the student, then, wrote the corrected example on the
blackboard. We read in class all the books required for admission
to Harvard College in 1895, except Scott's Abbot. We, also, did a
large amount of memorizing of selected passages. We memorized
Gray's Elegy and Goldsmith's Deserted Village entire, and many
long selections from Evangeline. Courtship of Miles Standish, The
Traveller, Marmion, L' Allegro, II Penseroso, Comus, and Lycidas,
and doubtless many more that I have forgotten. The examination
work was based upon the contents of the Rhetoric and the writing of

514

these memorized selections. I remember writing only one theme,
which was a summary of the Courtship of Miles Standish. I am
sure I did not write four themes in the four years.

In College, I have taken English A ; I am now taking English 31 ;
it is in the light of this work that I now speak. The first period of
study, that of the common school, can be quickly summed up ; the
method of instruction had no commendable feature ; in the ten years,
I learned the rudiments of English only imperfectly. The second
period of study, that of the academy, had much good in it. I learned
that the style of George Eliot is better than that of the multitude ; in
fact, I got a little knowledge of what literature is. It also, had a
negative value in composition ; for, from the study of Rhetoric, I
learned what was wrong. Both periods failed in that they gave me
absolutely no teaching in original writing. The common and the
preparatory schools should have theme writing just as the college
does. Let them adopt Horace's motto: " Nulla dies sine littera."
Let them translate it as I have done for English 31 ; u That day is
lost on which I write no daily theme."

No. 154.

I went to a classical school in England, where no English was
taught in the higher forms. In the lower forms the boys had to learn
by heart celebrated selection of verse together with a small amount
of grammar. If, however, on entering 3*011 were not placed in the
lower forms — and this generally happened to a boy of thirteen of
average intelligence — you received no training in English as Eng-
lish. During the summer and Christmas vacations books and plays
by celebrated authors were given to the whole school for stud}T. The
majority of boys in the upper forms read them through quickly, as
any novel, and the 3Tounger boys tried to shirk their task contenting
themselves by hearing the outline of the story told the night before
examination by one of their more studious comrades. Prizes were
given for the boys who passed the best examinations but the winners
were generally considered to be "grinds." On Sundays questions
pertaining to Biblical subjects were asked to be answered on paper.
These questions, however were not meant as an exercise in English
but as a way of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the Bible.

At the Christmas and Summer examinations we were required to
write a two hours composition on some subject given out at the time
of examination. This I suppose is the only training I have received
in writing English. I suppose that boys were expected to pick up a
knowledge of the language by the study of the language, but person-
ally I did not obtain much benefit from it as far as I can see. I find
that, through lack of training, I have difficulty in expressing my
thoughts and in conveying to the reader the ideas I have in my head.
I think that exercise in theme writing, such as I get in English A,
would have been most beneficial to me. Had I previous exercise I
think that the ease and fluency which I find so hard to get now would
have come naturally for practice makes perfect in all things.

5 1 5

No. 155.

I prepared for College at the High School [of an interior] Illinois
[city].

Our instruction in writing English began and ended with the course
of four years. During the first year, I believe, we wrote one theme
each week and chose our own subjects ; the themes were corrected
and handed back, with a grade marked on them. Frequently we
were compelled to read our themes, as object lessons. During the
second, third, and fourth years themes were due, with criticisms of
st}*le of various authors whose works were studied and read in class
as the subjects, due at the times we finished our readings of those
authors. But during the fourth year we were also required to write
critical essays on works read outside of school. In addition to this,
during the last three years of the course, essays and various literary
compositions were written for recitation at the weekly meeting of our
societies. Our efforts in that line were carefully criticized and mater-
ially assisted by a corps of teachers in whose hands such work was
left.

Looking backward, I have an impression that the main defect in
the preparation, was the infrequency, during the last three years of
the course, of essays and compositions. Not enough stress was laid
upon the benefits that would come from long practice, combined with
careful observation both of defects in our manner of expression, with
the ways to remedy them, and of the pleasing qualities of style which
were to be commended and carefully studied in the best authors for
the purpose of giving to us means of expression and lofty ideals of
beauty in writing.

Most of this instruction in writing was given us, and well taught,
but not so strongly insisted upon as to make a firm impression
upon me.

No. 156.

The English training which I received was given in California,
schools, and so was different from that in the Eastern States. The
primary- object in the instruction ,was to prepare pupils for the en-
trance examinations of the two universities there, Stanford and the
University of California,. As these examinations differ greatly from
those of Eastern colleges and universities, the method of teaching in
the preparatory schools also is different., ■

The. English entrance examinations of those Western colleges call
for. a thorough study of the books and also of mythology rather than
for an ability to write English. Accordingly, the object with which
we studied English was to be able to giye the meaning of all allu-
sions, to explain all the figures of speech, and to parse any phrase in
the books we had had. The writing, we did was confined almost]
exclusively to paraphrases with qnpe a great while a synopsis of some
part of our reading.

I think, on the whole, that the training required for the Harvard
examinations is the better of the two, though in California schools,
where Latin and Greek are studied comparatively little, some atten-
tion must be paid to English classics. However I regard the art of

516

writing as of rather more importance than the critical study of books,
since, while the latter is often forgotten and seldom very profitable
to the possessor, the former is a necessity to anyone who wishes to
express his thoughts or opinions. So, I think that, if a great deal
more attention were paid to the writing of English in the schools
which I have mentioned, it would be a great benefit to the pupils.

No. 157.

I left the [Michigan city] High School at which I prepared for
College with a diploma admitting me to the UnivershVy without exami-
nation, but with absojutely no training in writing English, as such.
As High School pupils were supposed to know how to spell and
punctuate correctly — these being considered the only ends to be
attained in good writing — before leaving the schools of a lower
grade, there were no classes in composition. There was, it is true,
a class in Rhetoric for Juniors, meeting daily during the first term of
the year, and studying a Miss Somebody's "Rhetoric." A certain
number of pages of this valuable work had to be learned for every
recitation, but not a word of writing, original or otherwise, was ever
required. I have no idea what was taught in that class, as no imme-
diate or conscious use was made of the principles which we must have
learned by heart.

Incidentally we received a modicum of practice in the composition
of good English in those dubious exercises commonly called rhetori-
cals. These unspeakable things occurred during the last term of our
Junior year, the class meeting once a week to listen to essays from
the girls and " orations " from the boys. At stated intervals during
the last year of the course also, the boys appeared before the whole
school to deliver their slumber-inviting messages. In composing
these doubtful pieces of English we received some training, but we
were criticised merely on our "thought" and "delivery," while
nothing was ever said about the English of our productions, the pri-
mary object of this exercise apparently being to make speakers and
thinkers rather than writers. We received some little blind practice
out of this, of course, and in so far the exercise was of value. In
addition to this work, however, we should have had at least one
course in English Composition, where the principles of writing good
English had been dealt out in homeopathic doses, and where daily —
or at least thrice-weekly — themes had been required. Doubtless in
an elementary course of this kind it would not have been feasable to
make these daily themes more than a sentence or a short paragraph
in length, — say not longer than a page of note size, — but the length
is not the point. In this work of writing English the daily practice
under intelligent criticism is the desideratum, and not an iota of this
did I have in all my preparatory course. The same is true of my
four years college course which I took before coming to Harvard.

517

No. 158.

I was brought up in a country town in northern Massachusetts,
and in the " district school " in that place I never experienced those
objects of terror which are known to children as " compositions."
As a child, I had shown a great fondness for books and study, and at
a suitable age I was sent to fa neighboring Academy] to lit for col-
lege. This Academy, fifty years ago a flourishing institution, has
been, for some years past, steadily deteriorating ; its original endow-
ments have long since been exhausted, and the school is now doing
little else than striving to maintain its existence. From this it will
readily be inferred that the methods and courses of instruction are
Tery much out of date and entireh* inadequate for modern college
preparation. The school is, in a word, utterly out of touch with
modern educational progress.

While I was at this institution I never heard the subject of train-
ing in Euglish mentioned, nor was I required to write more than once
on that occasion producing a so called "thesis" for graduation.
The catalogue named as one of the subjects of study " English Com-
position," but I never knew what was the nature of the subject.
Toward the end of the senior year the students who were preparing
for college read the books named in the entrance requirements in
English. Once a week we recited the main points of the stories.
There was no criticism, no study of style and no writing about the
books.

After what I have said, I am now in a position to state that I have
absolutely no notion of the methods employed in the preparatory
schools for the teaching of English Composition. It is a source of
great regret to me that I can give no opinion upon the questions
which I have been asked to consider, but the fact remains that a
nonentity can neither be in any sense defective nor admit of any
improvement.

LXXII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
LAWRENCE SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee to visit the Lawrence Scientific School had intended
to make a thorough report on the condition and prospects of the
School on this the fiftieth year since its foundation. To assist in
framing such a report the Dean has furnished the Committee with
detailed statements from the different departments. These show with
great uniformity that there has been an amazing increase in the
attendance at the School during the past few years and with this a
corresponding and ever increasing demand for more apparatus and
teaching force, and for more class rooms and laboratories. The
work of collecting a large number of students is accomplished. How
to supply them adequately with what they have come to seek is the
urgent question in all departments. The Lawrence Scientific School
is at this moment afflicted with prosperity.

While these statements were being prepared there have been con-
ferences between Committees representing the Governments of the
University and of the Institute of Technology regarding some method
of using their respective forces to the best advantage and without
waste of energy. As discussion on such a subject is now in progress
your Committee have felt it necessary to defer the report that they
had contemplated. It would have been a statement of the great
growth of the School and of the many and pressing needs of the
various departments. It seems to us that in many instances to
satisfy these needs is practically but to duplicate apparatus and
instruction already provided at the sister institution. Such a dupli-
cation is surely necessary if two rival institutions are to be maintained.
But practically the same people in this community are interested in
and have control of Harvard University and the Institute of Tech-
nology and continued rivalry between them results in an absurd waste
of power. Common sense seems to point to such an alliance of forces
or division of work between the two institutions as will do away with
the suspicion of any contention and will turn the resources of both
seats of learning to the production of the most good. The fact that
such an alliance is now under discussion leads your Committee to
think that this immediate time is not a propitious one for urging on

520

the graduates of the Lawrence Scientific School or on the public the
varied needs of the School that are suggested in the reports prepared
by the instructors, pressing as these needs are.

They feel it, however, to be their duty, as it is their wish, to urge
as strongly as possible upon the Board of Overseers that they lend
any weight they can towards such an alliance between the institutions
as may concentrate their powers, so that the field may be covered by
united forces working in harmony instead of by rivals. The subject
is now before the two Governments, and this is the time to press it
and to settle it. With the wish of endorsing and urging this cause,
your Committee submit to you this report.

Yours very truly,

ROBERT S. PEABODY,
MORRILL WYMAN,
ELIOT C. CLARKE,
ERASMUS D. LEAVITT,
JOHN LAWRENCE,
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH,
CHAS. H. MANNING,

Committee.

June, 1897.

LXXIII.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PHYSICAL TRAINING,
ATHLETIC SPORTS, AND SANITARY CON-
DITION OF BUILDINGS, 1898.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee renews its recommendations of last year as to the
desirability of a course of required physical exercise for the Fresh-
man class and offers the following vote for the consideration of the
Board : —

Vole: That the Faculty be requested to consider the advisability of
introducing at Harvard some system of required physical exercise for
the Freshman class similar to that now adopted at Yale and at other
colleges .

AUGUSTUS HEMENWAY, .

ROBERT BACON,

C. F. ADAMS, 2d, Members present

G. F. WELD, j> at meeting of

R. F. CLARK,
MAURICE RICHARDSON,
H. W. PUTNAM.

CommAttee.

LXXIV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

JEFFERSON PHYSICAL LABORATORY AND

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers op Harvard College : —

The undersigned members of the Committee appointed to visit
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics,
having attended a duly notified meeting at the laboratory build-
ing on Thursday, March 10, 1898, have the honor to report as
follows : —

During the past year, the routine work of lecture-room and
laboratory instruction to more than four hundred undergraduate
students has been performed most satisfactorily ; and, in addition,
the Director and his associates, in cooperation with several post-
graduate students, have made a series of original investigations the
results of which are valuable additions to physical and electrical
science. The more noteworthy of these investigations are : —

1. An investigation of high electromotive force, up to more than a

million volts ; by the Director, Professor John Trowbridge.
This investigation has resulted in the discovery of anode
rays ; and the revelation of the travel of discharge of high
electromotive force over the surface of fairly good con-
ductors. The initial resistance of air to such discharges is
less than one thousand ohms.

2. An investigation of the properties of magnets, with respect to

their use in exact measurements ; by Professor B. O. Peirce.

3. An investigation of the heat conduction of rocks ; by Professor

B. O. Peirce.

4. An investigation of the relaxation time of dielectrics ; by Mr.

H. H. Brown, under the direction of Professor B. O. Peirce.

5. A study of the air thermometer; by Mr. H. Edwards, under

the direction of Professor W. C. Sabine.

6. An investigation of wave lengths in the ultra violet region of

the spectrum; by Messrs. Theodore Lyman and E. H. Col-
pitis, under the direction of Professor W. C. Sabine.

524

7. An investigation of the heat conductivity of iron ; by Mr. C. H.

Ayres, under the direction of Professor E. H. Hall.

8. An investigation of the " Hall effect" in liquids ; by Professor

E. H. Hall.

9. Investigations in sound, with particular reference to the im-

provement of the acoustic properties of lecture rooms ; by
Professor W. C. Sabine.

The extent and importance of these original investigations bear
witness to the zeal and ability of the Laboratory staff : and it should
be noted that much of the work connected therewith has been done
outside of the hours for regular University service.

The Committee are of the opinion that in maintaining a physical
laboratory there must be met the same competition that is met in the
development of a commercial enterprise ; and that standing still is
equivalent to drifting backward. In connection with this subject, it
should be noted that the equipments of the physical laboratories at
both Chicago University and Columbia University have been so much
extended during the past year that the Jefferson can no longer fairly
claim more than the third place in the list of physical laboratories in
United States.

As to buildings, the Jefferson Physical Laboratory • still easily
heads the list ; but it seems to this Committee that the reputation
and the welfare of Harvard University demand that at least five
thousand dollars be appropriated for the immediate purchase of
such additional apparatus as will warrant her claim to the possession
of a working laboratory of the first class.

FRANCIS BLAKE.
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH.
Boston, Mass., 12 March 1898.

LXXV.

REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE TO
VISIT THE LAW SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Standing Committee to visit the Law School met in the rooms
of the Overseers on January 12, and, after an interchange of
views, agreed that those members whose engagements permitted
should make a personal inspection of the School on the following-
day, and that the Committee should afterwards hold a joint meeting
with the Law Faculty in Austin Hall. This plan was carried out,
and the proposed joint meeting resulted in a very interesting and
instructive discussion as to the prospects and needs of the School.

The Harvard Law School is in a condition which it might, be mis-
leading to call "critical," but which certainly demands immediate
and careful consideration from the governing bodies of the Uni-
versity and from its alumni : this condition may be briefly described
as one of serious embarrassment as a result of unexpected prosperity.
When it first occupied Austin Hall, in September, 1883, the number
of students was 150, for whose instruction four Professors and one
Assistant Professor sufficed, and no reason then existed, or, at all
events, none was apparent, to apprehend that its accommodations
would prove insufficient for many years to come. Its rapid growth
has, however, falsified all expectations, however reasonable : at
present it contains 546 students and employs eight Professors beside
an Assistant Professor and two Instructors for special subjects ; it
has already outgrown Austin Hall, notwithstanding the considerable
addition made to this some years since ; a continuance of its recent
rate of growth will soon render the Hall totally inadequate. The
report of the Dean for last year says on this subject : —

"The continued growth of the School, notwithstanding its change into
a graduate department of the University, has upset all our calculations.
Instead of the anticipated loss of at least 60 and possibly 100, in the first
year after the change, there has been a gain of 80 in the total registration.
The unprecedented number of entries this year makes it probable that the
School will not have fewer than 500 students for some years to come, for
it seems impracticable effectually to check the resort to the School by
further restrictive measures.11

526

, The Committee were surprised to learn during their joint meeting
with the Law Faculty how seriously a resort to " further restrictive
measures " had been contemplated merely with a view " effectually to
check the resort to the School." One plan looking to this end, which
has been discussed, established as a requirement for admission, for
graduates of all colleges except Harvard, that the applicant should
have stood in either the first three-fourths or the first half of his class
at college. An investigation of the college standing of 244 out of the
257 graduates of other colleges connected with the School during the
present year (it having proved, for various reasons, impracticable to
ascertain the facts as to the others) disclosed that the first test would
have excluded only 16 and the second only 47, so that, as the Dean
says, a "restrictive measure" of this character would not "effectu-
ally check the resort to the School," whilst it would be probably
regarded as involving an injustice, as well as a hardship, to some of
those excluded. It is obvious that a man might well be in the last
half of a graduating class at some one of the eighty colleges repre-
sented in the Law School, and yet exceed both in natural abilities and
in acquirements another applicant for admission who had been gradu-
ated in the first half of his class at another of these colleges. This
is strikingly exemplified by the results of the same investigation as
applied to Harvard graduates in the Law School. It was found that
the exclusion of those in the last quarter of their respective classes
would shut out 60 of the 227 such graduates now in the School, and
the exclusion of those in the last half, 106. It is true that these
figures are not wholly trustworthy, since they are based on the
assumption that the rank of Harvard graduates of '97 fairly repre-
sents the rank of those from other classes, but they suffice to show
that such a test of admission as has been suggested would involve a
discrimination against colleges having a high standard of instruc-
tion. This fact seems to the Committee to constitute a decisive
objection to its adoption. It also appears to a majority of the
Committee that the qualifications of a young man to pursue with
advantage to the community the study of Law are not indicated
with any near approach to certainty by the rank which he may have
held relatively to other students during his college course : some of
the most promising law students, as well as some of the most suc-
cessful lawyers, have shown little aptitude for or little perseverance
in study until, at the commencement of their professional training,
they realized the necessity of preparation for the serious business of
life. This argument must not be, indeed, pushed too far, for it is
doubtless also true that some men who are not college graduates or

527

otherwise able to meet the requirements for admission might, in
exceptional cases, prove to be heller students and more successful
lawyers than those now in the school; uor must the Committee be
understood as objecting on principle and in advance to stricter
requirements for admission, should these be deemed advisable in
future, provided that their purpose shall be to raise the standard of
instruction in the School, and not merely or primarily to retard its
growth.

It was, indeed, urged at the joint meeting, to which allusion has
already been made, by a member of the Faculty whose views are
entitled to great weight, that a reduction of the number of students
at the Law School, or, at all events, a restriction on its further
growth, however obtained, would be desirable in itself, as tending
to insure a better instruction for those admitted ; and that the obli-
gations of the University to the country would be more obviously
and satisfactorily discharged by maintaining an exceptionally high
type of legal education than by annually graduating from the
Law School an increased number of students. These views then
received the entire assent of one member of the Committee, and
others among those present, who could not agree with them, yet
recognized their force ; but, to a majority of the Committee, and,
we think we are justified in adding, to a majority of the Law Faculty
also, it appeared that to refuse admission to any young man fully
qualified to receive with benefit the instruction given by the School
would be, if not a breach of trust, at least a very regrettable limita-
tion of its efficacy for good.

It being admitted that the Law School must provide for all those
college graduates who wish to enter it and can afford a reasonable
guarantee of their fitness to profit by its training, and that the
number of these is likely to increase, and perhaps to increase
rapidly, in the near future, it has become necessary and even urgent
that it should be prepared for this task. The Dean says further in
his report : —

" This wealth of numbers is not without its embarrassments. In all
the first year subjects, and in the large electives of the second year, the
classes should be divided into two sections. This division necessitates
an increase in the teaching staff and an additional lecture room. The
spacious reading room in Austin Hall is likewise much too small for
the students now in the School.1'

The Committee believe this to be, on the whole, a decided under-
statement of the School's immediate needs, and, unless its growth
shall be in some way retarded, a much greater increase in accommo-

528

dations than is here suggested as desirable, will be obviously
indispensable within so short a time that provision for this increase
should, as a matter of ordinary prudence, be made without delay.
This can only be done either by the employment of the surplus
earned by the School, or by an appeal to the enlightened liberality
of its alumni and friends. The surplus is still doubtless a con-
siderable sum, notwithstanding the heavy expense incurred in enlarg-
ing Austin Hall: it is estimated that about $170,000 will be in the
hands of the Corporation by September 1, 1898, arising from the
profits of the School. The Committee would see, however, with
much regret this fund applied, wholly or in large part, to the con-
struction of a new building. The endowment of the Law School is
very moderate : the aggregate of the Dane, Bussey, Royall, Weld
and Bemis Funds amounting, according to the report of the Treas-
urer for the past year, to but little over $200,000, and more than
three-fourths of its income during that year having been derived
from tuition fees. The Committee regard this situation as unsatis-
factory for an institution of the high and, as yet, well sustained pre-
tensions of the Harvard Law School ; and, moreover, as is hereinafter
explained, they deem a considerable increase in the numbers and
perhaps a readjustment of the salaries of the Faculty, necessities
even more vital, if somewhat less pressing, than the enlargement of
its accommodations. The Committee therefore recommend that the
Overseers, by a resolution, direct attention to the immediate need of
a new building for the Harvard Law School : for this, we may add,
if no title be chosen by its donors, no better name could surely be
found than " Langdell Hall."

Attention has already been called to the fact that while in 1883 a
Faculty of five members were charged with the instruction of 150
students, at present a Faculty of nine members (for the two Instruc-
tors are not fairly to be counted in this comparison) undertake the
instruction of 546 students : the Committee regard this change with
great solicitude. The peculiar system of instruction which is identi-
fied with the Harvard Law School, although it has been to a greater
or less extent adopted by the best law schools elsewhere throughout
the country, presupposes classes of moderate size. A law lecture of
the old type may be as well given to 500, indeed, if the acoustics
of the lecture room be good enough and its size sufficient, to 5000
as to 50 or 25 ; but, when every student is expected to answer and
encouraged to ask questions tending to insure a thorough-going com-
prehension of every feature of reported adjudications on the subject
under consideration, the merits of this form of teaching become

529

illusory if more than a certain number are in attendance. More-
over, the Committee think that personal supervision by the instructor
of each individual under his charge and opportunity for advice
adapted to the peculiar circumstances or special needs of the student
are of the greatest importance if we would be sure that every gradu-
ate of our Law School shall have seriously studied the law and really
learnt some part of it, not merely listened to a certain amount of talk
and read a certain number of printed pages relating to legal subjects.
The Committee found some difference of opinion among the Faculty
as to the number who might be included in a class without detriment
to the instruction received, but they feel confident that the best
results cannot be reasonably expected, under ordinary circumstances,
if the audience much exceeds 50, and that with teachers and students
of not more than average ability this number could be with advantage
reduced. Entertaining these views, the Committee feel bound to
express their deliberate opinion that an immediate increase in the
number of the Faculty is highly desirable, and they would see with
pleasure as large a portion as possible of the existing surplus devoted
to the endowment of additional professorships. Two such professor-
ships seem to them almost as necessary as a new building, and the
institution of three or even four seems to the Committee no more
than a reasonable provision for wants almost certain to be felt in the
immediate future.

The Committee are, however, no less decided in their view that any
addition to the present teaching force of the Law School would be
unwise until the right man shall be found for each place to be filled.
The Law School has been made what it is by its Faculty : an increase
in the Faculty's number, accompanied by a deterioration in its merit,
would be the worst possible service to the School. It is therefore a
matter of grave importance to determine how the Law Faculty shall
be recruited, and this subject has engaged a considerable, though
not, as they think, a disproportionate share of the Committee's atten-
tion. The system of instruction adopted at Harvard makes it im-
possible to rely, as is done elsewhere, upon Judges of either the
Federal or the State Bench or upon members of the Bar in active
practice as teachers : a Professor at our Law School must make the
teaching of Law substantially the business of his life. The School
therefore competes, not only with other Law Schools throughout the
country, but with the Bench and Bar for its Faculty. At the joint
meeting of the Committee and of the Faculty it was stated that in
every class which for several years past had been graduated from the
School there had been at least one student who might have been at

530

once employed with every promise of success as an Instructor in the
Law School ; and it is probable that the Faculty will be hereafter
recruited in great part from young men who prefer the scientific
study of the Law to its active practice and the career of a teacher to
that of an advocate. On the other hand, it appears to the Commit-
tee, and they found this view shared by the Faculty, highly desirable
that some members of the latter body should have had actual experi-
ence in the work for which their pupils are preparing, and it is to be
hoped that the School may from time to time secure the services of
men who, after a creditable, if not necessarily a brilliant, profes-
sional career of greater or less length, become convinced, while yet
in the full enjoyment of their mental and physical vigor, that the
opportunities it offers are better adapted to their capacities or to
their tastes. In any event, however, it seems to the Committee
quite clear that, if the Law School wishes the services of first-class
men, it must be prepared to pay them what such services are worth in
the market.

To aid in fixing their market value a comparison of the salaries
heretofore and now paid in the Law School with those received by
Judges of the Federal and State Courts may be of service. In 1847
Professors Greenleaf and Kent, who then constituted the Faculty of
the Law School, each received $3,000 per annum; at that time Asso-
ciate Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts were
paid precisely the same amount, and those of the Court of Common
Pleas, the predecessor of the present Superior Court of that State,
were paid $1,800. At the present time a Professor in the Law
School receives at- most $5,500 per annum, an Associate Justice of
the Supreme Judicial Court $7,000, with $500 additional for traveling
expenses, and one of the Superior Court $5,500, with the same allow-
ance. It thus appears that, in point of salary, Professors of the
Harvard School stood formerly on an equal footing with Associate
Justices of the Supreme Court of the State where they live, and on
one decidedly superior to that of the like members of the Court of
immediately subordinate jurisdiction ; they now stand, at best, upon
the same footing with the last named Judges, and upon one decidedly
inferior to that of those first named.

When Professors Kent and Greenleaf received $3,000 per annum,
Judges of the New York Court of Appeals were paid $2,500 ; now
the Associate Judges of that tribunal receive $10,000 per annum,
beside an allowance of $5 per diem for expenses when away from
home. It must be remembered in this connection, that Mr. Kent
came from New York to accept a Professorship in the Harvard Law

531

School. Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United
States are paid $10,000 per annum, Circuit Judges $6,000, and
District Judges usually $5,000, beside receiving allowances for
expenses; and, since 1869, Judges of all three classes have been
entitled to retire on full salaries after ten years' service, and upon
attaining the age of seventy years. The necessity for a very large
increase in the compensation of Federal Judges has thus been both
clearly and practically recognized since 1857, when Mr. Justice
Curtis resigned from the Supreme Court, inasmuch as he received
only $4,500 per annum, and there was then no provision for an allow-
ance upon retirement.

This last feature in the situation of the Federal Judiciary renders
their position peculiarly attractive to the very class of men among
whom the Faculty of our Law School might be with great advantage
recruited. Those who relinquish an active career at the Bar, give up
with it, under ordinary circumstances, the hope of accumulating
during the years of their greatest vigor a competency for their old
age ; and an assurance of support when superannuated held out to
every deserving professor would unquestionably have great weight
with one called to a Chair in the Law Faculty. The following
extract from the President's report seems to the Committee very
pertinent in this connection : —

"The Retiring Allowance Fund ($319,972.29 July 31, 1897) enables
the President and Fellows to provide apjjropriate retiring allowances for a
few persons. In 1896-97 three gentlemen were in receipt of such allow-
ances ; but as yet the Corporation feels unable to assume the responsibility
of a regular system of retiring allowances, which would give the Corpora-
tion a right to retire any officer at a given age, and every officer a right to
claim a retiring allowance at a given age. The University cannot get the
full benefit of a system of retiring allowances in making University posi-
tions more desirable, so long as the award of an allowance depends in
each case on a special vote of the President and Fellows. A right to a
retiring allowance would greatly enhance the value of all University
positions ; whereas a possibility of receiving a retiring allowance by
special vote enhances that value but little."

It should be further mentioned in this connection that the salary
of $5,500 paid a Professor in the Law School is not ordinarily enjoyed
immediately upon his attaining that rank. As the Committee under-
stand the arrangement made in 1890, an Assistant Professor (who
was then, and is still, paid, as such, $2,250) was to receive $4,000
upon promotion to a Professorship, $4,500 after five years' service
as Professor, and $5,000 after another five years. How far, if at all,
the operation of this sliding scale is modfied by the recent increase of
the maximum salary from $5,000 to $5,500, the Committee are not
informed.

532

The Committee are not prepared to recommend any action by the
Overseers regarding strictly financial matters, but they deem it
proper to record their opinion that the compensation received by a
Professor in the Harvard Law School, under existing circumstances,
in view of the nature of his work, and in the absence of any system-
atic provision for allowances upon retirement, is insufficient to attract
men of the professional eminence, learning and abilities needed to
maintain the present high standard of the School. They entertain
and express the hope that the financial situation of the Law School
may permit the recent increase of $500 per annum to prove a first
step only.

Those members of the Committee who were able to attend the
exercises of the School were happy to note the interest and apparent
intelligence of the students, and the accuracy and care of the Instruc-
tors. Certain members of the Committee are disposed to regret that
the students no longer plead up to an issue of law in the cases argued
before their clubs, and that less attention seems to be paid now than
formerly in the School to the study of Pleading at Common Law.
The Committee are not, indeed, unanimous in this view, but the
value of a thorough mastery of the principles of pleading in pro-
moting clear and precise thought in legal discussions, and as a
safeguard against loose conceptions and the uncritical acceptance
of results from hasty generalizations as to the origin, meaning and
scope of legal rules has been impressed by their professional experi-
ence upon some of its number, and they, at least, would see with
pleasure a return to the former order of things at the School in this
respect. This criticism, which, after all, is addressed rather to the
students than to the Faculty, is the only qualification any of them
would add to their unanimous and hearty recognition of its eminent
merit and value to the legal profession and to the community.

All of which is very respectfully submitted.

CHARLES J. BONAPARTE,

Chairman,
JAMES C. CARTER,

ROBERT M. MORSE,

H. W. PUTNAM,

CHARLES C. BEAMAN,

ROBERT GRANT,

J. B. WARNER,

LOUIS D. BRANDEIS,

JAMES J. STORROW,

April 13, 1898.

Standing Committee
to Visit the
Law School.

LXXVI.

REPORT ON THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL
SCHOOLS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Your Committee have the honor to report that the inadequacy of
the present building for the needs of the Medical School is so serious
a matter that some action has become necessary. This fact was
recognized several years ago, and a number of meetings were held of
a Committee, consisting of some members of the Faculty of the
School and some members of the Visiting Committee, at which the
subject was fully discussed and immediate action decided on. This
decision was, however, modified at a subsequent meeting in view of
the fact that no alterations or additions were practicable in connec-
tion with the present building which could be more than a temporary
makeshift, and which would not be outgrown in a few years. Never-
theless these alterations would be very expensive, and it was held
that if the community were to be appealed to for money at all, it
would be unwise to ask them to contribute a considerable sum for a
temporary modification of the old building, when it was evident that,
in a few years at most, it would be necessary to appeal to them again
for aid in the construction of a new one.

Action was therefore deferred, and as your Committee believe,
wisely deferred, in order to await events and to see whether the
increase of value of the land on which the building stands, an
increase necessarily largely dependent on the character of the build-
ings erected in the neighborhood, would be such as to justify its sale.
Since that time no marked change has occurred, and in the meantime
the need for more room inside the building has increased very much
year by year. The need for enlargement was urgent then : it is now
imperative.

An increase in room sufficient to relieve immediate need could be
obtained at the minimum of expense by the erection, on the vacant
ground on each side of the Sear's Laboratory, of a one story build-
ing of corrugated iron, or such other inexpensive construction as
would afford adequate protection against the weather without increas-
ing the danger of fire. Such a building could be lighted by sky-

534

lights, if desirable, and would not be high enough to interfere with
the light of any of the adjoining rooms of the School.

Your Committee recommend that such buildings be erected at once.

Another point to which your Committee desire to call attention is
the arrangement of courses in the Medical School and the employ-
ment of the students' time.

This question is one of the great problems of modern education
and is not confined to medical teaching. The enormous growth of
science during the last two or three decades has made many of the
single branches so vast that a life- time might be spent in learning
each one of them ; while the development of specialties in medical
practice, and the necessity of having each thoroughly taught for the
benefit of such students as intend to follow it, has tended to throw
out of perspective, more or less, the various parts and elements of
which the general education, common to all practitioners, must of
necessity be made up. It is nearly twenty- five years since Professor
Huxley said that the great problem of the day in education was not
what to teach students, but what not to teach them, and this problem
is comparably more serious now than it was then.

No conscientious instructor who is thoroughly acquainted with his
subject can see, without grave regret and even something like self-
reproach, the student leave his course possessed with only a fraction
of the knowledge which he himself has and which he would be only
too glad to impart if time permitted ; and in every large school the
actual division of the studies is practically largely determined, in
the last resort, by a compromise between the apparent claims on the
students' time of the various departments, which, again, may be
dependent in part on the urgency with which these claims are pre-
sented. It is impossible that it should be otherwise. The student
is, therefore, during his brief years of medical study, placed. in a
trying position. There undoubtedly results a certain definite sur-
vival of the fittest ; but — and this is the point — it is the survival of
the fittest to survive under the given conditions and not necessarily of
the fittest for the use of others.

Your Committee feel that any steps that might be found possible
toward the diminution of the amounts of required studies in the
School, while leaving the fullest opportunities accessible to special
courses, would be in a measure of benefit to, and be hailed as a
relief by both teachers and pupils. And, further, they believe that
it would be to the advantage of both teachers and pupils if some of
the required courses could be more nearly approximated to the mini-
mum of essential knowledge.

It has been said thai applied therapeutics should be taught in the
Clinical Courses in the Hospitals and Dispensaries. This is true ;
but it is not enough. Notwithstanding the excellent lectures on
Clinical Therapeutics now given in the departments of Clinical
Medicine and Theory and Practice, the School would still, in our
opinion, be strengthened by the establishment of a separate chair in
Therapeutics, additional to all the valuable and indeed indispensable
instruction detailed further on. A mature, judicious general prac-
titioner would be the proper person to fill such a chair.

Your Committee hope that the Board of Overseers will favor the
passage of an amended Anatomy Act soon to be presented in the
Legislature. It is a vital question for Science.

Clinical Medicine.

There has been no change this year in the amount or method of
instruction in the Department of Clinical Medicine. The course in
Infectious Diseases given in the South Department' of the City
Hospital for the first time last year has been and will be eontinued.
The Fourth Class, in divisions of eight or ten men, thus have, in
the second half-year, the precious opportunity to become practically
familiar with scarlet fever, measles and diphtheria instead of going
out into practice with only a book knowledge of these common and
important diseases. Such an opportunity can be afforded by but
few medical schools in this country.

Plans are under consideration to still further increase the clinical
facilities for the Fourth Class, and it is hoped that efficient means
to this end may be secured before long. The main difficulty is the
fact that the School does not control the appointments and terms of
service in any hospital. The position, even of a welcome guest, is
not just the same as is that of a proprietor. There are good grounds
for the belief that the clinical advantages in the Harvard Medical
School are second to none in this country, but there is still room for
improvement. The personal work of both professors in the Depart-
ment has been interrupted in the current year by illness, but all the
assistants have stepped into the breach with cheerful and efficient
service, and there is no reason to believe that the students have
suffered.

Theory and Practice of Medicine.

The principal change in this department has been the addition of
a lecture by the Professor in charge of the Fourth- Year students, an
addition made at the request of the students themselves. The work
of the department seems to be very satisfactorily conducted.

536

Dr. D. W. Cheever reports : —

I have attended lectures, and held personal interviews with the
heads of each department assigned to me to visit in the Medical
School.

My general impression is of intense activity and of great pro-
gress in teaching in Anatomy, Surgery, Clinical Surgery and Path-
ology, and of a much more thorough instruction in Materia Medica
than I had supposed. Whether or not a due perspective is observed
as to the teaching and importance of the subjects can only be deter-
mined by comparing this with the reports on the other departments
of the School.

Anatomy is taught in the whole of the first year ; the whole of the
second year ; and a part (elective) of the fourth year. One hundred
and seventy-six (176) lectures, and thirty-six (36) recitations are
given.

The dissecting room is supervised by six qualified Assistants, each
of whom has charge of eighteen students. The latter are examined
and quizzed on their work three times a week ; and the Assistants
spend two to four hours a day in the dissecting room, in turn. The
student dissects at least two parts the first year, and one the second
year. An accurate record is kept of every student's dissection, and
he may be conditioned in it. He has demonstrations on the subject
by the Demonstrator, and also instruction in sections, by the Assist-
ants, daily, in October, November, December, April and May. Once
a week the Instructor in Anatomy holds a formal recitation on the
lectures through the first year. Three and one-half weeks are con-
sumed in dissecting each part, and discipline and care are strictly
enforced. There can be no waste.

In the second year, eight students who have reached grade A in
the Anatomy examination, are given much larger privileges in dis-
secting for the lectures, under the name of Prosectors.

In the fourth year there are two elective courses in Anatomy,
covering three months ; and in these the student dissects three
parts.

Thus, those who wish, can refresh all their anatomical knowledge
before graduating. There is then no lack of abundant instruction
on the cadaver, but there is never a surplus of material. The
supply of anatomical material has not kept pace with the growth of
the School, and certainly not with the greater demands of a more
thorough instruction.

Comparing the period when I was Demonstrator, 1860 to 1868,
with the present, we find in 1896 that anatomical material had

587

increased seventy-five per cent., and in L897, only fifty per cent.
Meanwhile the classes have increased from 200 to 250 students
then, to over 500 now.

In addition to this the valuable courses on operative, surgery con-
sume much anatomical material. A full course of eight exercises is
given before the whole of the third and fourth classes in Surgical
Operations, on the dead body, and an elective course for the fourth
year of fifteen exercises, where each student has one half of a
cadaver for operations. These privileges attract many students
from other schools ; but this year, dearth of material has obliged
four students to share each cadaver.

A still more serious demand for material is made for the Dental
School. Hitherto, dental students have been required to dissect one
part; now they are obliged to dissect two parts. It will be impos-
sible to carry this out unless the supply can be increased, and here,
in my judgment, the pruning knife should be applied and economy
practised. The other alternative is the hope of securing such
changes in the Anatomy Law before the Legislature as will make
the furnishing of dead bodies to medical schools, and to them only,
mandatory, where it is now permissive. This should apply only to
those dying and being buried at public expense and not claimed by
friends. Extreme care is taken to respect all private feelings now
in our Medical School, and a decent burial of all remains is strictly
enforced.

The lectures in Anatomy are illustrated by most complete and
admirable models, plates and preparations, the theme is succinctly
and carefully handled, and the teaching clear and concise. We
observed, with regret, at the lecture at 9 a.m, that although the
entire class, or about 160 students, attended, there were very many
late in entering. These late comers entered until 9.35 ; the lecture
ended at 9.55; thus, there was only twenty minutes of absolute
quiet.

Surgery.

The course covers three years. Beginning the second-year class,
this year is devoted to the scientific part of surgery, to practical
details and to laboratory work, and recitations. Surgical Pathology
is the chief feature.

There are recitations in Surgical Pathology by Dr. C. A. Porter
at the Massachusetts General Hospital. There is a laboratory
course on Surgical Pathology by Dr. E. H. Nichols, and there are
clinical demonstrations of this course at the City Hospital by Drs.
H. L. Burrell or J. C. Munro ; there is a course on apparatus and

538

bandaging (to sections) by Drs. Munro and Porter. An endowment
of $5,000 has been made for Dr. Nichols' laboratory course on
Surgical Pathology.

Third Year. The very important field of Surgical Pathology
having been thus provided for, the student enters on a systematic
course of lectures by Dr. J. C. Warren, fifty-one (51) in number;
fourteen recitations keep pace with the lectures, in proportion of
one to three. There is also a clinical lecture each week, and at
each hospital, illustrating the didactic lectures.

Of the fifty-one lectures twelve are on fractures and dislocations,
but the newer fields of surgery receive large attention, as evidenced
by ten lectures on the abdomen (including hernia) and five on the
head and spine.

Every student is required to see, observe, follow up and report on
a case of fracture. Half the class go to the Massachusetts and half
to the City Hospital. Drs. Scudder and Monks supervise this very
important branch. There are visits in each hospital, in three or four
sections, once each week.

In the fourth year, there are lectures, systematic and clinical, on
genito-urinary surgery, throughout the year by Dr. F. S. Watson;
and a course on ovarian tumors by Dr. Homans.

Clinical Surgery.

A Clinical Surgical Conference is held by Dr. C. B. Porter once a
week at the Massachusetts G-eneral Hospital ; cases are written up
and reported by third-year students, and criticized. This is a very
popular course, and the papers have much improved in character.

Minor Surgery is taught to sections of ten students, at each
hospital, in courses of two weeks, in the out-patient department.
This is eminently a course of personal instruction. This lasts from
October to May. Clinical visits are made in the wards of each
hospital in sections of twenty, weekly.

In the fourth year, in both the Massachusetts General and City
Hospitals, clinical lectures in the ampitheatres are given to one half
the class, weekly. Clinical diagnosis is taught to sections of one
fourth the class, weekly, in each hospital. This course lasts from
October to May. The subjects treated are : Diagnosis, Steri-
lization, Medico-legal examinations, Surgical Therapeutics, and
Feeding.

Major surgical operations are clone, especially on public operating
days, in each hospital, once a week.

539

A course in Emergencies and Accidents is given to small sections,
at the Massachusetts General Hospital every evening, for the fourth
year. On the completion of the new surgical buildings this course
will also be given in the City Hospital. There remains also for the
fourth year the course on operative surgery, twice a week, for two
months, by Dr. Porter, and finally, fifteen exercises where the fourth
year students operate themselves on the cadaver, from two to four
students on each body.

A more complete course than that combined in Surgery and Clinical
Surgery, could hardly be devised. It covers the second, third and
fourth years in the Medical School. First, Surgical Pathology,
both by text-books and by laboratory work ; second, Bandaging
and Apparatus ; third, Minor Surgery, in small sections ; fourth,
systematic lectures and recitations in Surgery ; fifth, a case of
fracture ; sixth, Clinical illustrations and lectures ; seventh, Genito-
urinary Surgery and Ovarian and Abdominal Surgery ; eighth, the
Clinical Conference ; ninth, Clinical Visits ; tenth, a course of drills
in diagnosis ; eleventh, a course (practical) in emergencies and
accidents ; twelfth, Operative Surgery taught by the Professor,
and finally performed by each student.

Pathology.

The new and well equipped laboratories for pathology in both
hospitals offer great facilities, and have awakened much enthusiasm
in this important branch.

Pathology is a second year course, but some advanced instruction
in autopsies and in pathological histology is given in other years.
Two lectures in general pathology and pathological anatomy and one
recitation are given throughout the year. A course (practical and
laboratory combined) is given twice a week by Professors Council-
man and Mallory, Doctors Wright, Nichols, and numerous assist-
ants, through the year. The class is divided into six sections, or
groups, around long tables, and morbid specimens are shown,
described to, and handled and examined by each group. The
instructors go over the specimens six times in one hour. This
recalls Virchow's celebrated course in Berlin. Twice a week there
is, in sections, a drill in pathological histology, with specimens,
description for fifteen minutes, each student making drawings of
specimens for forty-five minutes.

Autopsies are held in both hospitals, and the student is expected
to attend twenty. Advanced students are also allowed to make

540

the autopsies. Professor Councilman thinks ten autopsies at least
should be required, for graduation.

There is a summer course to advanced students, or graduates, by
Professor Mallory, which could be indefinitely expanded, and which
this year has attracted eleven applicants from the Johns Hopkins
School.

Professor Councilman sums up the needs and future of his depart-
ment, as follows : —

1. A Clinical Laboratory for Pathology in the Medical School
building.

2. A hospital attached to the School, where the student could fol-
low the case in the Clinic, and even follow the fatal case in all the
details of an autopsy, thus connecting clinical and pathological
instruction ; and also, where in surgical cases he might be able to
see the tumor before operation and after operation in the patho-
logical laboratory.

3. The development of private and post-graduate courses, and of
publications.

In this connection it may be noted that Baltimore, Philadelphia
and New York already have hospitals attached to and controlled
by their Medical Schools. It is also a gratifying fact that in
Boston, Dr. Sears has continued his benefactions to the Sears'
Laboratory by a gift of $500 a year for the library and for pub-
lications, and that this year he has generously donated one thousand
dollars.

We must not lose sight of the fact that the Contagious Depart-
ment of the City Hospital has added to the Pathological department
of our School unrivalled facilities for the study of the bacillus of the
anti-toxine of diphtheria.

Materia Medica and Therapeutics.

Lectures and recitations are held twice a week, the whole of the
second year. Laboratory work, six exercises (pharmacy) two hours
each, in sections — Dr. Harrington and Mr. Jordan ; eight demon-
strations in experimental therapeutics by Dr. Pfaff.

The first half-year, lectures on drugs. The second half-year, reci-
tations, drills, prescription writing, in public ; inspection and hand-
ling of drugs and preparations.

No subject can be more barren in awakening enthusiasm than
Materia Medica. We must bear this in mind in any criticism on
the course.

541

In the systematic lectures, the following order is observed :
Drugs — (1) officinal preparations and doses; (2) physiological
action ; (3) therapeutic uses.

On these lectures there are sixteen recitations. The important
synthetical medicines are described, but not others. Prescription
writing, in Latin, is practised on the blackboard by lour- students
at a time, during many hour exercises. Incompatibles, inert com-
pounds and poisons are especially illustrated and drilled on. In
the laboratory exercises the students, in sections, make tinctures,
powders, mixtures, pills, personally for two hours each lesson,
under the direction of Professor Harrington and Mr. Jordan, from
the College of Pharmacy. This is an extremely valuable and popu-
lar course. I would advise its being enlarged at the expense of the
lectures.

The course on experimental therapeusis is of an advanced char-
acter, and includes original observations by Dr. Pfaff.

Professor Harrington's well known ability as a public expert in
adulterations of food and his valuable courses on hygiene, render
him especially reliable in teaching.

The Department of Therapeutics and Hygiene.

Dr. Morrill Wyman reports : —

The Therapeutic Laboratory has accommodations for eighteen
students : they come in divisions. A number of officinal drugs and
chemicals sufficient for the purposes of practical pharmacy are
properly arranged. Prescriptions are written in accordance with
the United States Pharmacopaia ; the medicines are weighed, com-
pounded and carefully put up with all the directions as to dose
time, vehicle, date and signature.

The most approved methods of dispensing medicines are also
taught — as flat compressed pills, in capsules or wafers, but in a
much more acceptable form than we used to see them and flavored
to taste. They make the taking of drugs under some conditions
almost a fine art. The laboratory is largely attended and the
teaching much valued, as is all real instruction.

No one preparing for the medical profession can over-estimate
the value of physical training. Anatomy, the study of the machine ;
physiology, the machine in motion, are the work of the laboratories.
The art of observation, the medical education of the senses, as it has
been called, is more valuable as a mental training than all didactic
lectures. It is the best training for the practice of medicine as an art,
as a science, and for research. Laennec made and carefully recorded

542

nearly 400 autopsies before the sounds heard on the chest by his medi-
cally educated ear, were connected with the morbid changes within.
Auscultation could have been invented in no other way.

Physical training is essential, from the physical examination of the
chest at the clinical conference to the composition and dispensing of
the appropriate remedy in the Pharmacy. Dr. Harrington's publica-
tions exposing some of the impudent frauds practised upon the public
by the vendors of "Extracts of Malt," "Commercial Lithia
Waters" and "Food Nostrums" deserve the thanks of all who
have any regard for the public health. The papers are short,
spirited and to the point. It is hardly to be hoped that they
will prevent quackery, but they give people fair warning of the
imposition, if nothing worse, to which they are exposed. Some
physicians, thoughtlessly it is to be hoped, by their recommen-
dation or qualified approval have aided this kind- of imposition.

His experiments with formaldehyde as a surface disinfectant,
undertaken under very considerable difficulties, deserve much credit.
They must have been carried on inter laedia et labores of a revolt-
ing character with patience and circumspection. His conclusions
seem to have been carefully drawn and its value, except as a surface
disinfectant, considerably modified from what was at first assumed
for it.

Obstetric Department.

The hospital at No. 24 McLean Street — The Boston Lying-in-
Hospital — is the most interesting department in the teaching of
obstetrics. It is here that a large part of the clinical instruction
is given.

The hospital building is interesting in another point of view.
Here is a hospital evolved from a block of city habitations with few
indications towards the object to which it was to be devoted. It is
an object lesson our students would do well to study. Here were
rooms not very prepossessing, which by slight but well devised
changes became, one the Delivery room, another the Recovery room,
and a third, a Convalescent room, each with simple appropriate,
easily cared for furniture, neat and clean ; add to these a sterilizing
room and we have the most essential parts of a hospital. The
Delivery room may be the model, to be approached as near as may
be by the Externe, during his assigned term of service, and a kettle
of boiling water his sterilizer, even among the poorest of his patients.

At this hospital our students receive instruction either as house
physician or Externes. Of the six house physicians three are con-
stantly in attendance and are required to reside in the hospital,

543

where they are furnished with breakfast, other meals being provided
outside the hospital ; they are appointed for six months.

Our students are required to take charge of at least six cases of
labor, to receive clinical instruction on at least one of them, to care
for their patients during the convalescence and to make full written
reports of the cases.

Externes appointed by authority delegated by the Trustees of the
hospital are under the immediate charge of the out-patient House
Physician. Students who are assigned to take charge of out-patients
during their confinement are expected to devote their whole time to
the hospital work during their term of service. They are not allowed
to perform obstetrical operations. They are provided with printed
blanks to be carefully filled out, with which they can communicate
by telephone or otherwise with the Senior House Physician, who is
always on duty at the hospital and will answer the call at once night
or day. Externes must visit their patients twice daily for the first
three days, and at least daily for the three following days, and
return to the hospital a chart of the temperature and pulse at each
visit.

The administration of the hospital seems to be carried on with
great exactness of detail. The pulse and temperature, the two
most important elements in forming a correct judgment of the con-
dition of an obstetrical patient, are recorded twice daily from the
time of her confinement until she leaves the hospital. These records
are kept and bound in volumes in a manner most readily accessible ;
each has a copious index of principal symptoms. Those students
who follow out the course laid down for this hospital with proper
care cannot but form habits of discipline in the exact observation
and recording of results that may go with them through their pro-
fessional lives.

One hundred and thirty-two house officers have completed their
terms of service in the hospital and received the Corporation's
diploma; clinical instruction has been given to more than 150
students annually in the houses of the poor to the advantage of
both practitioner and patient. Since 1881 the students of our
school have treated 11,142 cases as out-patients during their con-
finement, with but nineteen deaths — less than 1 in 500. Those
who remember the rate of mortality previous to 1881, before the
antiseptic treatment was adopted, can read this statement with

heartfelt gratitude.

GEORGE B. SHATTUCK,

For the Committee.
April 4, 1898.

544

The Dental School.

Your Committee find that the Dental School is in a prosperous
condition, and that much good work is being done there. The
requirements of the entrance examination are greater and the fees
are higher, and yet the total number of students was greater during
the past year by 29 than ever before. The building now occupied
by the School on North Grove Street has been renovated and in
some particulars made more convenient. There have been very few
changes in the staff of instructors.

GEORGE B. SHATTUCK,

For the Committee.
April 4, 1898.

LXXVII.

To the Board op Overseers of Harvard College : —

Gentlemen, — I have the honor to report to you, as Chairman of
the Committee to visit the Bussey Institution, that the Committee
have inspected the several departments of the Institution, and have
endeavored to familiarize themselves with its condition.

The Committee are of the opinion that the courses of instruction
in farming, gardening, floriculture, landscape work, forestry, etc.,
there offered, are especially complete and far reaching ; indeed, all
branches of instruction, that in any way bear upon the several sub-
jects taught at " the Bussey," which Harvard University has estab-
lished, are open to students at the Bussey Institution so far as they
can be availed of.

It seems to the Committee that the opportunities afforded are too
little known to the people who could profit by them, and for that
reason are not taken advantage of as much as they deserve.

The Committee therefore recommend that your Board consider
whether steps cannot be taken to make the opportunities offered more
generally known, believing that a greater development of the use-
fulness of the Bussey Institution, in connection with the advantages
offered by the Arnold Arboretum, would exercise an important influ-
ence for good throughout Massachusetts, and beyond her borders.

The Committee recognize that there are details, as to the Green-
house, and experimental Barns, and certain equipments in several
departments, which could be made much more complete and commo-
dious by generous gifts from interested persons ; but, until the
attendance has increased, it is not felt wise to say that such im-
provements are imperative.

It is, however, a fact that the Instructors and students are credit-
ably persevering in their work under such disadvantages.

For, and with the approval of, the Committee to visit the Bussey
Institution,

FRANCIS H. APPLETON, Chairman.

April 25. 1898.

LXXVIII.

REPORT OF VISITING COMMITTEE ON ENGLISH
LITERATURE.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Owing to the absence of the last year's Chairman in Europe, no
meeting of this Committee was held until April 20, 1898, when a
meeting was held at the Probate Office in Boston and was attended by
Judge Grant and Messrs. C. L. Wing ate and T. W. Higginson, the
latter of whom was elected chairman in place of Mr. H. E. Scudder,
resigned. A subsequent meeting was held in Cambridge (May 10)
for conference with the Department of English. On this occasion
thirteen instructors were present, with Messrs. Grant and Clapp of
the Committee, besides the chairman. The head of the Department
of English, Professor Wendell, was unfortunately absent in New
York, where he was detained for some weeks by the severe illness of
his father ; but Professor Hill presided and there was a good deal
of frank and cordial conversation, followed by au interesting visit
to the now nourishing Child Memorial Library.

The members of the Visiting Committee were furnished with full
schedules of exercises in the various Electives in English. The
chairman attended three exercises conducted by Professor Hill, two
by Professor Kittredge, and one each by Mr. Gates and Mr. Fletcher,
besides several of the debates under the auspices of the Department.
This gave the opportunity for a brief inspection, not merely of some
of the larger and more elementary classes, but some of those more
advanced and necessarily smaller.

Differing as one may, here and there, from the treatment and
choice of subjects of Professor Hill, his lectures yet remain, as
they have long been, the most salient and characteristic features of
the Department of English. It is a rare privilege for students to be
brought in contact with so fine an example of the critical spirit,
joined with such candor, with so little of the spirit of mental tyranny,
and with such power to win the attention and confidence of young
men. This is aided by the simple colloquialism of Professor Hill's
manner, and by his habit from time to time of calling for a show
of hands as to the books and authors with which his hearers are

548

familiar. The excellent practice was also followed of placing on the
blackboard the names of the chief authors treated, with the main
dates in their lives and those also of the publication of their chief
books. These lectures had the rare quality of being alike interesting
to both beginners and veterans in literature ; and they suggested the
question, at times, whether the younger hearers knew how thoroughly
good they were, and how valuable a model they afforded of real and
broad criticism. Yet the attention was in general excellent and the
students (perhaps 150 in all) seemed to recognize that they were lay-
ing a foundation for their real work, this course (28) being "introduc-
tory to the other courses in English Literature." The taking of
notes was quite general — it must be remembered that the best
scholars are not always those who do this most regularly — and there
was very little of that bored look which is often so freely manifested
by ingenuous youth. It was easy to fancy that some things said by
the speaker would be remembered through all their lives by the
hearers, as where they were cautioned that they must cultivate
the qualities which make the style before they could have the
style ; or where, in more detailed criticism, the lecturer denned
Macaulay as " a reading animal" ; declared Carlyle to have been, in
spite of appearances, more influenced by Goethe than by Richter ;
and while pointing out the tendency to ' ' digression and want of
unity," in Lowell, yet called attention to the fact that the essential
kindliness of his nature made him sometimes, as in the case of
Thorean, qualify and almost take back his censure as he came
toward the close of his criticism. All these were examples not of
mere traditional talk, but of mature and original suggestion.

In passing to the classes of Professor Kittredge, one felt the
magnetism of an ardent and somewhat impetuous nature, saturated
with knowledge and overflowing in its communication ; too eager for
the truth to take much time in the precise measurements of shallow-
ness or bombast, and thus giving at times the appearance of a rather
abrupt and off-hand decision where there was, in fact, no time for
anything more. The invariable readiness of his answers had an evi-
dent fascination for his hearers, and there seemed no visible reason
why they should not, without any conscious effort of his in that
direction, regard him as inexhaustible in knowledge. Certain it is
that all the traditions of the professor as a sleepy and inert type of
human being must be abolished for any student who has ever spent
an hour under Professor Kittredge.

The recent introduction among English electives of " Course 8,"
bearing on Nineteenth Century Literature, has met with so cordial

549

and ample a welcome among students that it must certainly have a
bearing on the future tendencies of the Department. It has sometimes
been a ground of criticism on the Department of English at Harvard
that it did not tend to create a sufficient enthusiasm for literature, but
the success of English 8 — filling with students the large hall of the
Fogg Museum — shows this reproach to be now, at least, unjust. The
course ranges from the publication of Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads
(1798) to the death of Tennyson (1892) thus covering a century of
development; and as it includes, though to a very limited extent,
American authors, it really offers to young men a rapid review of all
the writers now most discussed and nearest to their own time. It
necessarily covers, to some extent, the same ground with the lectures
of Professor Hill, as already described, and reaches, though neces-
sarily in a more superficial way, a still larger number of students :
perhaps 300 in all.

It remains to be seen whether the success of this course will not
ultimately develop the Department in that direction which has been
found in some other universities to be wholly practicable ; the express
study of the distinctive qualities of American Literature as such, its
relation to our form of government, natural scenery, climate, social
habits, mode of education and historical traditions ; thus expanding
into an independent course the theme touched very briefly and inci-
dentally in English 8 and English 28. Nothing can be asked better
than the analysis and criticism of the leading American authors, in
these courses ; the only question is whether the especial influences
which developed those authors do not demand a more systematic
attention, as indicated above. Some such addition to the present
electives is in the opinion of the Visiting Committee desirable.

THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON,

For the Committee.

March 15, 1899.

LXXIX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
BOTANIC GARDEN AND BOTANICAL MUSEUM.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

There is little that need be added to the full report made to the
President of the University by the Director of the Botanic Garden,
and printed in the Annual Report of the President. The new
greenhouse, paid for by an anonymous friend, is excellent and
attractive. Mr. Oakes Ames, who was appointed Assistant Direc-
tor, has clone excellent work, and will remodel some of the green-
houses this season. Another anonymous friend supplies the means.
The collections in the Museum are interesting and valuable, and
are carefully and admirably arranged. The annual expense of the
Botanic Garden and Laboratories amount to about $10,000. This
outlay is met by the income from invested funds yielding annually
about $4,800 — by the use of the garden house $700, and sale of
material to Radcliffe College, for botanical work, $300, leaving a
deficit of about $4,200, which will be met by gifts assured for the
year ending July 31, 1899.

ARTHUR T. LYMAN, Chair*
For the Committee.
March 15, 1899.

LXXX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

elEFFERSON PHYSICAL LABORATORY AND

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The undersigned members of the Committee appointed to visit
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics,
having attended a duly notified meeting at the laboratory building
on Wednesday, March 15th, 1899, have the honor to report as
follows : —

During the past year, the Director and his associates have main-
tained the routine work of instruction at its usual high standard of
efficiency ; and in addition have carried on a series of most credit-
able original investigations which may be summarized as follows : —

1. The Director has continued his investigation of electrical
oscillations ; and, by a transformation of the apparatus therefor,
has been enabled to study electrical discharges of greater intensity
and length than have hitherto been obtained in atmospheric air.
The high electromotive forces necessary for this study are obtained
by means of a storage battery of ten thousand cells which, by the
action of original apparatus, yields an electrical tension of three
million volts and sparks of from six to seven feet in length. It is
not too much to say that Professor Trowbridge's methods and results
in this investigation have awakened the admiration of the scientific
world.

2. Professor B. O. Peirce and Dr. R. W. Willson have finished
an important investigation on the thermal conductivity of poor
conductors ; and their work has become the standard in this subject.

3. Professor E. H. Hall has finished his investigation of the
thermal conductivity of cast iron and published the results thereof
in the Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
for the present year.

554

4. Professor W. C. Sabine has been engaged upon researches in
sound, with a view to the determination of important facts in regard
to the accoustical properties of various shaped halls and lecture
rooms. He has arrived at a method of measuring the absolute
intensity of sound — a result never before obtained.

5. Mr. Theodore Lyman and Mr. E. H. Colpitts, graduate stud-
ents, have succeeded in measuring the shortest wave lengths of light
which have been hitherto detected. By exhausting the air from the
space in which their apparatus is placed, they have opened a new
field of physical inquiry which promises to give still more important
results.

6. Mr. H. Brown, graduate student, has been engaged upon a
measurement of the relaxation time of different dielectrics, and
hopes to finish his work during the present term.

7. Mr. H. Edwards, graduate student, is still engaged upon an
investigation of the air thermometer, of which mention was made in
the report of last year.

8. Mr. J. E. Burbank, graduate student, is engaged with Profes-
sor Trowbridge on an investigation of the absorption of X rays by
different gases.

9. Mr. T. C. McKay, graduate student, and Mr. J. C. Howe,
Senior, have obtained some interesting results in regard to the
energy developed by powerful discharges of electricity.

The apparatus used in connection with the above mentioned
investigations bears witness to the efficiency of the laboratory
machine shop. It is evident, however, that the services of an
additional mechanic, skilled in glass blowing, would be of peculiar
value. Almost all physical investigations demand work in glass ;
and it is extremely difficult to get such work done satisfactorily in
outside shops.

The Committee note with pleasure the results attained by Dr.
R. W. Willson, Instructor in Astronomy, in the design and con-
struction of a large number of simple and inexpensive instruments
by means of which students make practical use of the knowledge
they acquire in his course. The value to students of so early and
so intimate a relation established between theory and practice can
hardly be overestimated.

Four hundred and twenty-six candidates for admission to College
in 1898 offered experimental physics ; and two hundred and seventy-

555

four students are taking the elementary course during the present
academic year. The increased attention to physical science by
students offering themselves for College, is largely due to the labors
of Professor Hall.

At the invitation of the Chairman, the visiting Committee were
accompanied by Dr. Mendenhall and Professor Michelson, who, by
the subjoined letter, bear witness to the efficiency of the Jefferson
Physical Laboratory : —

Dear Mr. Blake, — We were so much interested in the visit to the
Jefferson Physical Laboratory, which, through your courtesy, we were
enabled to make yesterday, that we desire to join in a brief expression of
the gratification it afforded us, and of our appreciation of the great
importance of the several investigations which are now in progress under
the direction of members of the professional staff.

Professor Trowbridge's interesting studies of high potential discharges
are known everywhere ; but it was a pleasure to see that he is not content
with having, some time since, surpassed all others in the magnitude of
the effects which he is investigating. His new transformer by which he
can produce a discharging spark seven feet in length through air, has
already led him to most important conclusions : and under his skilful
direction we may confidently expect, in the near future, further contribu-
tions which, like those he has already made, must be of profound
significance to all interested in the subject. The carefully planned and
successfully executed measurement of the velocity of electric waves,
which is being carried out by one of the graduate students, is also a work
of unusual importance. The same may be said of the investigation of
short light waves in which measurements have been carried far beyond
any hitherto made.

The scientific public is already informed concerning the research in
heat conductivity recently carried out in the laboratory, under the direc-
tion, we believe, of Professors Peirce and Hall. We were privileged to
see some of the apparatus with which this work was done, and the value
of the investigation can hardly be overestimated. Few subjects are
surrounded by greater difficulties, and the ingenuity with which many of
them have been overcome is worthy of high commendation.

Perhaps nothing impressed us more than the investigation of Professor
Sabine of the accoustics of halls and public buildings. This is a matter
of the utmost practical importance, and the problems it presents have
been attacked many times, usually with little or no success. We believe
that it has never before been treated with anything like the ability and
sagacity that is shown by Professor Sabine, who has dissipated many of

556

its perplexing difficulties by the use of rigorously scientific methods,
together with a cleverness in instrumental devices and a dexterity in
manipulation which cannot fail to be admired by all.

All physicists must be impressed by the noble building in which this
work, and much more, is being carried on. Its admirably arranged
rooms for special research are sufficient in number and of adequate
dimensions to afford ample facilities for the great work for which it was
designed ; and it is to be hoped that the University will continue to afford
means for the extension and enlargement of opportunity for original
research for which it has long been distinguished. While the purely
practical outcome of research work should never, in an institution like
this, be considered of first importance, it is but fair to say that it will
often happen that the successful conclusion of one investigation — for
instance, such as that in which Professor Sabine is now engaged and
which appears to be rapidly nearing that end — will be of more value to
the world, from a pecuniary standpoint alone, than many times the cost
of the building in which it is made, with its entire contents.

Faithfully yours,

T. C. Mendenhall.
A. A. Michelson.

Boston, Mass., March 16, 1899.

Mr. Francis Blake, Boston.

The Committee are confident that this expert testimony by the
President of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Professor
of Physics of the Chicago University will be peculiarly gratifying to
the Board of Overseers of Harvard College.

FRANCIS BLAKE.
T. JEFFERSON COOLLDGE.
ELIHU THOMSON.
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH.
25 March 1899.

LXXXI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ITALIAN.

To the Board of Overseers op Harvard College: —

Two years ago, after a thorough inspection, we presented a report
in which we pointed out the need of reorganizing the Department of
Italian. Last year no report was made, as the Chairman received no
official notice of his appointment. This year we desire to submit
our previous report, and to urge its consideration by you. In 1897,
78 students elected Italian ; this year, only 35 take the two courses
offered. This falling off is partly clue to the temporary popularity
of Spanish courses, owing to the recent war, and partly to the failure
of the proper authorities to organize the study of Italian at Harvard
on a dignified, rational and progressive plan.

Turning to the University Catalogue, we find that, in other depart-
ments the small number of students is not regarded as an excuse for
a slipshod and imperfect organization. In the Semitic and Indo-
Iranian languages, for instance, seven courses were given last year
for the benefit of only sixteen students, and to give those courses
three full professors, among the most distinguished now in the Uni-
versity, were busied. If it be worth while to provide competent
instruction in Assyrian commercial documents or Aramaic grammar,
for the sake of less than three students to an elective, why, we ask,
should Italian be slighted? Organize the Department of Italian
properly, and it will vindicate itself.

One thing is certain, — it is not creditable to Harvard that among
this year's electives no Dante course, that could be counted for a
degree, has been offered. That our University, which annually pro-
vides nearly five hundred courses of instruction, many of them on
the most minute or recondite topics, should thus neglect one of the
three supreme masters of literature, is amazing. There ought never
to be a year when Harvard students cannot study, under the best
procurable teachers, Homer, Dante and Shakespeare : no multipli-
cation of philological courses on third and fourth rate writers can
offset the lack of adequate instruction in the few first rate masters.

Last year, when Professor Norton retired, it was announced that
he would superintend the reading of a few advanced students of
Italian, but that his course could not be counted for a degree. The

558

Department of Italian, instead of arranging for a Dante course to
be given regularly in addition to this, seems to have thought itself
absolved from its obligation to provide a course in advanced
Italian ; we think, however, that Professor Norton's course, being
unofficial and voluntary, need in no wise conflict with any course
which the Department, properly organized, would offer. Italian
Literature cannot rank as it deserves at Harvard so long as the
students who elect it are practically shut out from studying Dante.
How should we judge the University of Padua if it offered two
courses in English literature, but omitted Shakespeare? or the
Sorbonne, if it excluded Goethe from its instruction in German?

In resubmitting our previous report, we urge, therefore, that the
Department of Italian be properly reorganized, and that immediate
steps be taken to remedy the discreditable neglect of Dante.

Owing to the absence in Europe of Mr. John Jay Chapman, the
third member of our Committee, this report lacks his signature.

WILLIAM R. THAYER.

THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON.

23 March 1899.

LXXXII.
KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GEOLOGY.

TO THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS OF HARVARD COLLEGE: —

The Visiting Committee on Geology beg leave to submit the
following report :

The condition of the Division of Geology appears to be on the
whole satisfactory. The force of teachers is larger than in any
other school in this country or abroad. They are doing effective
work, as shown by the fact that quite one-half the field geologists
of the United States Geological Survey have degrees from Harvard
University, and probably more than half of the persons who have
obtained professorships of Geology in this country within the last
ten years are from this institution.

The needs at present are mainly for an extension of the work of
the instruction on the following lines :

First, in the field of Mining Geology there is needed an additional
instructor in Ore Treatment, and also the sum of ten thousand
dollars to provide a plant to be installed in the large room of the
Mining Laboratory, formerly the Carey Building, now known as the
Rotch Laboratory. Such an instructor can be obtained for about
twelve hundred dollars a year. There is also need of further
instruction in the field of Oceanography. The course has been
given by Dr. Daly this year. It is important that this course
should be continued. There is need also of at least one additional
instructor of high grade in Geography, attention being given mainly
by the new man to Economic and Historic Geography. It is
desirable also that the Division have proper installation for experi-
mental work in Theoretical Geography. Instruction has been given
in this branch and a considerable amount of apparatus provided, but
owing to a rule recently made concerning the use of the University
Museum, these laboratories must find quarters elsewhere. In the
present condition of the University buildings no suitable place has
been found. It would be very desirable to have a small building
and sufficient equipment and some endowment devoted to this branch
of research.

A good working collection of Economic Geology is very much
needed.

560

It should be said that hitherto the cost of the Division of Geology
to the University has been relatively small. Taking account of the
number of persons to whom instruction has been given, it is perhaps
less than that of any other division of the Faculty of Arts and
Sciences. With limited means the Division has attained a foremost
place. That it may maintain this place it is necessary that its
resources should be extended in the directions above noted.

Respectfully submitted,

CHARLES FAIRCHILD.
GEORGE P. GARDNER.
RAPHAEL PUMPELLY.
31 March 1899.

LXXXIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
OBSERVATORY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee appointed to visit the Observatory has received from
the Director of the Observatory a statement which is now submitted to
the Board of Overseers as a report of the Committee.

For the Committee,

EDWIN P. SEAVER,

May 31, 1899. Chairman.

FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE OBSERVATORY.

The financial condition of the Observatory has undergone a great
change during the last twenty years. The invested capital on August
31, 1877, was $173,908.67, and for the preceding year yielded an
income at the rate of 6.36 per cent. The total receipts of the Observa-
tory were $14,359.55. On July 31, 1898, the invested capital was
$825,699.30, and for the preceding year yielded an income at the
rate of 4.37 per cent. The total receipts were $46,175.46. Accord-
ingly, during this time the principal has increased about four and a
half times, while the income has increased three times, although the
rate of interest has diminished by nearly one third. This remarkable
growth in our resources has been attained in a great measure
through the Visiting Committee of the Observatory. When ap-
pointed Director in 1877, I showed that a small addition to the
income would greatly increase the efficiency of the work. The
Committee accordingly secured by subscription the sum of $5,000
a year, for five years, from seventy-two persons. While nearly all
the members of the Committee took part in this work, its success
was due to the unremitting efforts of three persons, Mr. Alexander

562

Agassiz, Chairman, Mr. J. Ingersoll Bowditch, and Mr. William
Amory. At the end of the five years the Observatory seemed to be
poorer than before, since we had learned how much could be accom-
plished by a moderate increase in its means. Accordingly, a second
subscription of $50,000 was undertaken by the Committee, the
Rev. James Freeman Clarke, Chairman, also taking an active part.
Not only was this sum obtained but the indirect results were even
greater. Two gentlemen were asked to subscribe and both declined.
It afterwards appeared that each made his will at about that time,
and within a fortnight of each other, each leaving his entire fortune
for astronomical purposes. Both of these sums, forming two of the
largest bequests that have ever been made to astronomy, have now
come into the possession of the Observatory. Mr. Robert Treat
Paine, for forty-one years a member of this Committee, bequeathed
his entire fortune, amounting to $323,557.86, to this Observatory.
Mr. Uriah A. Boyden left his property to Trustees, to cooperate with
some institution, for the purpose of establishing an astronomical
station at a high altitude and under the most favorable atmospheric
conditions. One of the Trustees, Mr. James B. Francis, visited the
observatories all over the United States, and was strongly advised
to cooperate with the Lick Observatory, or with the Smithsonian
Institution, but after a long correspondence and numerous interviews
I was able to satisfy him that the means we had already secured
would enable us to carry out Mr. Boyden's wishes better here than
could be done elsewhere. Accordingly, this bequest, exceeding two
hundred thousand dollars, also came to the Observatory. The next
addition to our resources is one of the most important that we have
received, in its objects, its results, and its amount. A member of
this Committee, Mrs. Henry Draper, desiring to develop and extend
the work so skilfully begun by her husband, established here the
Henry Draper Memorial. Her gift of $10,000 a year has enabled
the spectra of the stars to be studied photographically, as was first
done successfully by Dr. Draper, on a scale which has not been
attempted elsewhere, and with results which in number and impor-
tance render it perhaps the most widely useful department of the
Observatory. A Memorial has thus been established, in the most
appropriate manner, which perpetuates the memory of the founder of
this department of science. Without the Paine and Boyden Funds it
is doubtful if the work of the Henry Draper Memorial could have
been conducted more advantageously at Harvard than elsewhere.
Each of these funds aids the other, and greatly assists in securing

563

new donations. Thus, when Miss Bruce of New York was asked to
give us a photographic telescope of the largest size, it was easy to
show that we had here appliances to attain with it the best possible
results. Her gift of $50,000 has furnished us an instrument for
photographic research, far more powerful than any now existing
elsewhere. Several other bequests have been received, the largest
and latest of them, the Haven Fund, amounting to $45,000. With
the Boyden, Draper, and Bruce photographic telescopes many thou-
sand photographs were obtained, which are of the greatest value,
but if destroyed could never be replaced. Yet for several years we
were obliged to store them in the wooden buildings of the Observa-
tory, where they were liable to destruction in a few hours at any time,
by fire. Again the Visiting Committee came to our assistance, and
largely through the efforts of the Chairman, Mr. George O. Shattuck,
$15,000 was raised by subscription, and a fire-proof building was
erected in which the photographic plates are safely stored, examined,
and measured.

The Observatory has thus grown by successive steps until it now
has organized departments for research, some of which are at least
equal to those of any other observatory, either public or private,
even including those maintained by the governments of England,
France, Germany, and Russia. The work of the Observatory has
increased more rapidly than its means. The number of assistants
has increased from six to forty. During the first thirty years of its
existence four volumes of its Annals were published and distributed,
and three or four more were partially completed or ready for dis-
tribution. The total number of volumes is now forty. Besides the
Station at Cambridge, the Observatory maintains a permanent
Astronomical Station at Arequipa, Peru, where the atmospheric
conditions are much better than at other observatories, with perhaps
two or three exceptions. It also maintains seven meteorological
stations in Peru, including the highest in the world, that on El
Misti, elevation 19,200 feet. By cooperation with the Blue Hill
Meteorological Observatory, the excellent results obtained at the
three stations of that Observatory are published in our Annals.

The scientific work of the Observatory since its establishment has
been in the direction of the physical properties of the stars rather
than in merely measuring their positions. This line has been
especially pursued for the last twenty years, and has developed
fields of work that have not been taken up elsewhere. The station
in the southern hemisphere enables researches on the northern

564

stars to be extended to the south pole, permitting all stars in the sky
to be studied according to a uniform system. Thus, after measuring
with the meridian photometer all the northern stars visible to the
naked eye, the instrument was sent to Peru and similar measures
were made of the southern stars. All stars north of — 40°, of the
magnitude 7.5 and brighter, have since been measured, besides
several thousand stars of the eighth and ninth magnitude. About
nine hundred and thirty thousand settings of about forty-five thou-
sand stars have been made with the meridian photometer since 1879,
and a more powerful instrument now enables stars of the thirteenth
magnitude to be measured. Measures are also made of the light
of faint stars every clear evening with the 15 -inch Equatorial
telescope.

Measures of position have not been neglected. The observations
of a zone of 8,627 northern stars with the Meridian Circle, in con-
nection with twelve other observatories, have been completed, and
the results published occupy seven volumes of the Annals. The
observations of a similar zone of southern stars are completed and
good progress has been made in their reduction. Several photo-
graphic telescopes are kept in constant use, both in Cambridge and
Arequipa, throughout the whole of every clear night. As a result
about eight thousand photographs are taken every year, and the
entire collection of nearly a hundred thousand plates are carefully
studied by about a dozen assistants. These plates show the spectra
of all the stars in the sky brighter than the tenth magnitude. They
also furnish charts showing the condition of the entire sky several
times every year, and contain a history of the visible universe during
the last ten years. A striking illustration of the value of this collec-
tion is shown in the recently discovered planet Eros, which comes
nearer to the Earth than any other known celestial body except the
Moon. Its nearest approach occurs every thirty-seven years, the
last time being in 1894, when no visual observations were obtained,
since it was not discovered until five years later. Its path from
October 1893 to May 1894 is shown by fifteen of our photographs,
each of which also gives its position with an accuracy equal to that
of a meridian circle. The laborious computation required in this
search for Eros has been made for this purpose by Mr. S. C.
Chandler. No photograph of Eros was obtained in 1893, at any
other observatory. Other even more interesting objects may yet be
discovered, and are doubtless contained on our photographs, since
the latter cover the entire sky for the last ten years.

565

The results here described have been attained by rigorous economy,
in spending money only to obtain results, and in no case for dis-
play. No money is expended on architectural effect, and in the
buildings and instruments appearances are always sacrificed to
efficiency. The salaries, especially those of the younger assistants,
are much lower than their services deserve.

A serious question now arises regarding the future of the Observa-
tory. It has attained a position among the great observatories of
the world. This position, I believe, it should maintain, and I believe
that Harvard University, and the people of the United States, desire
that it should do so. If the Observatory is to do the work it did
twenty years ago, its means are more than ample. If it is to do its
present work, and maintain its present position, there must be no
diminution in its income, but rather a steady, if gradual, increase.
Unfortunately, the gradual falling off in the rate of interest affects a
large portion of the resources of the Observatory. For this reason
the income has been diminishing at the rate of a thousand dollars a
year, for the last six years, and we are far from having reached the
lowest point, One per cent, in the rate of interest means a loss
to the Observatory of about ten thousand dollars a year. A dimi-
nution in income means abandoning work already undertaken, losing
assistants at the very time when they have attained their greatest
usefulness since their salaries cannot be gradually increased, and
postponing the reduction and publication of observations already
made. Such a course is the worst possible economy. Delay in
publication often means a great increase of expense if material accu-
mulated by one person must later be put into the hands of another,
and often, as has frequently happened at other Observatories, a loss
of the entire work.

In view of the wide interest in astronomy, and its numerous and
generous patrons in this country, there are doubtless many persons
who would gladly meet this need if it were properly brought before
them. Unfortunately, the legacy tax of the United States, amount-
ing in some cases to fifteen per cent, of an entire bequest, is likely
to discourage gifts to science, instead of inducing donors to give
during their lives.

As a remedy for these difficulties, it is suggested that the attention
of the public be called to these facts by publication, and that the
statement be made that it is desired to increase the capital of the
Observatory by $200,000, to compensate for the loss of income due
to falling off in the rate of interest. If this amount cannot be

566

obtained the sum of $50,000, if expended during the next ten
years, would provide for the reduction and publication of a large
part of the material now on hand.

The accompanying diagrams show the variations in the capital,
in the total annual income, in the rate of interest on the invested
funds, and in the number of pages published in the Annals of the
Observatory, since its establishment.

Respectfully submitted,

EDWARD C. PICKERING.

May 1, 1899.

,r)C>7

.1'

iaeo 1870 isso 1S90 1900

IS70 1680 IB90 ISOO

Principal H C Observatory

Rate of Interest Harvard University

IS40 I6SC I860

Receipts H C Observatory

Pages of Annals H C. Observatory

LXXXIV.
REPORT OF VISITING COMMITTEE ON ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee on the Department of Zoology respectfully report,

that having been deprived of the services of two of its teachers, this

Department needs additional instructors.

Professor Mark, Assistant Professor Parker, and Instructor

Castle divide the teaching with a sufficient number of Laboratory

Assistants : but another teacher of the higher grade is desirable, as

soon as the proper person can be found.

Courses I, II, and III have, been well attended : —

In '95-'96. Course I 14-1

" '96-'97. " " 131

" '97-'98. " " 121

" '99-'00. " " 150

In '95-'96. Course II 53

« '96-'97. " " 45

" '97-'98. " " 48

" '99-'00. " " 40

In '95-'9G. Course III 31

lt '96-'97. " " 39

" '97-'98. " " 20

" '99-'00. » " 25

Also '99-'00. Course I 23 ^

« II 18 from

TrT e I Radcliffe

'• III 5 J

These classes are largely from the Academic department ; partly
from the Scientific, and other departments. It is strongly advised
that undergraduates about to study Medicine attend Course III, on
the anatomy of the vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as Courses
I and II.

If some way could be devised that these courses, and others in
Chemistry and allied sciences could be counted in the term of
medical study, it would be very desirable.

The very moderate fees received from undergraduates, together
with the sum the Corporation can allow the Zoological Department,

570

apart from the Museum funds, is insufficient to provide adequately
for the full instruction in Zoology, and an endowment would here be
very useful.

The aquarium and vivarium need equipment, for there are now
neither water, plants, nor living creatures.

Dr. Davenport's work on classification on a statistical basis, or
experimental morphology, should be continued by a competent
investigator. A half-course in vertebrate histology is needed.

A new half-course of instruction in ornithology is recommended ;
and that this mode of teaching be extended to other branches, thus
making Courses in Systematic Zoology. There is urgent need of a
publication fund for original researches.

Respectfully submitted by,

^ DAVID W. CHEEVER, M.D.
Committee.). CLARENCE JOHN BLAKE, M.I).
( WILLIAM BREWSTER, A.M.

December 18, 1899.

LXXXV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDO-IRANIAN
LANGUAGES.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee on Indo-Iranian Languages met early in the year
at Cambridge, and there were present Edward J. Young, George F.
Moore, Professor in And over Theological Seminary, and A. V.
Williams Jackson, Professor in Columbia University, New York.
Professor Charles R. Lanman gave an account of what had been
done in his department and of his other labors in connection with
it, and he expressed an earnest wish that he might increase the
interest in Oriental study among the students by giving to them
twice a week for half a year readings or lectures on the religions
and literatures of India. This proposition, to offer popular and free
courses on subjects comparatively little known, was highly approved
by the Committee ; but after further consideration it was thought
advisable that, inasmuch as two important books are to be published
under the auspices of the University which will require careful super-
vision and involve a great amount of time on the part of Dr. Lanman,
these public readings and lectures could be postponed until the books
already in hand were finished.

Every facility is furnished at Cambridge for the study of Sanskrit.
The College Library in Gore Hall receives all the leading journals,
and it has acquired by gift or purchase nearly a thousand Indian
manuscripts, which make this collection the largest in America ;
while the special library in Sever Hall contains pictures and maps,
facsimile coins and inscriptions, together with hundreds of photo-
graphs and stereopticon slides. All this apparatus is available to
the general student ; and it is especially helpful to the classical
teacher, since Greek and Latin, as well as German, French, and
English are descended from one original tongue. Even those who
are not Sanskrit scholars cannot fail to see that many of the words
commonly used in daily life are similar, if not identical, in all Indo-
European idioms. One who was eminently qualified to speak with
authority has said that there was a time when the ancestors of
the Celts, the Germans, the Slavonians, the Greeks and Italians, the

572

Persians and Hindus, were living together beneath the same roof,
separate from the ancestors of the Semitic and Turanian races. And
he affirms that no one who wishes to acquire a thorough knowledge
of Greek and Latin, or any other of the Indo-European languages;
no one who takes an interest in the philosophy and historical growth
of human speech ; no one who desires to study the history of that
branch of mankind to which we ourselves belong ; can for the future
dispense with some knowledge of the language and ancient literature
of India.

Professor Lanman is the originator and general editor of the Har-
vard Oriental Series, of which three volumes have been already issued,
and the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh are in press. The immediate
duty now is to complete Professor William D. Whitney's edition of
the Yeda, and Mr. Henry C. Warren's translation of "The Path
of Purity," the author of which has been called the St. Augustine of
India. The recent death of Mr. Warren, it was at first thought,
might seriously affect the publication of future volumes ; but his
munificent bequest has assured the continuance of this series accord-
ing to the original plan, and it will perpetuate the memory of the
modest, diligent, and patient scholar who, under great physical dis-
advantages, accomplished the most creditable results, and has left a
name worthy of all praise.

In concluding this Report, it may be mentioned that Professor Lan-
man has been appointed by the Secretary of State in Washington to
represent the United States at the Twelfth International Congress of
Orientalists, which will meet in Rome next October.

Respectfully submitted,

EDWARD J. YOUNG.
GEORCxE F. MOORE.
A. V. WILLIAMS JACKSON.

June 16, 1899.

LXXXVI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ANCIENT

HISTORY, MEDIAEVAL HISTORY

AND ROMAN LAW.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Your Committee on Ancient History, Mediaeval History and Roman
Law report that upon several occasions last June they attended the
regular oral examinations of candidates for final honors in history,
and two general and one special examination of candidates for the
degree of Ph.D. ; that they also talked with members of the Com-
mittee of professors and instructors belonging to the departments of
History and Political Science with regard to the courses and the
general plan of instruction followed by the departments.

With regard to Roman Law, no course is now given, although we
were informed that there had been some lectures given in the Law
School on that subject.

It seems to us important, if not essential, that a course in Roman
Law should be given in the College, and given as a course in history,
much as the course in the constitutional history of England is now
given.

Wherever taught, it should be taught in the same way, — not in
order to learn the details and minute provisions of the laws, as if
they belonged to an existing system now in actual use, — but in
order to get the bearing of that system upon the subsequent develop-
ment of modern jurisprudence.

With regard to Ancient History, the courses announced are num-
bered 2 and 3 in the Catalogue, and cover the political history of
Greece and Rome, but they had not been given owing to the illness
of the instructor.

A number of courses in the list for graduates and undergraduates
may be grouped under the head of mediaeval history, for we assume
that our jurisdiction, so to speak, brings us down through the Refor-
mation period. Histories 5, 6 and 21 relate exclusively to Church
History. History 7, covering the period of the Reformation in
Europe from the rise of Italian Humanism to the close of the Council
of Trent, was omitted last year, and it seems to us unfortunate that a

574

course on this subject, which is so closely connected with the develop-
ment of modern Europe, should not be given every year. The courses
in Church History are in a way special courses, and no particular
attention is given to political and constitutional development, but any
one familiar with the course on the Reformation well knows the wide
range it covers, and its great importance to the student of general
history.

There is something, however, to be said in favor of courses in
alternate years, if by that means additional courses can be secured,
and equal opportunities given for taking advantage of them.

If with the larger number of courses, some have to be given in
alternate years, it seems to this Committee advisable to pursue this
course with special rather than with general subjects.

History 8 upon the list, being the history of France to the reign of
Francis I, and History 9, being the constitutional History of England
to the sixteenth century, are, we understand, courses devoted to a
special study of constitutional development in the two countries ; and
judging from the questions put to those candidates for honors offer-
ing History 11, i. e., history of England during the Tudor and Stuart
periods, that course is similarly limited and confined. The courses
intended primarily for graduates are all devoted to special subjects.
The remaining subjects upon the list intended for undergraduates and
graduates do not seem to come within the scope of the Committee's
work.

In dealing then with the courses given last year, we have only
History 1 for the general student, a preliminary course, being a
series of lectures given three days in the week and intended pri-
marily for Freshmen and Sophomores, upon mediaeval and modern
European history. Ancient history was not taught at all. The
course upon the Reformation was omitted. The result was that a
student desiring to receive general instruction upon the history of
the Roman Empire, the times of the Barbarian invasion — an impor-
tant study to any one following the racial and political developments
of Europe, the revival of learning in Italy, and the growth of the
great powers of Europe, had to content himself with one preliminary
course, which if he were a Junior or Senior could only count as a half
course.

It may be well to remind the Board that not many years ago a
series of three courses were given, one upon early Roman history,
one upon the history of the Roman Empire, and one upon French
history, and, incidentally, the history of Europe ; and that at least
two of these courses were given every year ; and we cannot help

575

feeling that what may be culled political and narrative history has
been somewhat neglected, while the study of constitutional subjects
has been developed and brought to a very high standard.

There must be many men at Harvard with a keen interest in the
study of history who do not feel like taking more than one course a
year in that subject, and it is these men who require courses of a
wider scope. It seems to us that the special courses are more
adapted to graduate study, and that a full course in the study of
general history should be a necessary introduction to those courses.

From our attendance at the examinations, which were conducted
by a series of committees of the department, we were greatly im-
pressed with the esprit de corps shown by the different instructors,
and the pleasant relations that seemed to exist between them and the
candidates ; but it seemed to us that the general trend of the ques-
tions seemed to be toward showing a high degree of special knowl-
edge rather than of a general knowledge of the subject, and the
proficiency of some of the candidates in their special branches was
remarkable, and should have been highly gratifying to the instruc-
tors. It is natural that instructors upon a special subject who have
given all their time and best thought to research and study in that
subject, should overlook the importance of a general knowledge of
the century which perhaps is covered by a course devoted to insti-
tutions. To illustrate what we mean, we noted that one candidate
for honors who had passed a most remarkable examination, when
asked some questions by a professor of political economy with regard
to the year 1848 in Europe, was completely at sea ; and although
presenting modern history, showed sad lack of general knowledge of
the present century. On the other hand, one of the candidates for
the degree of Ph.D. taking the general examination, and being
examined on an extremely wide field, covering practically ancient
history and the mediaeval and modern history of Europe and Great
Britain, showed a most remarkable general knowledge, and surprise
was expressed because the candidate was a graduate of Brown Uni-
versity, who had been studying at Harvard for a year in the graduate
department.

Much is to be said in favor of the system of specialization. Here
of course is found the field for original research, and here is given
the training which results in eminent scholarship, makes investigators
and real scholars, and adds to the amount of effective knowledge.
Generalization has its many weak points and unsatisfactory results,
which are only too obvious. It is difficult to reach the best adjust-
ment.

576

And we are not to be understood as passing any unfavorable criti-
cism upon the methods and systems now adopted at Cambridge. As
the pendulum swings back and forth, it will, in the long run, adjust
itself. We raise the question, however, whether it is not possible
for more provision to be made for the general student.

In conclusion it seems to us that the Departments of History and
Government are, comparatively, especially well organized and con-
ducted, and deserve high commendation. And we wish to emphasize
our full sense of the immense advance in the opportunities offered, in
the facilities afforded, and especially in the character of the instruc-
tion, the development on every side, and in the final results, — as
compared with the condition of fifty or even thirty years ago. Of
this remarkable progress there is, it seems to us, but an inadequate
conception generally.

In accordance with the provisions of the Rules and By-Laws of the
Board of Overseers, we invited suggestions, etc., from the various
officers of the Department, as to any wants or needs. Some, we
understand, may be suggested. As they have not yet reached the
Committee, it will ask leave to submit them in a supplemental report,
should any be received.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

JOHN NOBLE.
ROGER F. STURGIS.
ARTHUR P. STONE.

January 9, 1900.

LXXXVII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
MEDICAL AND DENTAL SCHOOLS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Your Committee has met several times during the year and has
visited both the Medical and Dental Schools. The statements made
in its report of 1895, and reiterated since, in regard to the inade-
quacy of the Medical School building, are each year more and more
emphasized by the conditions which obtain.

The present building has now been in use for sixteen years, and is
no longer sufficient for the needs of the School. The extension of
the laboratory courses is, in great measure, responsible for this situ-
ation. During the past year another lecture room has been taken
and fitted up for laboratory purposes, leaving only three rooms
available for lectures. The difficulties might be met radically by a
new building in another situation, or temporarily, by one of two
expedients, — either making provision away from the present build-
ing for some of the departments requiring laboratories, or hiring
rooms in the neighborhood of the present building for some of
the lecture courses not requiring apparatus. To either of these
expedients there seem to be some objections. The radical step of a
new building on a new site means a decision as to the most available
situation and a large expenditure of money.

During the year there has been a rearrangement of the studies of
the first two years. The lectures and laboratory exercises in such
fundamental subjects as anatomy and histology, pathology and
bacteriology, physiology and physiological chemistry have been
condensed into successive half-year periods of those years, the
student devoting his whole time to two subjects instead of dividing-
it among several. The end sought may be described in two words —
concentration and gradation. A similar rearrangement of the work
of the third and fourth years is in contemplation. A definite judg-
ment as to the effect of these changes can hardly be formed until the
result of the final examinations is known. This rearrangement of
studies is undoubtedly, to some extent, responsible for the increased
inadequacy of the Medical School building.

578

There has been this year not only a massing of the fundamental
studies in the first two years, but also an increased development of
teaching by sections instead of by large classes, and at the same
time a discussion of methods for facilitating teaching by sections
especially by clinical departments, such as the use of recorded cases
according to the method now practised in the Law School. It may
well be that teaching at the Medical School is in a transition stage
from good conditions to still better ones, but it is at least certain
that there is no stagnation.

The Dental School is prosperous, and is doing its work well. It
too is confronted with the problem of a future home. The building
where it now is offers the essential of good light, and is well placed
as a centre for clinical material — a matter of much importance to
the Dental School, but this building belongs to the Medical School
and is liable at any time to be taken under contract with the Massa-
chusetts General Hospital.

GEORGE B. SHATTUCK.

SAMUEL A. GREEN.

CHARLES F. FOLSOM.

DAVID W. CHEEVER.

HENRY F. SEARS.

MORRILL WYMAN.

WILLIAM STURGIS BIGELOW.

HENRY H. SRRAGUE.

March, 1900.

LXXXVIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
BUSSEY INSTITUTION.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee appointed to visit the Bussey Institution have done
so and beg leave to make the following report : —

The Committee are pleased to adopt as their own the statements
of Professor F. H. Storer, Dean, that u in so far as regards the
number and character of the students in attendance at the School of
Agriculture and Horticulture the year 1898-99 may be classed as
one of unprecedented prosperity," and that "the School has struck
root and acquired strength to maintain uniform and continued
growth."

It also appears on investigation very apparent that ' ' owing to the
occupancy of a large part and the best part of the stone building for
the purposes of the State Board of Health, the instructors in agri-
culture and agricultural natural history find themselves cramped and
crowded at every turn." (Annual Reports of the President and
Treasurer, p. 205.)

The foregoing applies with equal force to the instruction in horti-
culture.

This matter is referred to by President Eliot on page 29 of his
latest report, where he says : " The time seems to be approaching
when the Busse}7 Institution will need for its own use the whole of
the stone building which stands on the Plain Field."

The Committee are of the opinion that the time has already come
when the students, especially in horticulture, need larger accommo-
dations in the class room than those now provided.

It also seems a false economy to attempt further repairs on the
greenhouses.

These greenhouses were built in 1871 and have been in continuous
use ever since, and form the most important apparatus in the horti-
cultural department of the Institution. They should, if possible, be
replaced by buildings more in keeping with the advanced condition
of the School and adequate to furnish reasonable facilities for the
increasing number of students.

580

The Committee make the following recommendations : —

1. That a large work room for the students in agriculture and
horticulture be provided, and that the large unfinished north room
on the second story of the stone building be finished off and divided
by a partition at such place as shall best serve this need. This will
also enable some different disposition to be made, of a portion at
least, of the books of the library, which at present loses much of its
usefulness for want of room.

This recommendation can be carried out at a small expense and
the need is very urgent.

2. That the present greenhouses be torn down and rebuilt. This
would involve a considerable outlay, but the cost of present neces-
sary repairs seems out of all proportion to the value of the buildings.

FRANCIS H. APPLETON.
WM. S. HALL.
AUGUSTIN H. PARKER.
FRANCIS SHAW.
C. M. WELD.
LAWRENCE BROOKS.
April, 1900.

LXXXIX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

JEFFERSON PHYSICAL LABORATORY

AND DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The undersigned members of the Committee appointed to visit the
Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics, having
attended a duly notified meeting at the laboratory building on
Wednesday, May 2, 1900, have the honor to report as follows : —

During the year, the laboratory staff have most successfully ac-
complished the instruction of nearly four hundred students in the
various courses of the physical department; and, in addition to this
routine work, they have carried on or promoted a series of original
investigations the methods and results of which maintain the reputa-
tion of the Laboratory as a contributor to, rather than a mere purveyor
of, scientific knowledge. These investigations may be summarized as
follows : —

1. The Director, Professor John Trowbridge, has completed what
he believes to be the most nearly perfect existing plant for the study
of electricity. It comprises a storage battery of twenty thousand
cells yielding a direct current of more than forty thousand volts
which, by means of suitable transformers, may be increased to more
than three million volts. This battery, as the source of the most
intense heat yet reached, has been made to produce instantaneous
spectra of various metals and gases. For the study of such spectra
the battery room contains a spectroscope of the most modern form
with numerous ingenious attachments contrived by the mechanician
of the laboratory ; and for the preparation of spectrum and "X ray"
tubes a vacuum pump of peculiar design has been constructed.
The fact that this most powerful source of heat brings clearly into
view spectral lines which heretofore have been almost unobserved,
gives promise of much additional knowledge of the constitution of
matter.

582

One of the most interesting results already obtained with this large
battery is the production of "X rays" for the first time by means
of a steady battery current. Since such a current can be regulated
— which is not the case with any of the currents at present used for
" X ray" work — this new method is full of promise. By means of
it the "X ray" tube can be made to glow with absolute silence;
and, under certain conditions, to emit rays of great brilliancy. This
battery affords also the means of studying the wave movements
of electrical oscillations ranging from one thousand to one million
vibrations a second.

The foregoing remarks but faintly suggest the wide field of scien-
tific research opened by this magnificent apparatus. Moreover, by
reason of its noiseless operation, it carries to persons familiar with
modern hospital practice a promise that the " X ray room " may ere
long cease to afflict suffering humanity with needless terror.

2. Professor 13. O. Peirce, in addition to much valuable mathe-
matico-physical literary work, has made a series of measurements of
the thermal conductivities of different specimens of "hard rubber"
or "vulcanite." He has also, by means of ingenious apparatus,
made an interesting study of " The perception of horizontal and
of vertical lines;" and, in cooperation with Dr. R. W. Willsoii, he
has prepared a paper on "Thermal diffusivities of marbles and
limestones."

3. Professor E. H. Hall has directed a graduate student in a
research upon the thermo-electric properties of nickel.

4. Professor W. C. Sabine has continued his work on the accous-
tical properties of auditoriums, and will shortly begin the publication
of a series of papers which will embody the results of his long study
in this field. He has also directed Mr. Theodore Lyman in the
study of a new phenomenon in the diffraction gratings which consti-
tute the modern spectroscope. This hitherto unnoticed phenomenon
has great theoretical significance, and promises to attract much
attention.

5. Mr. G. W. Pierce, a graduate student, has completed a paper
on the measurement of short wave lengths of electricity. By means
of waves about two inches in length he has determined the percent-
age of reflection from various substances, and has measured the
index of refraction of parafflne. His work is thorough and of a
high order and involves the exercise of rare mechanical skill and
ingenuity.

The Committee are convinced that the Director is striving to make
the Jefferson Physical Laboratory the leading laboratory for physical

583

research in America; and that he is enthusiastically supported by
his associates. It is noteworthy that the routine work of instruction
is so pressing that many of the results which establish the reputation
of the Laboratory are necessarily the fruit of the vacation labors of
a loyal staff.

FRANCIS BLAKE.

T. JEFFERSON COOLIDGE.

E. D. LEAVITT.

A. LAWRENCE ROTCIL
May, 1900.

xc.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FRENCH.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The most important change in the French courses has been in the
line of administration. Last May the Faculty abolished the Depart-
ments of French, Italian and Spanish, and Germanic and Romance
Philology, and combined all the courses in one Department of French
and other Romance Languages and Literatures.

Professor C. H. Grandgent was appointed chairman. This change
facilitates the work of administration and brings into their proper
relations a number of courses allied in subject, but separated under
the old plan.

Three new French classes have been introduced this year, — an
elementary course for the Lawrence Scientific School ; one on literary
criticism in France during the nineteenth century, which Professor
Grandgent says is attended by seven students ; and one, French 18,
which is a description of French life in the seventeenth and eigh-
teenth centuries. This last course, which attempts to embrace the
geographical and political condition of the country, as well as an
account of society, and of literature and art during the period, is
attended by thirteen students, and under Professor Sumichrast and
Mr. Brun will, we think, be very instructive and popular. These
lectures are given in English, which, until the students are thoroughly
familiar with French, is, we think, desirable, as their attention might
be diverted from the subject matter in their endeavor to understand
the language.

The Committee considers that the work in all the French courses
is done very satisfactorily. The students appear interested, and the
teaching is all that could be desired.

T. JEFFERSON COOLIDGE.
J. TEMPLEMAN COOLIDGE, Jr.
May, 1900.

XCI

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GEOLOGY
AND GEOGRAPHY.

To the Board of Overseers op Harvard College : —

There have come to be three groups of subjects under the Division
of Geology : — First, those given under the Department of Geology
and Geography, and closely related to its name ; secondly, those
grouped under the heading Mining and Metallurgy, but still adminis-
tered under the Department of Geology and Geography ; thirdly,
those administered under the Department of Mineralogy and Petro-
graphy. With the latter, this statement deals only incidentally, as
a special committee is appointed to examine it.

The Department of Geology and Geography, although including
instruction in a large variety of subjects, — ranging from Geology
proper to Geography and Climatology on the one side, and to
Palaeontology and Mining on the other, — has been held closely
together by an effective departmental organization. A wholesome
spirit of sympathetic interest and cooperation prevails among its
members, now thirteen in number. The instruction in the various
courses is thought to be as well correlated as is compatible with
individual freedom and responsibility in teaching.

The subjects now treated under the Department may be classified
as follows : —

General Geology. — The courses in General Geology include two
elementary half-courses, — one given by lectures, the other chiefly
by laboratory and field exercises ; a general intermediate course,
with four half-courses on special subjects (Pre-Cambrian Geology,
Glacial Geology, Geology of the United States, and Experimental
Geology) ; a first and more advanced course in field work ; and three
summer courses (elementary, intermediate, and advanced). Three
courses in Economic Geology cover a special field, related also to the
work in Mining and Metallurgy.

In addition to these courses, it is desired to add a half-course on
the Geology of Europe ; a course on Chemical Geology, probably in
association with the Department of Mineralogy and Petrography ;
and to extend the facilities in Experimental Geology, in which the

588

work — with its present limitations — is both time-consuming and
expensive. It is hoped that occasional courses, to be given at inter-
vals of two or three years, may be instituted on Vulcanism, Organic
Geology, Physics of the Earth, History of Geology, and Current
Geological Problems.

Palaeontology. — Two general half-courses are given in Palaeon-
tology, open to students who have already some acquaintance with
Geology. One of these is given chiefly by lectures, the other chiefly
by laboratory work. These are followed by courses of Historical
Geology and Advanced Palaeontology.

There is constant need, in connection with these courses, of new
material for laboratory instruction, especially of vertebrate fossils,
to illustrate the subjects treated in the lectures and the laboratory.
There is, furthermore, much need of a laboratory assistant, as the
care of the laboratory materials now falls too largely upon the
Assistant Professor of Palaeontology.

Geography of the Lands and Oceans. — The courses on Geography
include a general introductory half-course ; half-courses of inter-
mediate grade on the United States, Europe, and the Oceans (this
course being also geological in its nature) , and a research course for
advanced students. In summer time, a general course, intended
especially for teachers, has been given for several years and will, it
is hoped, be continued.

To these courses it is desired to add four half -courses, as follows :
One each on South America and Asia, and for these subjects avail-
able instructors are already on the ground ; it is thought that the
two courses can be instituted within two years. A similar half-
course on Africa, to round out the courses on the larger continents,
but it is not thought best to press for the immediate announcement
of this subject. A half-course on Exploration, intended for the
instruction of persons who intend to travel in little known regions ;
— this course would cover much of the ground of a course now
being given under the direction of the Royal Geographical Society in
London. The instructor in such a course should be an experienced
explorer, already distinguished for his geographical researches. At
the outset, the course might be begun under a lectureship, to be held
by different persons at intervals of two or three years.

The need of courses in Economic Geography — or Commercial
Geography in its broadest sense — is separately considered below.

Meteorology and Climatology. — Four half-courses in these two
subjects are to be given in 1900-01. The first (B) is an elementary
course, introductory to remaining courses (1, 19, 25). Course 1 is

589

to be given for the first time next year. It is a second course in
Meteorology, extending the work of Course B. Course 19 deals
with General Climatology, special emphasis being laid upon the
relations of climate and man. Course 25 deals with the climates of
the two Americas.

The greatest need in connection with the teaching of Meteorology
is a small working meteorological observatory, preferably on the
roof of a building, in which students may be given an opportunity to
use the ordinary meteorological instruments. This is an absolute
essential if Meteorology is to be at all effectively taught. On the
climatological side the teaching should soon be extended to include
half -courses, alternating from year to year, on the climates of
Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The climate of North and
South America is now considered in Course 25.

Mining and Metallurgy. — The four years' course in Mining and
Metallurgy in the Lawrence Scientific School was instituted in 1894.
The growth in students since that time is shown in the following
table : —

Year. Students in L. S. S. Students in M. & M. Per Cent.

1894-95 308 6 1.95

1895-96 340 7 2.06

1896-97 268 13 3.53

1897-98 410 17 4.14

1898-99 415 19 4.58

1899-1900 495 30 6.06

This table shows not only a substantial and uniform increase, year
by year, in the number of students enrolled in Mining and Metallurgy,
but also a noteworthy increase in the ratio of these students to the
increasing total number in the Scientific School. It is expected that
this ratio will continue to increase in the next few years to a final
maximum of 8 or 10 per cent.

Courses of instruction in Mining and Metallurgy under the present
Faculty of Arts and Sciences were first offered in 1896-97 by two
instructors. The subsequent growth in the number of courses given
and in the number of instructors has been as follows : —

Courses op Instruction in Mining and Metallurgy.

Year. Half-Courses. Full Courses. Instructors.

1896-97 3 2 2

1897-98 4 2 2

1898-99 4 2 2

1899-1900 5 3 3

1900-01 7 4 4

590

It is desirable as soon as possible to extend the work in these
subjects by offering the following additional courses : —

1. Introduction to General Metallurgy.

2. Elementary Metallography.

3. Coal Mining.

4. Mine Surveying, including the surveying of mineral claims.

5. United States Mining Law.

6. The Design of Metallurgical Plants.

7. The Design of Mining and Ore-dressing Machinery.

8. The Lixiviation of Gold and Silver Ores.

9. Electro-Metallurgy.

10. Research in Ore-dressing.

Of these courses it is probable that 1, 2, and 10 will be offered
next year by the present instructors. But the others, which will
require an addition of two and, perhaps, three members to the
present teaching force, must probably be added slowly.

The most pressing need of this Department, namely, that of labora-
tories, has been supplied by the assignment of the Rotch Building to
it by the Corporation ; and by the recent bequest of $5000 by Miss
Rotch ; and by the gift of $20,000 by the family of the late John
Simpkins, for equipment. A further sum of $50,000, to provide an
income for maintenance, for the employment of a mechanical assist-
ant, and for the library, would add greatly to the efficiency of the
work.

Economic Geology. — The courses given each year in Economic
Geology are two in number, — namely, a full course, dealing with
deposits of the metalliferous minerals ; and a half-course, which is
mainly concerned with water supply and non-metallic products. It
is probable that the latter will be expanded within a few years to a
full course, for which the material is ample.

A good beginning in the way of collections for these courses has
been made, and room and cases have been provided in the Rotch
Building for their display. It is hoped that an exhibition collection
will be arranged during the coming year.

Needs of the Department.

1. Instruction. — The direction in which it is desired to increase
the list of courses of study has been indicated in connection with
the existing courses, as above described. It is not expected that the
desired growth can be quickly accomplished ; but it is hoped that
means may be provided to maintain in the future the steady growth

591

that has characterized the past twenty-five years. Economy is served
by the establishment of alternating half-courses on related subjects;
thus the Geology of Europe should alternate with the Geology of the
United States ; several subjects might be announced, as a beginning,
at even less frequent intervals than every other year, as is the prac-
tice in other departments ; thus, several topics mentioned under
General Geology and other headings might be accommodated with-
out great increase of expense. But it is felt that the proposed
course on Chemical Geology should be regularly presented as an
important member of the series. The same is true of courses on
Economic Geography, not represented at all to-day, although worthy
of forming a group of instruction by itself ; for the economic and
commercial aspects of Geography stand in great need of develop-
ment. The sources of supply of useful materials, especially those
derived from plants and animals, and the geographical controls of
industries and commerce, afford abundant materials for instruction ;
first, in a general course, and afterwards in special courses on dif-
ferent subjects or regions. The instruction in this field should be
given in correlation with that in the Department of History and
Economics, as well as with that in the other parts of our own Depart-
ment. It should be in charge of instructors who have had training
in all these related subjects, as well as practical experience in travel
and commerce. It is believed that instruction of this kind would
attract a large number of students.

2. Organization of a Department of Mining and Metallurgy. —
It is desired to make a strong recommendation that the instruction
in Mining and Metallurgy be placed in charge of a separate depart-
ment of that name, under the Division of Geology. The present
condition of this work is similar to that in Mineralogy and Petro-
graphy when the department of that name was instituted, except
that the number of instructors and the number of courses in Mining
and Metallurgy is larger. It is believed the further development of
this group of technical studies will be favored by the proposed change.

3. Material Needs. — The Department of Geology and Geography
has outgrown the rooms now at its disposal. As the additional
courses above noted are provided, the crowded condition that already
inconveniences its work will prove more and more embarrassing.
The new accommodations should include two lecture halls, — one of
medium, the other of large seating capacity ; and the latter should
be accessible from out-doors without passing through the building
that contains it. There should be a number of laboratories, in which
the practical work of the various courses could be carried on ; each

592

of these containing storage room for its own materials. Small rooms
for instructors are a great convenience ; and additional small rooms
for advanced students would prove extremely beneficial ; there they
could work singly or in pairs, each one having his own table on
which his materials could be spread out. Exhibition rooms for a
Museum of Geology should be provided. A geographical exhibition
room, also, might be made both serviceable and attractive. It is
manifest, however, that additional workers will be needed to under-
take the additional work of gathering, arranging, and earing for a
museum collection.

4. Non-Teaching Assistants. — The responsibilities of the teachers
do not cease with the completion of their class work. It is desired
that they shall creditably represent their subjects of study in the
scientific community, and for this purpose individual research and
publication is indispensable. There is no lack of willingness or
ability in this direction, but the accomplishment is not so large as it
might be, because of the constant demands of " little things " upon
their time. It is believed that no commercial establishment, at all
comparable in magnitude with Harvard University, would tolerate
the application of relatively high-paid workers to the low-grade work
that is to-day constantly laid upon them. The reason for this con-
dition of things is probably to be found in their tendency to use all
the money that can be allowed from University funds for the esta-
blishment of new courses of instruction, all the departmental officers
being teachers. By the engagement of non- teaching assistants much
time could be saved to the teachers. The elementary laboratory
course in Geology, for example, might well have the services of such
an assistant, to the great relief of the instructors ; but the laboratory
assistant should be permanently employed, so that the methods that
he is taught in his first year may be put into practice in subsequent
years. The same may be said of various other courses. It may
also be urged that the provision of laboratory assistants would pre-
vent the tendency to wasteful habits of work, and would thus increase
productiveness in scientific directions. At present the funds of the
Department do not suffice for the payment of the desired assistants.

5. The Library. — The Whitney Geological Library is the nucleus
about which future collections in this Department must grow. An
important step in the development of the library has been made this
year in the appropriation of funds by the University Library for the
continuation of the periodicals and foreign geological survey reports
and maps ; but much yet remains to be done in this direction. The
better service in the library, — as recently arranged by the Librarian

593

of the Museum, under whose care the Whitney Library is placed, —
is welcomed by students and teachers alike.

The geographical collections, — including text-books, books of
travel and exploration, and topographical maps (American and
foreign), remain in the general library in Gore Hall. The funds at
present allotted for the purchase of new books are insufficient, and
there are hundreds of books published since 1850 that are wanting.

There seems no way of making up the deficiencies above noted
but by a special fund for the purchase of books related to the
departmental needs. $10,000 or $20,000 might well be applied as
a Library Fund, the income of which should be expended under the
direction of the Department.

6. Gardner Collection. — This large and valuable collection,
increasing annually both in photographs and lantern slides, is an
important responsibility. At least half the time of a special assist-
ant could well be given to wrork in this direction, in selecting new
materials, in making lantern slides, in caring for the collection, and
in arranging exchanges with other institutions, whereby the useful-
ness of the collection might be extended far beyond the University
walls. It has been the desire of the department to make this collect
tion as useful as possible to outside schools and colleges, by allowing
teachers to have access to it as an assistance in placing orders for
their own collections. But it is no longer practicable to open the
collection to such uses for fear of harm to it. And it is impossible
for the members of the Department to take time to select materials
for correspondents. Hence much of the value of the collection is
lost. It might become a centre of educational influence in Geology
and Geography if an active and intelligent assistant were placed in
charge of its larger development. A supplementary fund for this
purpose would be a valuable addition to the resources of the
Department.

7. Publications. — Until recently the annual report of the Museum
included a report from the officers of the Department, which has been
found very useful as a record of the work of successive years. But
a reduction of the Museum report to matters more directly connected
with the Museum work has deprived them of this opportunity, and
they are at present unable to find any equivalent for it. Means of
publishing an annual statement of their work would be of practical
value. The nearest approach to it is the so-called departmental
pamphlet, giving explanatory descriptions of the elective courses,
but a large part of their activities, — in fact, all that relates to their
non-teaching work, — finds no mention there.

594

It should be mentioned that a proposition has lately been made by
the Faculty of the Museum regarding the use of a Geological Series
of the Bulletin of the Museum as a means of publication for work
done in the Department, and it is probable that this highly advan-
tageous offer will be accepted.

8. Departmental Funds. — Apart from the money paid by the
Corporation to the instructors as salaries, the Department usually
receives something over a thousand dollars a year for current ex-
penses, — this sum being derived from a small appropriation made
by the Corporation, supplemented by the laboratory fees paid by
students in certain courses. The income of the Gardner Fund, and
the allotment made by the University Library for the purchase of
geological books and maps, is not included in this statement.

The departmental fund is now expended partly in maintaining the
existing collections, — partly in adding to them, and partly for the
expenses of instructors in field excursions. As above noted, it does
not suffice for the salary of even a single laboratory assistant. It
would, therefore, be of great service to the Department if a special
fund were given for the non-teaching needs, — the income of which
should be expended by vote of the Department, under approval of
the Corporation. One object to which such an income might be
directed is the encouragement of field excursions, such as might
occupy several days, by paying part of the expenses of students.
It may fairly be claimed that such payment is analogous to that
made in other departments, like those of Physics and Chemistry, for
expensive apparatus. The field is the most important laboratory of
the geologist ; the materials are provided free, but it is often expensive
to reach them.

Summary of Needs. — New accommodations with exhibition rooms,
lecture rooms, laboratories, teachers' rooms, and students' rooms, are
undoubtedly the most pressing needs of the Department. If the
provision of these rooms were accompanied by funds for their care,
including the development of museum collections, the Department
would be greatly strengthened thereby. Of other needs, it is diffi-
cult to make choice of one or another as the more pressing ; but a
prominent place may be fairly given to an unrestricted departmental
fund, wherewith non-teaching assistants could be engaged, and the
work of the teachers made more effective and profitable.

Respectfully submitted,

CHARLES FAIRCHILD.

GEORGE P. GARDNER.

RAPHAEL PUMPELLY.
June 14, 1900.

XCII
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINE ARTS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

During the Academic year 1899-1900 five courses in the Fine Arts
were regularly carried on, three by Professor Moore, assisted in one
of them by Mr. Martin Mower, two by Mr. Edward Robinson.

Coarse 1, conducted by Professor Moore, is devoted to instruction
in the Principles of Design, Color, and Chiaroscuro; Course 2, to
the Principles of Design in Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, —
and in both of these there is regular practice in drawing. Course 1
was attended by 66 pupils ; Course 2 by 14.

Course 3, by Mr. Robinson, is on the History of Greek Art.

Course 4, by Mr. Moore, on the Arts of the Middle Ages and
Renaissance.

The fifth course (numbered Course 20) is an advanced course in
Classical Archaeology, given by Mr. Robinson, of which the second
half is carried on at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

In Course 3 there were 179 pupils; in Course 4, 183 ; in Course
20, 7. The character of the instruction in all these courses is
highly satisfactory, and your Committee have no criticisms to pass
upon them, and no recommendations to make in regard to them.

But it is obvious that the instruction offered by the University in
the Fine Arts is insufficient and, as regards their history, frag-
mentary, and that a large addition to the corps of teachers of the
subject is required to do justice to its intrinsic importance, and
to bring it, in the general scheme of instruction in the University,
into its proper relation, on the one side, to History and, on the other,
to Literature. The true conception of the Department of Fine Arts
in the University might be expressed by giving to it the name of
the Department of Poetry, — using the word " poetry" in its widest
sense as including all works of the creative or poetic imagination.
But, in distinction from poetry in verse, those arts to which the term
Fine Arts is generally confined, requiring material embodiment,
demand of the artist a disciplined refinement of eye or ear, and a
trained skill of hand for the adequate expression of his conceptions.

596

This fact gives them additional value as elements of education, for
the study of them develops not only the appreciation of noble modes
of expression, but quickens perceptions which are likely, without
it, to lie dormant. But their chief importance in education is the
cultivation which they afford of the imaginative faculties and their
discipline of the taste, — ends of the highest worth generally dis-
regarded in our common schemes of education.

The comparatively recent introduction of the study of the Fine
Arts among university courses of instruction accounts in part for
the inadequate development of the Department in charge of them.
Your Committee would urge on the Governing Boards of the Univer-
sity the need of strengthening and developing it. Four new supple-
mentary courses at least are required. First, a comprehensive course,
covering the whole field of the history of the arts, intended for students
who may wish to know the general character and the main direction
of the arts from the beginning of the historic life of man to the
present clay. Second, a course in the archaeology of the Fine Arts
proper, bringing up the story of the arts to where that of Greek art
properly begins. Third, a course in the history of Roman art to the
time of Charlemagne. Fourth, a course in Modern Art from 1600
to the present time.

Under each of these four heads, as well as under the courses
actually established, there is opportunity for many subdivisions, and
for an indefinite development of the work of the Department.

As this work grows and becomes more and more closely associated
with work in other Departments, the importance of a Museum of
Fine Arts as an instrument of instruction is likely to increase
steadily. It is a grave and permanent misfortune to the Department
that the Museum recently erected is unfit for its purpose, and is
of such design and construction that no alterations which are
possible can make it either fit for its object or adequate for the
growing needs of the teachers and students of the Fine Arts. In
order to provide such imperfect opportunity as may yet be possible
for the study and enjoyment of works of art now iu the Museum,
great and costly changes in the building are indispensable. In order
to show what these changes are, an extract from the Annual Report
for 1899-1900 of Professor Moore, the Director of the Museum, is

appended.

Respectfully submitted,

CHARLES ELIOT NORTON,

Chairman.
October, 1900.

597

From the Annual Report for 1900 of the Director of the Fogg Museum

of Fine Arts.

"As time goes on, and Ave tire beginning to acquire important
original works of art, the defects of our handsome building become
more embarrassing, and the need of radical alterations becomes
urgent. Our chief trouble arises from lack of light. So long as
our collections consisted mainly of photographs and prints, it was
possible to get along tolerably well by placing the storage cases
against the ill lighted walls, and the working tables under the
sky-lights. But for the paintings now coming to us, which have
to be hung on the walls, there is no favorable light in any part
of the Museum. Large paintings, like the important one just added
to the Forbes Collection, cannot be seen at all in any proper sense.
The upper portion of this superb early work is so shaded by the
flat ceiling that even the larger details cannot be clearly made
out by the eye in any general view of the whole, and the difficulty
of viewing the picture is further increased by the reflection of the
low sky-light in the glass which covers it. It is very much to be
regretted that we are unable to display such a work of art as this
so that its true qualities may be seen.

"The low flat top light is not only ill placed and insufficient, but it
subjects us to great annoyance and inconvenience in times of snow-
fall. At such times the gallery is completely darkened. To remedy
this most serious defect of our building I would recommend that the
present roof be entirely removed, and a hipped-roof constructed,
with sky -lights at least ten feet higher than the present ones, and
with no horizontal ceiling inside. Such a change would give us
enough light at all times on all parts of the walls. It would also
improve the general architectural aspect of the building.

"Another cause of inconvience, which increases with the growth
of our collections, is the lack of any suitable place for receiving and
unpacking cases. The only way of access for large cases at present
is through the front door, or one of the side doors, directly into
the main exhibition hall of sculptures and casts, where the rough
work of opening them has to be done on the handsome mosaic pave-
ment. And there is no place where new acquisitions can be safely
kept while being made ready for exhibition, unless we use for this
purpose, as we are now obliged to do, one of the smaller exhibition
rooms, which has to remain closed, sometimes for weeks. The vast
basement was rendered useless for any purposes by being practically
devoid of light, and by having no way of access from the outside.
We have already been obliged to open two large windows on one
side of this basement in order to get a place where the work of
mounting and remounting photographs and prints could be carried
on. By treating the corresponding portion on the opposite side in
the same way, and by making in it an outside door, a tolerably con-

598

venient place for unpacking, with the requisite space for the safe
keeping of objects while in course of preparation for their permanent
places in the Museum, might be secured."

Proposed by Professor Norton.

Resolved, That the Board of Overseers request the President and Fellows
of Harvard College to appoint a Standing Committee of five members, of
whom two at least shall be members of this Board, and one a member of
the Faculty of the College, to which shall be submitted all plans and designs
of permanent buildings for the University, previous to their adoption,
together with their proposed sites, to the end that the Committee may
advise in regard to their adoption or alteration.

XCIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT
THE VETERINARY SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee appointed to visit the Veterinary School for the
year 1899-1900 makes report as follows : —

The condition of the School and Hospital as to order and cleanli-
ness has been commendable. •

The care of animals in the Hospital has been most satisfactory
considering the accommodations, which are cramped and which are
of such a nature that necessary sanitary precautions can only be
secured by the exercise of extreme care.

Notwithstanding the many discouragements to which the instruc-
tors are subjected in a building but poorly suited to the needs of this
department, their earnestness and devotion to the welfare of the
School have been noteworthy.

The number of students entering this fall was twelve, being the
average number for the last five years. At one time, before the
annual tuition fee was raised from $100 to $150 the entering class
numbered thirty, which was the largest number in the history of the
School.

From the statement of the Treasurer of Harvard College it appears
that the operating expenditures of the Veterinary School and Hospital
exceeded the current income in —

1898-1899 by the sum of $2,236.60

1899-1900 " " " " 2,985.69

Interest on previous advances @ 5%, being $1,220.30

per year 2,440.60

Total deficit for two years $7,662.89

Gifts, not included in the above statement, received
during the two years for a Pathological Laboratory
in connection with the School and as a fund for a
Veterinary Hospital in connection with a School of
Comparative Medicine, as proposed in the circular
hereto annexed, amounted to $9,128.38

Subscriptions, good but not received 2,200.00

$11,328.38

600

Since the beginning of the present financial year another subscrip-
tion of $1000 has been made.

In the establishment of a school of Comparative Medicine as an
outgrowth of the Veterinary department, the Visiting Committee has
taken an active interest. The Veterinary Hospital, for which sub-
scriptions were asked as above stated, is necessary to the success of
such a school. In its turn the Veterinary Hospital needs for its best
success a Veterinary School in connection with it. Each helps the
other. Such a Veterinary Hospital as this community ought to have
would practically ensure the success both of the School of Compara-
tive Medicine and of the Veterinary School. The subscriptions
already made have encouraged the hope that the proposed plan of
development would soon be an accomplished fact and that as a
result not only would the Veterinar}^ School be established on a firm
and suitable foundation, but also that the way would be paved *
through the study of Comparative Medicine for discoveries of great
moment to the human race.

Under these circumstances it was with regret that on the twelfth
day of November current, the Committee, through its Chairman, was
notified by the President of the University that the Corporation had
decided to take steps looking to the closing in the near future of the
Veterinary School and Hospital.

The Visiting Committee of the Veterinary School by

GEORGE G. CROCKER,

Chairman.
November 28, 1900.

601

HAR YARD UNI VERS IT Y

APPEAL IN BEHALF OF THE PROPOSED SCHOOL OF
COMPARATIVE MEDICINE.

The past few years have demonstrated the immense advantages in the
medical seienees of the comparative study of man and animals ; for this
method has led to discoveries of the utmost practieal value, has broadened
seienee, and is likely to lead in the near future to great advances in
preventive medicine.

It is only necessary to mention the great benefits which have followed
the serum treatment of diphtheria and swine plague, the discovery of the
action of the thyroid extract, and our increased knowledge of malaria, in
order to justify great hopes for like results in tuberculosis, cancer, scarlet
fever, and many other infectious diseases of man and animals.

The Corporation of the University are so thoroughly impressed with
this fact that they have set apart three hundred thousand dollars, including
in it a portion of the munificent gift of the late Henry L. Pierce, to erect
and carry on a laboratory, to be named after him, for research on these
lines as a part of a School of Comparative Medicine, in the University,
which shall have charge of the more advanced methods of medical research
and education.

Before the whole plan can be perfected, there remains the one necessity
of providing for the erection of a hospital, to be grouped with the other
buildings, which will not only supply the most humane and skilful treat-
ment of sick and wounded animals possible, but will permit a large number
of important medical investigations upon animal diseases, especially in
their possible relations to those of man, which, without this hospital,
would be impossible at Harvard.

It is estimated that the cost of erection and equipment of a building
suitable for this purpose will be one hundred thousand dollars, and there
is also needed an additional fund for endowment.

It is, therefore, now proposed to appeal to the public to raise that
amount for this purpose. If this effort is successful, it will become
possible to make immediate and great progress in the medical work of
the University, the value of which can hardly be overestimated. We
trust that this appeal will meet with a generous response.

Subscriptions may be sent to the Chairman or any member of the
Committee.

Charles S. Minot, Harvard Medical School,
Charles P. Lyman, Harvard Veterinary School,
Frederick H. Osgood, Harvard Veterinary School,
William F. Whitney, Harvard Medical School,

, Committee.

The undersigned hereby approve the plan and appeal of the preceding
circular.

Charles W. Eliot.
George G. Crocker.
Henry P. Walcott.
Arthur T. Cabot.
David W. Cheever.

XCIV.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
CHEMICAL LABORATORY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Since the last report of this Committee, its members have been
several times called together at Cambridge, and have maintained an
extended correspondence in furtherance of the interests committed
to their care.

Through the professors in charge of the Department of Chemistry,
a very large amount of statistical information has been gathered and
tabulated, pointing for three or four years past to the present climax
in the necessities of this department.

In spite of the most ingenious and skilful alterations made in
Boylston Hall, the simple fact exists that the pressure for a new and
larger laboratory can no longer be concealed or disregarded.

At the present time enough desks cannot be supplied even to enable
those students to comply with the requirements of the Lawrence
Scientific School who are entered in the school and obliged to take
a course in Chemistry which this University has not the facilities to
give. Moreover, the desks occupied are used in too many cases
by at least two students, each hampering the other. The cellar
of Boylston Hall is used as a laboratory, — an occupation which
in the opinion of your Committee cannot be abandoned too quickly.

The President — in his last published report for 1898-99, pages
34 and 35 — calls attention to the needs of the Department of
Chemistry, and we urge upon your honorable body for immediate
consideration, and we hope, in some way, for immediate action, his
recommendations .

We can only feel that the use of Boylston Hall under forced
accommodation for so large a number of students, may result in
events greatly to the discredit of this University.

The Chairman of this Committee has met many students who have
taken a post-graduate course at Harvard under the professors in
charge of Chemistry, and one and all have spoken in the highest
terms of the instruction given and just as strongly of the adverse
general conditions, which check even better work from the instructors
and students.

604

The Chairman has also been made aware that the condition of
Boylston Hall has been used, with students en route from the West
to the East, as an argument for shunning Cambridge if facilities for
the study of Chemistry were desired.

While condemning the use of Boylston Hall, your Committee
desires not to pass over the excellent and widely accepted work of
the professors of Chemistry in spite of their adverse surroundings.
In Organic Chemistry and in correcting the atomic weights of the
elements, their work has been quoted and acknowledged in the very
front ranks of their profession. Their industry, with the best
interests of the University at heart, has been bounded only by their
physical endurance.

W"e append statistics applying to present conditions, showing the
deplorable exigency of this department, and with respect beg to
submit this our report.

For the Committee,

EDWARD D. PEARCE,

Chairman.
December 15, 1900.

STATISTICS.

December 1, 1900.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN BOYLSTON HALL.

Years. Smallest. Largest.

1878-79 to 1885-86 123 169

1886-87* to 1892-93 189 280

1893-94 315

Desks
Year. Students. Desks. vacant.

1894-95 .442 444 2

1895-96 590 642 82

1896-97 578 654 76

1897-98 618 654 36

1898-99 598 654 56

1899-1900 640 641 1

In the space of five years, the number of students to be accom-
modated in Boylston Hall has doubled.

Since the laboratory opened this fall, 40 men have been upon the
waiting list; of these, 19 have now been assigned desks, although
4 of the 19 were obliged to wait until November 1st.

The number of applicants in Chemistry 1 was about 340, decidedly
less than in 1899 ; Chemistry 3 was so much larger (130), however,

* A new course (Chemistry B) was introduced in 1886-87.

605

as well as Chemistry B (74), that more than 20 of these applicants
had to go upon the waiting list. Among those who still are unpro-
vided with desks are Jive students of the Scieut'ijic School, for whom
Chemistry 1 is a prescribed study.

The year began with 45 men in the organic laboratory, when the
room was thought overcrowded last year with 39. In Chemistry 6
and 9 there has been an increase of more than ten per cent, over the
numbers of last year. Chemistry 4 has fallen off slightly (42), but
there are only two vacant desks.

In the Chemistry 9 laboratory, ten new desks were added during
the summer, but there is now but one desk vacant. In addition to
these three vacant (quantitative) places, two or three advanced
workers in Inorganic Chemistry might fiud room in the small labora-
tory which has for many years been devoted to atomic weights. It
is intended to remodel this room, and its capacity may be somewhat
increased ; but elementary students cannot be put there.

November 2, 1900.

Year. Students.
1900-01 698

These numbers may not be so (perfectly) accurate as are those from
1878 to (1899-1900), and are necessarily somewhat of an estimate
for the period.

Desks.

Students with,
out desks.

651

xcv.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
LAWRENCE SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The number of students on the rolls of the School is 506, a few
more than last year, — the phenomenal increase of recent years
having been checked, apparently, by the more severe requirements
for admission. These requirements are now somewhat higher than
those of other technical schools, and are to be raised still farther.
Possibly this may lessen the number of those seeking admission,
but, on the other hand, the added facilities for instruction afforded
by the new Architectural and Engineering buildings may attract
more students. The Committee highly approves the raising of the
standard of requirements for admission ; thus tending to remove
the School from mere competition with other Scientific Schools and
duplication of opportunities for instruction offered elsewhere. There
are advantages afforded by a technical school which is part of a
great university. An engineer, whose life work will be largely
confined to details of his craft, especially needs the broadening
influences of early association with, and interest in, the humanities.

The new Engineering building will be of great benefit to the
School, but its possession will create the need of furniture and
equipment, at a cost of about $30,000. It is hoped that a way
to supply this will be found, since a lack of adequate equipment
for technical instruction in some of the courses has been a source
of concern for several years.

The Committee is glad to say that it believes the School, as
now administered and attended, is characterized by earnestness of
purpose, diligent work, and results beneficial to the students.

Other questions affecting the School have been carefully and
seriously considered, but after much discussion, your Committee
does not wish to make any suggestions.

For the Committee,

E. C. CLARKE.
F: L. HIGGINSON.

December 18, 1900.

XCVI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GERMANIC
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee on Germanic Languages and Literatures begs leave
to report that the Department is in excellent condition with one
important exception. We refer to the need of a better equipment
of the Department Library and to the proposed establishment in
connection therewith of a Germanic Museum to illustrate and aid
the different studies of the department. The present Library is
decidedly inferior to that of both the French and English Depart-
ments, and does not afford sufficient opportunity for advanced study.
The character of the proposed Museum, as well as its desirability,
have been so clearly and fully set forth by the Professors, that we
append their statements to this Report instead of attempting to give
an abstract or digest of them.

Your Committee believes that $5,000 would put the Library in
satisfactory condition, and that $15,000 would be sufficient to estab-
lish the Museum. As no separate building is needed and only two
or three connecting rooms in some existing building, the cost of
maintenance would not be great. The Committee has raised by
subscription the sum of $1,878.64 for the Museum. To this sum
$893.33 was added by the production of Goethe's " Iphigenie auf
Tauris" at Sanders Theatre in the winter of 1899-1900, and from
the sum realized this year by the performance of " Minna von Barn-
helm," under the auspices of the Deutscher Verein $500 has been
assigned to the same object, making $3,271.97 in all now on hand
for the Museum.

We recommend that the Overseers request the Corporation to
assign a part of the recent unrestricted bequests of Mr. Henry Villard
of $50,000 and Mr. Barthold Schlesinger of $2,000 for the joint
purpose of the Library aiid the Museum, giving the Library the
preference if both cannot be provided for. This seems to us par-
ticularly appropriate, since both of those gentlemen were of German
nationality, were friends of the Department and liberal contributors
to both branches of the project under consideration, and each of

610

them would, probably, have contributed further to it if he had lived.
Mr. Schlesinger was also serving on this Committee at the time of
his death and had taken an active interest in advancing its work.
Our recommendation rests on the purely practical ground that the
Library and the proposed Museum are, if not essential, at least
extremely desirable for the actual work of instruction in the Depart-
ment. We think they should not await the slow and uncertain
process of raising money by subscription and annual dramatic per-
formances, but should at least be put on a reasonable working basis
at once from the sources named.

The principal feature recently added to the activities of the Depart-
ment is the annual production, through the generosity of Mr. Heinrich
Conried, the manager of the Irving Place Theatre in New York, of
a classical German play at Sanders Theatre. G-eothe's "Iphigenie"
and Lessing's " Minna von Barnhelm " have already been given with
great success and with decided benefit both to the scholarship and to
the financial resources of the Department. Mr. Conried has kindly
consented to serve upon this Committee and is now a member of it,
and his associates upon the Committee desire to place upon record
their acknowledgment and thanks for his handsome and unique gift.
They think that these performances at the University by a strong
professional company are calculated, apart from their immediate and
tangible results, to liberalize and broaden the higher education, and
to give an added zest to the study and enjoyment of modern dramatic
literature.

For the Committee,

HENRY W. PUTNAM,

Chairman.
April 10, 1901.

611

APPENDIX

THE NEED OF A GERMANIC MUSEUM AT HARVARD

Not so very long ago the study of German in this country was
valued chiefly as a means of acquiring facility in reading or speaking
a language which has come to be of great practical importance in
professional, business, and scholarly pursuits. Indeed, in some
parts of the country this is still the prevailing view taken not only
of the study of German, but of all modern languages. Greek and
Latin are still surrounded with a halo of a time when all higher
culture was considered to be bound up with a knowledge of Greek
and Roman life ; while French and German are not infrequently
looked upon as upstarts whose standing in the hierarchy of learning
is not yet beyond doubt.

It is, however, clear that for some generations past a change has
been gradually coming. The first impulse, as far as German is con-
cerned, was given by the great epoch of German literature at the
beginning of this century. When Bancroft and Hedge and Motley
returned from their studies at German universities, they brought
with them not only a fuller equipment of scholarship, but also a
strong enthusiasm for the noble intellectual movement which was
then shaping the destiny of modern Germany. Following this, there
came the influence of 1848 : the March-revolution struck a chord to
which the American heart vibrated ; and when the martyrs of this
revolution sought a refuge in this country, they found here a ready
welcome and intelligent sympathy with German aspirations. In the
friendship between Longfellow and Freiligrath this twofold affinity
between the two countries as to both literary and political ideals
may be said to have received its most notable symbolic expression.
Next there followed the general adoption of German methods of
scientific research brought here by the steadily growing number of
American teachers, physicians, theologians who had received the
decisive stimulus for their life's work at the universities of Berlin,
Gottingen, or Heidelberg. And finally, the dominant position
acquired by Germany since the war of 1870 gave the American
people a new sense of the dignity of the German nation, and kindled
interest in the history of the Teutonic race.

There exists, then, to-day an ever- increasing disposition on the
part of Americans to approach the study of German as a study

612

leading to an insight into a great national civilization. Of the
rapidity with which this tendency is developing, the history of the
German Department of Harvard University during the last twenty-
five years is an index. In 1871-72 there were given two elective
courses in German, both of a miscellaneous character. The number
of students enrolled in them was 100. Of departmental organiza-
tion, hardly a beginning had been made. To-day the department
consists of ten permanent teachers, namely : one Associate Professor
of German, one Professor of German Literature, one Assistant
Professor of Germanic Philology, one Assistant Professor of Ger-
man, and six Instructors. The number of courses offered, apart
from the prescribed course in Elementary German, is twenty-nine,
and this list includes such courses as the following : History of
German Literature, German Literature in the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries, German Literature and Art from the fourteenth to the
sixteenth century, German Literature from the Reformation to the
Classic Period, The Social and Political Tendencies in German
Literature of the nineteenth century, Gothic, Old Saxon, Old High
German, Middle Low German, Germanic Mythology, Germanic
Antiquities, and a Seminary of German Literature and Germanic
Philology. The number of students enrolled in these elective courses
is about 750.

Gratifying as this development is, it brings into clear relief the
need of further important improvements. To one of these, namely :
the need of a Germanic Museum, we wish to call the attention of
the community at large.

It is a principle now generally accepted that a nation's history
cannot be studied adequately without a consideration of its achieve-
ments in the monumental and domestic arts. Nowhere does the
spirit of a people manifest itself more clearly and impressively than
in the buildings devoted to public worship or public deliberations, in
the images embodying the popular conception of sacred legend or
national tradition, in the appliances for private comfort and security.
To the student of Greek and Roman culture nearly all the higher
institutions of learning offer at least some possibility of making
himself acquainted with the principal monuments of Greek and
Roman art. The student of Semitic civilization has an excellent
opportunity of examining Assyrian and Babylonian monuments in
our own Semitic Museum. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, in
its Japanese collection, gives an admirable conspectus of national
life in the Far East. Both the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and
the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard contain valuable collections illus-

613

trating certain phases of mediaeval and Renaissance art. But
nowhere in this country is there a chance of studying consecu-
tively even the most important monuments of Germanic civilization.
Nowhere in this country can the student obtain a vivid impression of
the life and customs of our forefathers, from early Teutonic times to
the later Middle Ages, such as is afforded by the " Germanisches
Museum " at Nuremberg and other European collections. Nowhere
can be given an accurate conception of the wonderful Romanesque
cathedrals of the twelfth century, of the extraordinary power of
German sculpture in the thirteenth, of the exquisite works of German
wood-carving in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, — or even of
the work of such great men as Peter Vischer and Albrecht Durer.

In suggesting the establishment at Harvard of a Museum devoted
to this hitherto neglected subject, we do not wish to enter into a
discussion of the aesthetic value of German art. We admit that for
the cultivation of the sense of formal beauty the study of Italian art
is decidedly more important than the study of German art ; although
we should not be willing to grant this preference to the art of any
other modern nation. What we maintain is the paramount importance
of such a collection as this for the study of civilization.

Four or five rooms containing views and reproductions of charac-
teristic works of Germanic industry and art from the earliest times
to the sixteenth century might form a satisfactory beginning of such
a museum. First in the collection, chronologically, would be photo-
graphs and casts of such objects from the neolithic age as may serve
to throw light upon the questions of the existence of an anthropologi-
cally distinct Teutonic race, of its previous history and of its geo-
graphical distribution in Europe. Next there would follow specimens
of the characteristic products of the Hallstatt and La Tene periods ;
models of the earliest habitations in Germanic territory 3 so far as
their construction can be ascertained from actual remains, from
imitations in the form of house-urns, and from the descriptions of
ancient writers ; pictures showing the mode of burial in various
epochs, and casts of tombstones with Eunic inscriptions. The
progress made during the period of the Migrations and the centuries
immediately following, in the arts of working metals, of carving and
weaving, would be shown by reproductions of objects in the museums
of Nuremberg, Mainz, and Christiania, and in the British Museum ;
the development of navigation by models of boats, from the dug-out
of the lake- dweller to the sea-going boat of Nydam and the Viking
ship of Gokstad ; the advance in architecture by models of the
German, the Anglo-Saxon, and the Norse halls as described in the

614

literatures of the respective countries. G-erman culture during the
period from Charlemagne to the Hohenstaufen would be illustrated
by photographs of exteriors and interiors of the great Romanesque
cathedrals of Aachen, Worms, Speier, Mainz, etc., the Kaiserpfalz
at Goslar, the Wartburg and other castles, and by casts of such
works of sculpture as the Bernward column of Hildesheim, the brass
portals of Hildesheim and Augsburg, the Lion of Braunschweig, etc.,
etc. The thirteenth century would be characterized by photographs
of the great G-othic cathedrals, and by photographs or casts of the
sculptures at Freiberg, Wechselburg, Naumburg, Bamberg, Freiburg,
Strassburg. For the fourteenth century a selection of sepulchral
monuments from the " Germanisches Museum" at Nuremberg would
be sufficient ; while the fifteenth century should be fully brought to
view by representative types of the earlier wood-carving, by speci-
mens of the various schools of painting between the Van Eycks and
Diirer, and, finally, by as complete a collection as possible of the
works of Diirer, Holbein, Peter Vischer, Adam Krafft, Veit Stoss,
Michael Pacher and Hans Briiggemann.

A collection like this could hardly be begun with less than $10,000.
But, if carried out successfully, it would undoubtedly be one of the
most useful departments of the University. It would be the first
attempt to bring before the eyes of American students a picture of
early European and mediaeval civilization. It would, at the same
time, be a worthy monument to the genius of a people which has had
a large part in shaping the ideals of modern life and which has given
to this country millions of devoted citizens.

GEORGE A. BARTLETT,
KUNO FRANCKE,
HUGO K. SCHILLING,

Committee of the
German Department.

Cambridge, March, 1897.

PROFESSOR SCHILLING'S SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENT.

The principal object of the proposed Germanic Museum is the
purely practical one of furnishing illustrative material for certain
courses of study in Germanic archaeology and mediaeval German
literature and art. The value of object lessons in all grades of
instruction does not need to be pointed out ; its recognition
has revolutionized our methods of teaching from the kindergarten
to the university and is constantly leading to the establishment of

615

new museums in connection with institutions of learning. In no
department of study, however, would a museum be more variously
and more directly useful than in that of Germanic philology and
literature. It is impossible to study any phase of human civiliza-
tion without at least a general knowledge of the whole field ; to
appreciate the literature of any given period, we must be acquainted
with the social and economic conditions, with the political and
religious institutions, the state of the arts and industries, the
domestic life and its environment, in short with everything that
makes for the physical well-being of the people, affects the intellectual
and emotional activities, stimulates the imagination, and sets stan-
dards of morality and of taste. But it is obvious that a scientific
treatment of the history of Germanic culture, as attempted in our
graduate course in Germanic Antiquities, will be vastly more attract-
ive and profitable if it is supplemented with a series of object lessons
in a carefully arranged museum. This is true of all stages of Ger-
manic culture, but especially of the earliest, down to the middle
ages ; the historical records begin comparatively late and are at best
but scant, while the numerous remains of products of human skill
and ingenuity which have fortunately come down to us, throw a flood
of light upon various aspects of early civilization. The words of
Tacitus would often convey to us but the vaguest meaning if the
excavations of antiquarians had not brought to light objects of the
very kind to which he refers ; the history of South-European influence
upon certain portions of the barbaric north would be wrapt in obscu-
rity if the path of the Roman trader were not strewn with the products
of southern culture and with their crude native imitations. In later
periods as well, when literature begins to develop and historiography
becomes more voluminous, we are still obliged at every step to turn
to archaeology, to the monuments of sculpture and architecture, and
to the miniature paintings and pen drawings in manuscripts, for the
elucidation of points which the written records leave in doubt.

But while the proposed museum will be invaluable in the study of
the cultural conditions which determine the character of literature,
its usefulness if measured by the number of those who are benefitted
by it, will be greatest in the study of literature itself. Mediaeval
poetry contains countless allusions to objects once universally familiar
and hence rarely described, but which are now no longer used or are
perhaps so transformed that their mention conveys to the modern
mind a wholly erroneous idea ; objects which, moreover, underwent
radical changes in the course of the middle ages themselves. The
old popular epics and the Icelandic sagas deal mainly with the life of

616

the warrior at home and in the field ; they speak of his lordly hall,
his dress and accoutrements, his weapons and coat of mail, his
dragon-prowed ship ; the court epic of the twelfth century is simi-
lar in tenor, if more refined, but there is a vast difference between its
setting and that of the earlier epic, between the castle of the knight
and the hall in the Beowulf song, between the equipment of Parzival
and that of Hildebrand. A knowledge of these things is obviously
indispensable to the student of literature ; without it, not only single
words, but whole passages, whole scenes and episodes, remain unin-
telligible or reveal but a tithe of their actual significance ; without it,
furthermore, the student is unable to appreciate what is in many
cases the sole criterion of age in a poem : the more or less archaic
character of certain objects mentioned therein. But such knowledge
is unquestionably best imparted by means of pictures, casts, and
models of typical specimens in their successive stages of evolution ;
object lessons of that kind will give to the contents of mediaeval
literature more reality, more life and color, than the most graphic
descriptions.

Finally, the museum will have its uses even in the discussion of
purely linguistic topics. Abstract terms, for instance, originate by
the figurative use of designations of concrete things or processes ;
implements, appliances, etc., are primarily named after the functions
they perform, or the materials they are made of ; some of the oldest
set phrases and proverbial locutions were suggested by the appear-
ance or the physical properties of certain familiar objects ; in all
such cases an examination of the earliest extant specimens of the
articles in question may serve to solve etymological or semasiologi-
cal problems when philology would perhaps be able to offer only
conjectures.

Pictures in illustrated works are in the majority of cases more or
less unsatisfactory. Apart from the fact that they present only one
point of view, they are apt to be on too small a scale to show details ;
and they often fail to give an accurate idea of the size and propor-
tions of the original. At their very best they are inferior to plastic
reproductions, both in interest and instructiveness. Some objects,
however, cannot even be shown in pictures, because the originals are
totally lost ; of the wooden houses and halls of early Teutonic times,
for instance, not a trace is left ; but numerous descriptive items fur-
nished by poets and historiographers make it possible to construct
fairly accurate typical models which will save hours of discussion
and will give a far more vivid and lasting conception than words
could impart.

KCVII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT TIIK
DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee on the Department of Zoology respectfully report :
That they visited in a body the Department in Cambridge, and spent
a half day with the Professor and his Instructor ; they surveyed the
entire plant and modes of instruction ; and, at their request, Professor
Mark called a meeting subsequently of his department, and sub-
mitted to your committee a report on the needs of his department,
which coincided with, but more fully expressed, the views of all the
Instructors. Your Committee accordingly recommend : —

1. A better equipment of the Aquarium; at an estimated cost of
$1000.

2. A permanent fund for publications, of $25,000.

At present the fund is annual, and has amounted to $800 a year ;
one half given by Mr. Agassiz and one half by the Corporation.
The Department wishes to publish "Contributions from the Zoologi-
cal Laboratory" regularly, in order to record what is done for
higher education.

3. Some provision for more extensive instruction in Comparative
histology and histogenesis, to be combined with (Zool. 13) course.
This course should cover a whole year.

4. Courses in systematic Zoology are needed, when practicable :

(a) on Ornithology and Mammalogy.

(b) on Entomology.

5. There is also need of working collections to teach with.

Your committee would express their satisfaction with the rooms,
facilities, and modes of instruction ; and the zeal with which higher
researches are being pursued.

DAVID W. CHEEVER.
CLARENCE JOHN BLAKE.
WILLIAM BREWSTER.

Committee.
January 14, 1901.

XCVIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PHYSICAL
TRAINING, ETC.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

I called a meeting of the Committee on Physical Training, Athletic
Sports and Sanitary Condition of all Buildings at my house Thursday
evening, January 10th, and all responded with the exception of Mr.
Robert Bacon and Mr. Theodore Roosevelt of New York.

It was the unanimous sentiment that if the same system of com-
petitions, so successful in the rowing department, should be adopted
in all the other branches of athletics, it would result in equal success.
The doctors on the committee also have found that the system of the
rowing has been the means of keeping a much larger proportion
of men out of mischief than has been reached by any other method
tried before.

It was also thought that considering the enormous amount of
work entailed on the Resident Graduate Manager with all the
athletics combined, the office should be made a permanent one
with a commensurate salary.

The question of the proposed dam across the Charles River was
also duly considered and all the members pledged themselves to do
everything in their power to carry out our plans for it.

This evening meeting has proved so conclusively that the evening
is the best time for all the members of said committee to meet for
the propei' consideration of subjects that come before it, that in the
future, while I hold the position of Chairman of the Committee, I
shall always call meetings at that time.

Submitted by

GEORGE W. WELD,

Chairman.
February 6, 1901.

XCIX.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL
ECONOMY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College: —

The Committee on Political Economy has had this year and last
year long conferences with the Professors in the Department, and
members of the Committee have also corresponded with the head of
the Department.

A very large proportion of the students take Political Economy,
and many take the more advanced courses. The courses seem to be
satisfactorily conducted and the lecture system is supplemented by
conferences and teaching in sections.

A course in Accounting has been takeii by a considerable number
of students, and next year an excellent programme is proposed for a
course in business law. It is intended that such special courses
should be confined to graduates or to seniors, and it seems best that
they should not interfere with the general and broader courses of
instruction in this or any other department.

The great loss to the University and to the Department of Political
Economy from the death of Professor Charles F. Dunbar has been
referred to by the President in his report.

For the Committee,

ARTHUR T. LYMAN,

Chairman.
June 5, 1901.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

JEFFERSON PHYSICAL LABORATORY

AND DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS.

To the Board of Overseers oe Harvard College: —

The undersigned members of the Committee appointed to visit the
Jefferson Physical Laboratory and Department of Physics, having
attended a duly notified meeting at the laboratory building on
Wednesday, May 8, 1901, have the honor to report as follows: —

The number of students in the laboratory is 470, an increase of
nearly a hundred over the corresponding number a year ago. More-
over, the fact'that elementary physics (principally laboratory physics)
was offered by 488 candidates at the entrance examinations last year,
is mainly due to the successful efforts of the staff of the Jefferson
Physical Laboratory to establish efficient methods of laboratory
instruction in preparatory schools. An obvious result of this good
service is the raising of the standard of work in physics which may
be done by the average student after entering college. Indeed, it is
not too much to say that a thorough mathematical training is pre-
requisite to the acquirement of more than the elementary principles
of physical science.

As students fitting themselves for the commercial application of
scientific knowledge are naturally drawn to technical schools, it is
certainly extremely gratifying to find so large a number of under-
graduates at Harvard College electing the relatively difficult courses
offered by the Department of Physics. That the prestige of the
Department in this regard may be preserved, the Committee suggest
that members of the Faculty, when serving as advisers, should
impress upon would-be students in physics the absolute necessity
of coincident mathematical courses.

The Committee are impressed by the number and the importance
of the original investigations undertaken by the Director during the
present academic year. These investigations may be summarized as
follows : —

1. The magnetic effect of a rapidly moving electric charge. The
existence of such a magnetic effect has lately been called in question ;

624

and the subject is of fundamental importance, as the entire modern
theory of ions or electrons is based upon the hypothesis that a moving
electric charge is equivalent to an electrical current. That it is so
equivalent, this investigation has proved by an entirely new method.

2. The insulating properties of paraffine ; and the variations in its
electric constants due to variations in the wave lengths of electricity.
Interesting results have already been obtained, and the investigation
will be finished in a few weeks.

3. An experimental study of the sender or oscillator used in wire-
less telegraphy. This investigation will be finished in June.

4. A further study of the hydrogen spectra, by means of vacuum
tubes provided with terminals of different metals. Having regard to
the new views of the electric constitution of matter, the problems
connected with the action of hydrogen on these metals is a very
interesting and important one. Hydrogen freed from atoms of oxy-
gen, in other words nascent hydrogen, appears to have harmonic
spectra which can be traced in the sun's spectrum. It is found also
that aluminum gives off oxygen when it is used as a terminal in rare-
fied tubes. It may be that the transparency of this metal to the
X-Rays is connected with this peculiarity ; and that ozone or anto-
ozone may be formed ; and thus may be explained the formation of
mists and the production of burns by these rays. These researches
promise to extend over several years : but they have already yielded
sufficient matter for an important paper which will be published
during the coming summer.

5. Measurements of the chemical energy of the sun. This study
is made possible by a comparison of the photographic effects of the
sun and the discharge from the storage battery of the laboratory.
An elaborate investigation has been made of the law of the blacken-
ing of sensitive plates by means of the light of the spark from a con-
denser of known electric value. It is hoped, with reasonable assur-
ance, to estimate the energy of the sun in terms of electrical energy.

Professor Edwin H. Hall is engaged in further study of the " Hall
effect," in the hope that he may demonstrate allied effects in iron.
This work is a continuation of a general investigation begun by Pro-
fessor Hall several years ago for the purpose of determining the
existence of certain theoretical relations between electrical conduc-
tivity, thermal conductivity, thermo-electric quality and all the
various transverse effects of which the "Hall effect" is the first
discovered and the best known. Professor Hall has also consulted

625

with Mr. T. C. McKay, in regard to his search for the possible
effect of sunlight on the electrical conductivity of gold foil ; and with
Dr. W". E. McElfresh, in regard to his research on the effects of
absorbed hydrogen in palladium.

Professor B. O. Peirce, until his absence from the laboratory on
sick leave, directed an investigation of the voltaic cell which has
since been finished by his assistant Mr. C. H. Ayres.

Professor Wallace C. Sabine has continued his investigation of
architectural acoustics the results of which have already proved to be
of great practical value. Professor Sabine has also suggested an
investigation in light and has worked constantly with Mr. Theodore
Lyman in carrying it on.

Since the report of last year, papers embodying results of investi-
gations in the Jefferson Physical Laboratory have been published
under the subjoined titles : —

1. The Production of the X-Rays by a Battery Current. By John

Trowbridge. The American Journal of Science, Vol. IX,
June, 1900.

2. The Spectra of Hydrogen and the Spectrum of Aqueous Vapor.

By John Trowbridge. The American Journal of Science,
Vol. X, September, 1900.

3. Architectural Acoustics, Part I. — Reverberation. By Wallace C.

Sabine. American Architect, 1900.

4. False Spectra from the Rowland Concave Grating. By Theodore

Lyman. Physical Review, Vol. XII, No. 1, January, 1901.

5. Indices of Refraction for Electric Waves, Measured by a Modified

Radio-Micrometer. By George Pierce. Philosophical Maga-
zine, February, 1901.

6. Circular Magnetization and Magnetic Permeability. By John

Trowbridge and E. P. Adams. The American Journal of
Science, Vol. XI, March, 1901.

The work done at the Jefferson Physical Laboratory has attracted
to it young physicists from many of the United States and from
Canada. During the year, no less than five graduate students have
been occupied successfully in physical research. Of these students
two are teachers : one a professor in an Ohio University ; the other
an instructor in the Toronto University. The list of well-trained and
mature men who are applicants for scholarships in physics is an
unusually large one.

The facts stated in this report strengthen the belief of the Com-
mittee that the Jefferson Physical Laboratory is now the leading

•626

physical laboratory in America ; and that its plant and the disposi-
tion and the energy of its Staff are such as would insure a proportion-
ate increase of valuable results if it were to receive a much larger
endowment for original research.

FRANCIS BLAKE.
ELIHU THOMSON.
A. LAWRENCE ROTCH.
June 5, 1901.

CI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MODERN
HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL LAW.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Your Committee have devoted considerable time and attention to
their duty, and some of them have visited a number of courses in the
Department of Modern History and International Law. On reflec-
tion it seemed to us that either from lack of leisure or lack of
knowledge of the methods of instruction we were not competent to
examine the different courses with the aim of criticism and sugges-
tions of improvement. We thought therefore that a meeting with
the members of the Department in which there should be a free
interchange of views and in which we should be learners as well as
visitors would better subserve the end of our appointment. We met
ten of the Professors and Instructors and devoted an evening to
discussion of the matter in hand, considering the academic opinions
from the point of view of men of the world. After a long conversa-
tion in which the needs of the Department were presented to us and
in which our direct questions were met by frank answers, it was
decided that the members of the Department should hold a meeting,
formulate what they considered the needs of the Department and
present this statement to us in writing. This has been done and we
beg leave to summarize this report, which is confined to fields of
Modern History, American History, and Government. We premise
that we leave out of consideration the seminary courses. The work
of the students of these courses in learned monographs, in papers
presented to the American Historical Association, in teaching at
Harvard and other universities and colleges is speaking each year
more forcibly for the excellent results obtained in the Graduate
School than any trite words of commendation we might express
in this report.

The Professors and Instructors inform us that more than one
thousand students are now receiving instruction in Modern History

628

and American History ; that ' ' the interest in Government is
very strong and is increasing," the following table showing the
development.

1890-91 1894-95 1900-01

Number of courses 5 7 7£

" « students 193 310 607

They further aver that in these subjects more courses are given at
Columbia, at Chicago, and at the University of Pennsylvania than
are given at Harvard ; and they ' ' need each year several courses
and half courses on such topics and periods as the following : The
Reformation in France; the Tudor period; Germany since 1815;
France since 1815; the Rise of Prussia; the Unification of Italy;
Eastern Asia in the 19th Century ; History of British India ; History
of Colonization ; the Making of the American Constitution , the
Slavery Question in the United States ; American Territorial Develop-
ment ; Municipal Government ; the Government of Dependencies ;
Federal Government ; the History of Political Philosophy ; the
Organization and Working of the Civil Service in different countries."
"These courses," they add, "should be varied from year to year
and not repeated oftener than every other year."

It is our judgment that in the United States nothing so generally
stamps the educated man, next to a knowledge of the English language
and literature, as exact intelligence on questions of history and
government. Let any minister, lawyer, doctor, business man or
gentleman of leisure recall his business and social intercourse of the
past three years and he will not fail to see that a thorough acquaint-
ance with nearly all of these subjects which we have enumerated
would at certain times under certain circumstances have been of
immense value to him. It is well known to any student of history
that he ought to know some one period well, and if, after the
necessary elementary instruction, he selects some one of these
periods as his own he goes into the world intellectually a stronger
man ; and such is the constitution of the human mind that, having
acquired this interest in some one historical epoch as an undergradu-
ate, the interest will likely remain with him through life, inducing
him to keep up with the literature of his subject. A knowledge of
these subjects enumerated and others akin to them will enforce the
remark of Bishop Stubbs : ' ' The disciplinary benefit of the study of
History is to make people honest and intelligent in their view of
public events and of public measures and duties, as well as of men
and parties ; it is a training of the judgment and it helps to train it
for other than public duties too, for the patient consideration of pri-

629

vatc as well as public opinion and for individual as well as corporate
consciousness."

The Professors and Instructors ended their communication thus :
' ' What we need is not so much an increase in the number of pro-
fessors, as a staff of younger men, assistant professors and instruct-
ors, whose compensation is less in proportion to their work and to
whom we must look for the future development of this side of our
work."

We believe that the Professors and Instructors have shown wisdom
in the presentation of their needs, and that instruction in the subjects
referred to would be of advantage to the undergraduates and, in
other respects, to the University.

Respectfully submitted,

JAMES FORD RHODES.

WILLIAM F. WHARTON.

Boston, June 10, 1901.

I have visited the seminars and found the teaching as admirable
as was the intercourse between professor and pupil.

I concur with Messrs. Rhodes and Wharton and add the sugges-
tion that to use as lecturers such Harvard leaders as were Emerson,
Motley, Prescott, Parkman, Phillips, and Bancroft, and such as are
Choate and Carter in law, Bull and McBurney in surgery, Morrison
in bridge-building, and Hoar and Roosevelt in politics would reassure
Harvard's primacy as an university, would cure many troubles from
lack of income, would give the vitality of leadership of men, and
would harmonize Harvard with the people.

W. G. PECKHAM.

Dort, Holland, June 21, 1901.

en.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON REPORTS AND
RESOLUTIONS.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College: —

The Committee on Reports and Resolutions respectfully submit
the following : —

The duty of annually revising the list of Committees of the Board
to visit the various Departments and Courses of Instruction of the
University during each academic year has heretofore been performed
by a special committee, annually appointed. The Board will, how-
ever, remember that, by vote of November 28, 1900, it was provided
that in future this work be done by the standing Committee on
Reports and Resolutions.

Acting under the vote referred to, the Committee desire to say
that reports during the year have been received from the following
Visiting Committees : —

1. On Fine Arts.

2. To visit the Veterinary School.

3. To visit the Chemical Laboratory.

4. To visit the Lawrence Scientific School.

5. On Zoology.

6. On Physical Training, etc.

7. On Germanic Languages and Literatures.

8. On Political Economy.

9. To visit the Jefferson Physical Laboratory, etc.

10. On Modern History and International Law.

11. To visit the Bussey Institution.

12. To visit the Gray Herbarium.

The Committee further desire to call attention to the fact that the
following changes have been made in the committees as compared
with the committees of the previous academic year : —

1. The Committee to visit the Veterinary School has been omitted,
for reasons unnecessary to refer to in detail.

632

2. The Committee on the Course of Instruction in Fine Arts and
that on the Course of Instruction in Architecture have been consoli-
dated into one committee, to be known as the " Committee on Fine
Arts and Architecture." This change is recommended for the
obvious reason that the Courses of Instruction heretofore visited
by these two committees were so closely allied as in fact to be
analogous. One committee, it is believed, will, therefore, not only
simplify the machinery, but will accomplish the object in view more
effectively than two committees.

3. A Committee to visit the Department of Instruction has been
added, in conformity with the following vote passed by the Board at
the meeting of April 10, 1901, and referred to this Committee for
consideration : —

Voted : That a Committee of the Overseers be appointed to consider and
report upon the Department of Instruction called the Department of Edu-
cation ; and that this Committee have in charge also the subject of the
relations of the University to the Preparatory Schools.

Finally, the Committee desire to call attention to a suggestion
contained in the report of the special committee which prepared
and presented the list of Visiting Committees a year ago. It was
there pointed out that the efficacy of the whole system of Visiting
Committees depends almost exclusively upon the interest those
appointed as Chairmen of the several committees feel in the Course
or Department to which they are assigned, and the amount of time
and thought they are prepared to devote to committee work. As is
well known to its members and the Alumni of the University, this
Board is composed largely of men in active life, who can ill afford
the time absolutely essential to effective committee work in con
nection with the various Departments or Courses of Instruction in
such an institution as Harvard College has now become. Recogniz-
ing this fact, the members of the Board appointed as Chairmen of
various committees have not infrequently called their committee
together, stated their inability properly to perform the functions of
Chairman, and asked to be excused, suggesting the appointment of
some other member of the committee as its Chairman. This practice
has resulted in placing at the head of several committees men not
belonging to the Board of Overseers but who have evinced a desire
to interest themselves in the affairs of the University.

Your Committee desire, therefore, to emphasize the fact that it is
in the power of each visiting committee to effect its own organiza-
tion. Those named as the heads of the committees are so designated
because they have been considered as most likely to fill the positions

633

efficiently. If, however, for any reason, a person so designated
should desire to be relieved of the responsibility thus imposed, it
is in the power of the committee, acting on his suggestion, to make
any change deemed likely to increase its efficiency. The work of
the committee can thus always be put in the hands of those having
the most leisure and greatest disposition to attend to it.

All of which, together with the accompanying list of committees,
is respectfully submitted.

By order of the Committee,

CHARLES F. ADAMS,

Chairman.
November 13, 1901.

cm.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
BUSSEY INSTITUTION.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee appointed to visit the Bussey Institution have
clone so, and beg leave to make the following report : —

The possibility of carrying out the recommendation No. 1, page
580, of our Report of 1900, was questioned by Prof. F. H. Storer,
Dean.

The accompanying letter from the architects of the building,
Messrs. Peabody & Stearns, enables us to say that, if the strength-
ening of the floor can be done without great expense, we adhere to
our recommendation No. 1 in our Report of 1900.

FRANCIS H. APPLETON.
WM. S. HALL.
A. HEMENWAY.
A. H. PARKER.
C. MINOT WELD.
LAWRENCE BROOKS.
July, 1901.

The recommendation in the Report of April, 1900, referred to in
the foregoing, was as follows : —

"1. That a large work room for the students in agriculture and hor-
ticulture be provided, and that the large unfinished north room on the
second story of the stone building be finished off and divided by a parti-
tion at such place as shall best serve this need. This will also enable
some different disposition to be made, of a portion at least, of the books
of the library, which at present loses much of its usefulness for want of
room.

4 ' This recommendation can be carried out at a small expense and the
need is very urgent.11

The letter of Messrs. Peabody & Stearns referred to is as
follows : —

June 11, 1901.
Dear Sir : —

Mr. Stearns called at the Bussey Institution Building ; Mr. Storer hap-
pened to be there and he (Mr. Storer) showed him the room to which you
refer in your report.

636

We do not suppose you know how much load would be put upon this
floor, but we told Mr. Storer that it was possible to make it strong enough
to hold anything that was proposed. The timber now is a very long span
and we do not think it would be safe in its present condition to load it with
books, but it certainly can be made strong enough for any reasonable load.
Mr. Storer's objection to using it for a library, we think, is that the build-
ing is not fireproof, and he apparently believes tjiat it would be better to
build a fireproof room for the library, which is becoming very valuable.

Yours truly,

Peabody & Stearns.
To F. H. Appleton, Esq.,
251 Marlborough St.

crv.

KEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
GRAY HERBARIUM.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College: —

The Committee appointed by the Overseers of Harvard College to
visit the Gray Herbarium during the Academic year 1900-01 held a
formal meeting at the Herbarium in January. Messrs. Peabody
(chairman), Deane, Kennedy, Kidder, White, and Williams were
present. Mr. Williams was elected Secretary.

The resignation of Mr. E. H. Abbot from the Committee, owing
to protracted absence in Europe, was read and accepted with
regret.

The Committee then listened to a report by Prof. Robinson on the
work of the Herbarium and discussed with him many details regard-
ing the publications of the establishment, especially the new form of
Dr. Gray's u Lessons in Botany " which is being edited for the Her-
barium by Mr. R. G. Leavitt and the seventh edition of the u Man-
ual of Botany " which is being prepared by Prof. Robinson and Mr.
Fernald.

The financial condition of the Herbarium was then considered in
detail. It was decided that another circular signed by the Committee
should be sent to 1500 persons, chiefly in Boston and suburbs, stating
the nature of the work of the Gray Herbarium, its partial endow-
ment, and need of assistance to meet current expenses. Several
members of the Committee signified their willingness to contribute
to the sum needed. The meeting was then adjourned.

During the remainder of the year, owing to the absence from
Boston of some of the members of the Committee and illness of
others, no further meetings were held. However, Messrs. Deane,
Hammond, Kennedy, Kidder, and Williams each made one or more
informal visits to the Herbarium, and Messrs. Peabody and White
held consultations with Prof. Robinson.

The circular of the Committee has to date brought in $1750, and
the members of the Committee have contributed $2310, during the
year toward current expenses. These sums together with the re-
ceipts from the endowment and publications of the Herbarium have
somewhat exceeded its expenses, but it is not possible to give exact
figures until the report of the Treasurer of the College is made up.

August 6, 1901.

EMILE F. WILLIAMS,

Secretary of the Committee.

cv.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE
MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee have met at the Museum at least once a year, and
at 50 State Street as occasion demanded.

The income of the Museum has been increased by $1,500 voted by
the Corporation of the University and by an annual rental of $700
from Radcliffe in return for teaching facilities, and by the addition to
its permanent fund of $100,000 from the Henry L. Pierce legacy.
The income, restricted and unrestricted, now amounts to nearly
$30,000, thereby filling some needs which the officers of the
Museum have long considered imperative.

This increase in income is not sufficient to make good the loss
from lessened rates of interest, so that the available funds of the
Museum are less now than twenty-five years ago, while the demands
upon it have enormously increased. Without the continued munifi-
cence of Mr. Agassiz there would be no means of carrying on this
great work as at present — a fact which naturally causes some anxiety
as to the future.

Since nearly ten years ago, efforts have been made from time to
time through Dean Shaler, Professor Goodale, and this Committee
to secure $100,000 to complete the eastern or main portion of the
Museum, in order to relieve the over-crowding, which was chiefly
noticeable in the laboratories and lecture rooms. These efforts
failing, the generosity of Mr. Agassiz, Mr. and Mrs. Quincy A.
Shaw, and Mrs. Henry L. Higginson has provided the money for
building the southwest corner of the Museum, so that now only one
hundred feet of the southern wing is left unfinished to complete
the entire great building planned by the late Professor Agassiz.
The new building, nearly finished, will accommodate the depart-
ments of Geology and Geography and give much needed room to
the departments of Zoology and Palaeontology.

The collections in the Museum have been increased by gifts and
purchases, some of which are quite large, many of which are of great
value and exceeding scientific interest ; and a great portion of them

640

have been placed in the hands of experts for examination and classi-
fication. Especially to be mentioned are the land shells, reptiles,
insects, corals, and pelagic animals collected by Mr. Agassiz in his
expedition to Fiji, assisted by Dr. Woodworth ; and the extensive
collections made by Mr. Agassiz's Albatross expedition, which left
San Francisco in August, 1899, and visited seventy-five of the Pacific
islands.

Incidental to the Albatross expedition an Ethnological collection
was made and presented to the Peabody Museum which constituted
their most valuable gift for the year. The Fiji expedition was also
supplemented by an expedition to Samoa by Dr. Woodworth to com-
plete his valuable collections and investigations.

Another expedition is to be undertaken by Mr. Agassiz in Novem-
ber of this year, with also the assistance of Dr. Woodworth, which,
like the previous two, is to be chiefly for the sake of continuing Mr.
Agassiz's investigations in coral reefs.

Until quite recently, a collection of mammals has been very much
needed at the Museum. Fortunately, there was a private collection
of more than 10,000 specimens, made and owned by Mr. Outram
Bangs and his brother, Mr. E. A. Bangs, which would more than fill
this need and which, as the Committee learned, could be purchased.
This most rare and valuable collection, in its plan and in the prepara-
tion of its specimens, filled every exacting demand of the scientist
and was obtained by the Committee for $5,000, a sum so small in
proportion to its value that it should be regarded largely as a gift
from the Messrs. Bangs.

The collection was in a private house and exposed to danger from
fire, and to secure its prompt removal to the Museum the Committee
guaranteed the sum necessary to complete its purchase.

Mr. Outram Bangs has been appointed Assistant in Mammalogy,
and gives liberally of his skill and time to arranging and completing
the collection and to the duties generally incident to his position.
He has already added more than a thousand specimens to the col-
lection, and chiefly of South American mammals.

The additions to the library have been about the average and
include books and pamphlets belonging to the late Col. Theodore
Lyman. The two rooms of the Whitney Library have been assigned,
one to geological and geographical serials and the other to the publi-
cations of geological surveys and to maps. Upwards of two hundred
volumes and pamphlets treating of Ethnology have been transferred
to the Peabody Museum, and nearly as many botanical works to the
Grray Herbarium and the special libraries of the departments of

641

Botany. Many duplicates have been transferred to the general
library of the University. By a vote of the Council of the Uni-
versity Library upwards of five hundred geological volumes and
pamphlets were transferred from Gore Hall to the library of the
Museum. It is earnestly hoped that the officers of the central
library will continue this policy and in time transfer to the Museum
such books in other departments of natural history as are not already
there. Such an arrangement would make the Museum library the
most complete of its kind and one of the strongest departments of
the University. It would facilitate the work of students, and add
much to the utility of the books and efficiency of the Museum, as
books on systematic natural history are of little use apart from the
collections of which they treat.

The reports and bulletins of work done by Mr. Agassiz and his
large corps of assistants have continued to maintain their high
standard, and, like the Museum itself, stand without a rival.
The cost of publishing these volumes has been very large and has
been met through the generous gifts of Mr. Agassiz.

The extensive alterations in the delivery-room of the library,
including additional stacks for the increasing number of books of
reference, and the introduction of water into the extreme eastern end
of the building, have done much for the comfort and efficiency of
service of the staff of the Museum.

The regular courses in Zoology and Geology given in the Natural
History laboratories, increasing each year (now attended by more
than 800 students, excluding the Rad cliff e classes), afford the best
opportunity for study, and the excellence of the laboratory work is
expressed by the large number and quality of publications by the
students in them. A large number of students in these laboratories
have been called to positions in other colleges and universities and
have been connected with national and state geological surveys.

The use of the Museum by the public and by teachers with their
classes has continuously grown until it is now a very large element
in its usefulness.

There is as yet no aquarium at the Museum, and the work formerly
done by students in Mr. Agassiz's private aquarium at Newport is
now provided for at Wood's Holl under the favorable conditions
offered by the U. S. Fish Commission.

The needs of the Museum, although in a degree provided for by
the increase of income alluded to, are in the main as previously
reported by your Committee and are chiefly in the way of provid-
ing more and better means of study and teaching and investigations

642

and classification and care of specimens, and in publication of results
of work done. The present income of the Museum, generously
aided by Mr. Agassiz's private munificence, is not sufficient to meet
these ends.

In recognition of his long service in successful administration of
the instruction in Zoology under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences,
Professor Mark has been appointed, by the Corporation of the Uni-
versity, Director of the Zoological Laboratory.

Mr. Agassiz's retirement from the offices of Curator and Director
of the Museum marks an epoch of distinguished service for the Uni-
versity which seems to your Committee to deserve some special
recognition. While his administrative connection with the Museum
ceases, his great scientific service continues as before. The appoint-
ment of Dr. Walcott and Professor Goodale as a Committee to take
charge of the Museum, and of Dr. Woodworth as assistant in charge,
with Mr. Agassiz, of course, as chief adviser, leaves nothing to be
desired in the present management.

The Committee would suggest that a joint committee of the Cor-
poration and Overseers, if the Corporation see fit to concur, be
appointed to confer with Mr. Agassiz, in order that proper steps
may be taken to have his portrait painted and placed in the Museum,
as a gift from friends of the University.

CHARLES F. FOLSOM,
F. L. HIGGINSON,
LOUIS CABOT,
DUDLEY L. PICKMAX.
A. LAWRENCE LOWELL,
WILLIAM BREWSTER,
H. S. HLTDEKOPER.

October, 1901.

CVI.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND

METALLURGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The Committee appointed to visit the Department of Mining and
Metallurgy at Harvard University inspected the Department on
March 29th, and beg to submit the following report : —

The course of instruction in mining and metallurgy was first
planned in connection with the Lawrence Scientific School in the
academic year of 1895-96, but only preliminary instruction was
given until the next year, 1896-97. In that year certain courses
on mining and metallurgy were given by the Department of Geology
and Geography, it being considered desirable to carry on the
instruction in this manner until the plans for the new department
were matured. These courses increased, and were given in more
or less close connection with the Department of Geology and
Geography until 1900, when they had become so prominent a feature
in themselves that the Faculty constituted a separate Department
of Mining and Metallurgy in the Division of Geology. The Depart-
ment of Mining and Metallurgy, however, always has been, and
very properly still remains, in close relationship with the Department
of Geology and Geography.

The work from 1896 to 1898 was carried on mostly in the
University Museum, while the course in metallurgical chemistry
was carried on in Boylston Hall. In 1898-99, the Corporation
gave the Carey Athletic Building for the instruction in mining and
metallurgy; and in the same year a bequest of $5,000 by Mrs.
Rotch to the Lawrence Scientific School was used in making
necessary alterations in the building and in partially equipping it.
In 1899 the sum of $20,000 was donated by the brothers and sisters
of John Simpkins, of the Class of 1885, for the equipment of
additional laboratories as a memorial to their brother. The Rotch
and Simpkins funds have made it possible partially to adapt the
old Carey Building to the needs of the new department. Out of
the same funds a wing has been added to the east end of the
building, for assaying and smelting work ; some of the laboratories

644

have been equipped and some of the more essential apparatus and
machinery have been bought. The building is, of course, not as
good for the Department of Mining and Metallurgy as one con-
structed especially for that use, but in the absence of funds
necessary for a new building, it can, with the expenditure of a few
thousand dollars more, be made to meet the present wants. The
work of remodelling and equipping the building has been done by
Professor Smyth with admirable judgment, and the money used
has been spent to the best possible advantage ; but many things
requiring further funds yet remain to be done.

The course of instruction in the Department covers four years,
and consists of lectures, laboratory work, reading, and field work.
The courses for the first two years are closely related to those of
the first two years in the Department of Engineering, with slight
changes designed to lead the student up to the courses relating more
purely to mining and metallurgy in the third and fourth years.
Most of the subjects essential to the education of the mining and
metallurgical engineer are treated, but lack of sufficient funds for
laboratory equipment has curtailed the full development of cer-
tain most important branches, especially metallography, electro-
metallurgy, lixiviation of ores, coal mining, and the designing of
metallurgical plants.

From 1896 to 1899, there were two instructors directly connected
with the work on mining and metallurgy; in 1899 a third, and in
1900 a fourth, were added.

In 1895 to 1896, seven students took courses in mining and
metallurgy. This number has steadily increased until now the
Department includes 46 students, and facilities for instruction,
especially in the chemical laboratory, are already far too small for
the number of students.

The Department has prospered from its inception, and already
includes nine per cent, of the students of the Lawrence Scientific
School, having more students than the whole school contained ten
years ago. It has progressed much more rapidly than most newly
formed technical departments, in spite of the fact that until last
year it was without a building, and had to do its work where it
could find a chance. The instructors are all active, capable men
devoted to their specialties, and thoroughly equipped to manage
their respective parts of the work of the Department.

After a careful study of the conditions and needs of the Depart-
ment, we find that the most pressing wants at present are as
follows : —

645

1. An expansion of the instruction.

2. A more complete equipment of the chemical laboratory, which
has already been greatly outgrown, and is in no way commensurate
with the requirements of the instruction given in it. The Depart-
ment cannot do its chemical work in Boylston Hall, where the
regular chemical instruction of Harvard University is carried on,
as that building is already over-crowded, and, moreover, it is not
the place for purely technical work of the laboratory of a Department
of Mining and Metallurgy.

3. Laboratories for metallography, electro-metallurgy and lixivia-
tion of ores (chloronation, cyaniding, etc.).

4. A fund for maintenance. The Department has already ac-
quired a considerable quantity of mining and metallurgical apparatus
and machinery which requires the attention and care of a skilled
mechanic, while attendants for other purposes in the building are
required. Moreover, the expenses of water, power and other requi-
sites of the different laboratories have to be met. The Depart-
ment has had an appropriation of $250 a year from the Corporation
for the last two years, as well as a special appropriation of $500 for
metallurgy. The laboratory fees have this year amounted to $800.
The expenses of the different laboratories have been so far paid from
these three sources, but with the increased amount of apparatus and
machinery, additional funds will be required for maintenance. With
the growing number of students, the laboratory fees will increase,
but this addition will not be enough to meet the increased expenses.
It has been estimated by those in charge of the Department that
a fund which would yield an income of $1,000 yearly, in addition
to the laboratory fees and the yearly appropriation from the
Corporation, would be enough to cover the running expenses of the
whole Department.

5. More space should be provided in the building for drafting,
making models, and for increasing the lecture room facilities. It is
estimated by those in charge of the Department that $3,500 will be
required properly to equip the chemical laboratory; $2,000 to fur-
nish and equip a drafting room; $10,000 to $12,000 to build an
addition to the west end of the building for increased lecture room
facilities, to make a basement for a model-making room, and to
equip both these additions.

It is the opinion of your Committee, now that the Department
of Mining and Metallurgy has been started and is working on a
successful basis, that it should receive the necessary support. Your
Committee therefore recommend that an effort be made to secure

646

the above mentioned funds for the Department. They will add
greatly to the efficiency of the instruction, and will also enable the
Department to handle a largely increased number of students.

The education of a mining engineer involves the study of probably
more different subjects than almost any other technical course.
He must be familiar with geology, chemistry, mathematics, physics,
electricity, civil engineering, mechanics, metallurgy and assaying,
besides other technical subjects. Moreover, he should have a good
idea of business matters, and should have a thorough general educa-
tion in sciences and arts. The life of a mining engineer is often
spent in remote regions — far from civilization — in which he has to
meet technical, political and business difficulties of all kinds. A
man surrounded by these conditions should not only have a technical
education, but also the general education necessary to cope with the
problems by which he is sure to be confronted. He should be a
man capable of becoming a dictator in an isolated community, where
he must depend on his own resources to overcome all obstacles and
to meet all emergencies, where he is the sole ruler, and where he
must know not only how to conduct the purely technical parts of his
work, but also how to handle his men, maintain or even initiate
a practical organization of the community in which his mine is
situated, and make large business transactions. It is an easy
matter to educate a man to take charge of a mine or of metallurgical
works in the midst of civilization, where he can get assistance and
advice at all times, and where most of the business parts of the
operation are carried on by others ; but to educate a man to take
charge of properties in remote regions is a far more difficult problem.
With the vast development of mining now going on in western
America, Africa, and Asia, the latter class of man is needed, and
the demand for his services is rapidly increasing. Many good
mining operations to-day are injured or even ruined by the want
of such a man. No field of employment to-day offers the same
inducements in salary and other opportunities as this does. We
believe that with a thoroughly equipped mining department Harvard
University can produce a graduate whose capabilities for handling
large mining matters will be of a very superior grade, as the
instruction in mining can be so interwoven with the general educa-
tion that a student can obtain not only the necessary technical
learning, but also the general education indispensable to a man
who is to handle large mining operations.

Before closing this report your Committee would like to refer to
the excellent work done by the instructors in the Department of

647

Mining and Metallurgy. The conception of forming such a depart-
ment originated with Professor Shaler, Dean of the Lawrence
Scientific School, many years ago, but it was not until 1895 that
he was able to start it. Since then his advice and assistance
have been most important factors in the development of the new
Department.

Professor H. L. Smyth, the head of the Department and Chair-
man of the Committee of the Faculty in charge, has been most
successful in gradually increasing and improving the different courses
of instruction, and his administration of the department, in re-
arranging the old Carey Building, equipping the different laboratories
and making the best out of the limited funds at his command, has
been excellent.

Mr. Sauveur, whose work in metallography has given him a high
position in that very important branch of science, has done excellent
service in the Department. Mr. White, in charge of the chemical
work of the Department, and Mr. Eaymer, in charge of the metal-
lurgical work, are deserving of great credit in accomplishing much
work with limited facilities.

R. A. F. PENROSE, Jr.

Chairman.
November, 1901.

CVII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE

PEABODY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

AND ETHNOLOGY.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

Your Committee are glad to report that, after ten years of persis-
tent effort, instruction in Anthropology in all its branches has been
established on a broad basis and its importance to the University
demonstrated by the number and character of the students who elect
the various courses offered. For the present year fifty-five students
are studying these subjects, and it would now seem incumbent on the
Corporation to acknowledge the importance of the division by pro-
viding more adequate salaries for the instructors. Had it not been
for various sums of money received from friends of the Museum it
would have been difficult to prevent some of these instructors from
leaving us.

Your Committee would regard it as a decided step backwards for
Harvard to curtail instruction in these subjects at a time when all
the leading institutions of learning in the country are vying with
each other in giving prominence to these courses of study.

In previous reports we have called attention to the crowded con-
dition of the exhibition halls and to the impossibility of making a
proper arrangement of all the collections until the new building which
shall connect the Peabody Museum with the Agassiz Museum is
built. There are enough specimens packed away in the basement
of the old building to fill the new structure were it in existence.
Is there not some friend of the University who will provide $100,000
for this purpose as well as $50,000 for maintenance?

The salary of the Peabody Professor is in the opinion of your
Committee entirely inadequate, and not only is he obliged to give
half of his time to an institution in New York, in order to make a
living, but he has to pay the salary of his Secretary from his own
pocket.

650

We find that the University heats the new Semitic building from
the boilers in the Peabody building and apparently allows nothing
for this, although the consumption of coal is greatly increased.
It would seem that the Corporation should allow something to cover
this, and also something for the use of the recitation halls used by
University students.

As in all departments of the University, what is most wanted is
money to provide for the various needs, but it seems to your
Committee that this Department suffers from lack of funds more in
proportion than any other.

AUGUSTUS HEMENWAY,
HENRY W. HAYNES,
F. L. HIGGINSON.
December 11, 1901.

CVIII.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE ADMINIS-
TRATION OF THE UNIVERSITY CHAPEL.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College : —

The work of the Preachers to the University in the Chapel and at
Wadsworth House is admirable and valuable. The attendance of
the students at Prayers, increasing to some extent, their spirit
of devotion, and their response to the influences of the services,
are full of encouragement.

A year ago the Overseers, prompted by a report of the Visiting
Committee, called the attention of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
to the fact that a few lectures had been appointed for the hour which
had hitherto been left free for the daily prayers. The cordial spirit
in which the Faculty received the suggestion that this conflict of
duties should be avoided and a free space be reserved for morning
worship, and their prompt and favorable action, gave assurance that
the members of the Faculty appreciate highly the value and importance
of the daily prayers in the life of the College.

The conviction has been growing upon the Committee from year to
year that, if the religious life of the University is to sustain its
relative dignity in the development of the University, some marked
advance must soon be made.

1. There should be an ample endowment for the support of the
services in the Chapel, that the College funds may be released from
the obligation of meeting the cost of them, and that the work of the
Preachers and the services in the Chapel may be carried on in a
stronger and more generous way.

The College is to-day imposing upon the Preachers to the Uni-
versity conditions that should not continue. Men whose time is
of great value to the communities in which they live pass six weeks
each at the University, and receive an honorarium which is no com-
pensation. The Preachers give of their thought and life, and give
gladly and generously.

2. Appleton Chapel does not meet the conditions of the institu-
tional religious life of the University to-day.

652

Under the system of compulsory prayers, the unattractive charac-
ter of the interior was partially lost sight of in the great mass of
students.

Under the voluntary system, there are one or two services a week
when the Chapel is well filled, and six services when there are from
one hundred to three hundred students. Such a number in Appleton
Chapel serves to emphasize the greatness of space, the barrenness of
the architecture, and the hardness of the lines. It is a source of
great encouragement that, in spite of these somewhat forbidding
conditions, the daily worship has been sustained with the warmth
and fervor so characteristic of it. This has been due largely to a
sincere desire for worship on the part of the students, a succession
of strong preachers, and a fine choir.

With the development of the College, the erection of noble build-
ings, and the fuller appreciation of ecclesiastical architecture, the
time is soon coming — it has come — when the religious life and the
worship of the University demand a Chapel better adapted to
the voluntary system and more in harmony with the traditions of
the past and the taste of worshippers in these days. The Chapel
of the University ought to be the noblest, most uplifting and inspir-
ing building in the College precincts : a temple about which will cling
the tenderest associations and the richest memories. The Chapel of
Harvard University should be so constructed that it will contain a
great congregation of worshippers ; at the same time, its plan should
be such that in some part of the building a body of students may
worship with a sense of sympathetic touch and unity and a feeling of
spiritual warmth.

For the Committee,

WILLIAM LAWRENCE,

Chairman.
December 11, 1001.

CIX.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARCHITECTURE.

To the Board of Overseers of Harvard College: —

We were not aware until we saw the new Catalogue yesterday ^at
our Committee had been discontinued. As the Committee to visit
the Architectural Department we have attended to that duty for
several years, and had just prepared this report. It seems proper
still to send it to you as the record of our service during the last
year or two.

The question of the award of the Austin Fellowship has been
referred to us for three years. One year we reported that the work
seemed of too low a standard to merit the gift of the scholarship ;.
the other two years, though we advised the award of the scholarship,
we at the same time recommended to the Corporation that either the
time limit after graduation during which a graduate could make appli-
cation for this scholarship be extended so that candidates of wider
experience could be obtained as scholars, or, if the scholarship
were to be awarded to the students it now reaches, that the holder
should be instructed to spend his time at some advanced school of
architecture like the Ecole des Beaux Arts, or stay at Cambridge as
a graduate scholar in architecture. Our suggestion is that either
the scholarship should reach students of advanced attainments, in
order that they may travel and study abroad, or, if confined to the
class of young men of promise but little experience, that they should
use it for study in some advanced school. We do not know whether
our recommendations have been acceptable or not to the Corpora-
tion, but we are unanimous as to them.

The gift of a building, furniture, casts, books and drawings, and
endowment funds for the maintenance of the building and collections,
as well as for instruction, amounting in all to about $500,000, has
made the Department rich in material resources and free from that
embarrassing dependence on any fixed number of students which is
the burden of most similar institutions.

It would seem, therefore, as if no school of architecture was ever
better fitted for furnishing that higher instruction which implies the

654

most expensive teaching administered to comparatively few pupils.
That is the only architectural training for which there is any unsup-
plied demand in America to-day. Schools of architecture exist now
at the following places and the list is chronologically arranged : The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston ; Cornell University
at Ithaca; The University of Illinois at Champaign, 111. ; Columbia
University, New York ; Syracuse University ; The University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia ; Institute of Fine Arts and Armour
Institute, Chicago ; Harvard University. Besides these there are
more elementary classes at Tulane University, New Orleans, and
the Brooklyn Institute, and courses have been established or are to
be at Washington Universit}7, St. Louis, and the Columbian Uni-
versity, Washington, and at the University of California, and one
is talked of at Yale University. To make the Harvard School with
its splendid endowment only one more school of the same type added
to this already long list would evidently be unlike Harvard.

To emphasize duly appreciation of Mr. Robinson's great gift, and
to increase the importance of the School itself, it is much to be
desired that it may lose its purely undergraduate rank and be raised
to the full dignity of a professional school. We think this change
would be more than a verbal one. The social and athletic life
of college has its admirable side, but it is chiefly useful to men of the
age of undergraduates. We conceive that when a youth begins to
study his profession, he had better do so with absolute seriousness,
and with such a spirit as that which pervades the Medical and Law
Schools. We do not believe this spirit can be fully gained so long
as the Architectural School remains a branch of the Lawrence Sci-
entific School, whose students are not to be distinguished from the
undergraduate students of Harvard College. We strongly recom-
mend that some action be taken to make it an independent profes-
sional school.

When the architectural course was first begun at Harvard our
Committee urged that the instruction given therein should be
materially differentiated from that given in the architectural courses
of the Institute of Technology. It was the desire of the instructors
to make it different from other similar courses by offering a greater
amount of History, and directing more attention to the artistic side
of architecture than to the engineering side. The hope of all who
were interested in it was that the course should tempt either advanced
students, or else men who sought general culture rather than profes-
sional knowledge. This desire, which will be even more natural now
in view of the rich resources given the School, has as yet not been

655

fulfilled. To-day there is not one student taking a course that
represents fifth-year or post-graduate work. The courses and the
classes are substantially like those in other institutions of a high
grade, and the Department as it stands is one more elementary
school.

Uninformed persons who wish to exalt courses in architecture
already established speak of them as full professional courses gradu-
ating full-fledged architects. This misrepresents the facts. They
really are elementary courses. People have become used to the fact
that for Law and Medicine a course in college and the professional
school of at least seven or eight years is necessary. Sooner or later
the same thing must be recognized as to architecture. We are told
that a man can follow the four years' engineering course of the Law-
rence Scientific School or of the Institute of Technology and at once
obtain a position and a reasonable salary. He cannot do so in archi-
tecture. If on graduation from the architectural classes he gets an
opening in a desirable office where there is anything to learn, he is
glad to do so with little or no pay. We need not discuss the reasons.
That is the fact, and it shows that the four years' course offered in
the Harvard Architectural School represents elementary work. The
teachers may have very different ultimate views about architecture
from those of other institutions, and they may frame programmes
of study that look somewhat different, but the final result is that all
these schools that have a four-year course teach, a little better or
worse, substantially the same thing, viz., the ABCof the art.

Hence arises the need of advanced or post-graduate work, — such
work as may take the place in America of that done at the ficole des
Beaux Arts in Paris, with which there is as yet no equal here.

Now that, thanks to Mr. Robinson's generosity, this course is
without the need of students' support, it would be possible through
a high standard for admission or by offering exceptional opportunities
to change the School from one of an ordinary standard to one of a
high grade. Harvard now has the chance to make its School a dis-
tinctly Professional School of the same rank as the Harvard Medical
and Law Schools and to step at once into the front rank and be
alone there.

It does not by any means follow that there would necessarily be a
falling off in the number of pupils. The raising of standards at the
Law and Medical Schools has only increased their popularity. At
the Institute of Technology, not many years since, there existed a
two years' course supported by the less efficient students. Its aboli-
tion has only resulted in more students for the whole course or for

656

fifth-year work. But under the circumstances it is now of no pecuni-
ary importance to the success of the Harvard School of Architecture
whether the number of architectural students falls off or not, while it
is of the highest importance that Harvard devote these unusual
resources to such education as less favored schools cannot give.

Still it is very important for a school of architecture that it should
either have many students, or keep close alliance with other schools
or private offices in sympathy with its line of work. Advanced
students alone, few in number, would not make a complete school.
If the elementary classes were continued, as they would be, they
would doubtless be of moderate size, and something is still left
to be desired. The support of a large number of young aspiring
students is very useful. The influence is mutual. The type of the
ftcole cles Beaux Arts seems to be the most successful model for
an architectural school. Its student population is large and is
scattered in ateliers about the city, and in these the Anciens are
the leading spirits, and the Nouveaux their willing helpers. If we
seek for the good influences that can undoubtedly be obtained
from a numerous body of students in architecture it is impossible
for us as architects to forget that across the river, no farther distant
than are the Parisian ateliers from each other, there already exists
and flourishes the school of the Institute of Technology. It is
well established, with a long line of graduates deeply interested in
it and a large attendance of students that have a high reputation
for diligent work and professional ardor. One might expect the
University atmosphere to be more conducive to advanced work than
that of a technical school ; but either because the Harvard School is
young or for other causes, though several men are engaged in fifth-
year work at the Institute, none are so far advanced at Harvard.
To bring this successful, prosperous, and well-known school into
harmonious alliance with the similar work at Harvard should not be
a problem beyond solving. Some unity of action between these
schools should be easily possible, and of such a kind that the
resources of both should be husbanded and made to do the utmost
good. This Visiting Committee, though they have thought much on
the subject, cannot pretend to point out in detail how this united action
would be most readily obtained. Perhaps it must be a matter of
gradual development, but we are very anxious to record clearly our
unanimous belief that some steps towards this should be taken. We
see that both schools are directed to almost precisely the same ends,
and if their highest anticipations were carried out, their product
would be almost precisely the same. It is impossible to avoid the

657

conclusion that each might greatly help the other and that there is a
waste of power in permitting two such neighbors to bo rivals and to
duplicate each other's work while teaching almost exactly the same
principles. We believe that future generations will think that we
have failed in an obvious duty if we permit a system of competition
to continue between neighbors who could effect vastly more if work-
ing in unison.

ROBERT S. PEABODY,
EDMUND M. WHEELWRIGHT,
A. W. LONGFELLOW,
R. CLIPSTON STURGIS.
January 8, 1902.

This book should be returned to

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last date

stamped below.

A fine of five cents a day is

incurred

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**-**-^

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