HISTORICAL STATEMENT. The Act establishing the Public Schools system and the Act establishing the State University were both passed in February, 1839. The University was located at Columbia, Boone county, June 24. The corner stone of the Main building was laid July 4, 1840, and this is generally accepted as the date of the foundation of the University. Courses of instruction in Academic work were begun on April 14, 1841. A Normal department was established in 1867. The College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and the School of Mines and Metallurgy were made departments of the University in 1870-the School of Mines and Metallurgy being located at Rolla, where it was formally opened November 23, 1871. The Law department was opened in 1872; the Medical department in 1873; and the Engineering department in 1877. The Experiment station was established under act of Congress in 1888. The Missouri State Military School was created a department of the University in 1890. The Graduate department was established in 1896. In 1867 the State gave aid for the first time to the University-a sum of $10,000. On January 9, 1892, the Main building of the University of Columbia was destroyed by fire. Since its foundation the University has conferred degrees as follows, up to January, 1900-not including Honorary degrees: (E. E.-Electrical Engineer, M. E.-Mechanical Engineer, Min. E. - Mining Engineer.) 440 Total number of degrees conferred. Deduct for names counted more than once (persons taking two cr more degrees) 2103 Since the date of our last report in January, 1899, some important changes hayo been made in the University. I shall speak first of what has beat dont at Cold then of what has been done at the School of Mines at: Roll Ro Degrees no longer conferred. DEPARTMENTS AT COLUMBIA. DEATHS. Amiel F. Westerhouse, who was an engineering student at the State University, died in Havana, Cuba, on October 21, of yellow fever. He was a member of Company H, 2d U. S. volunteer Engineers. Arthur Gwinn, a graduate of the Academic department and of the Law department, a volunteer in the United States Army in the Philippines, died in the year 1900. Floyd Bruce Cramer and Martin Edward Elling, students of the University and citizens of Missouri, volunteered with nearly a hundred of their fellow students for the Spanish-American War. While in the service of the Government they died. The University community thinks that the Legislature could well afford to place in the Academic Hall a Memorial Tablet to these four young soldiers. It could probably be done for $50 or $100. It should be done by the State. There have been, to our grief, three deaths from sickness among the students at Columbia, since our last Report. APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS. In the summer of 1899 Dr. Howard Ayers resigned the chair of Biology to accept the presidency of the University of Cincinnati. In his stead we have elected Dr. George Lefevre Professor of Zoology and Mr. Charles Thom Instructor in Botany. The chair of Botany will be filled, in September, 1901. In the fall of 1899 Dr. John Miller Burnam resigned his position as Assistant Professor of Latin. In his stead the Board has elected Miss Eva Johnston, of Columbia, granting her, without salary, a furlough of two years in which to prosecute her studies in Europe. Dr. Charles B. Newcomer has been chosen as her substitute. 3. Captain A. P. Buffington, Commandant of Cadets, detailed.by the War Department, has not been able to report for duty, during the present session. He has been detained elsewhere in Government service. As his substitute the Board has elected Major W. H. Turner, who has given excellent service. In the fall of 1899 Mr. E. J. Mason resigned his position as Instructor in Mechanic Arts. In his place the Board elected Mr. G. A. Irvine, who in turn resigned in November, 1900, and has been succeeded by Mr. S. C. Shipley. In the summer of 1899 Professor Milton Updegraff was elected Astronomer at the Naval Observatory at Washington at a salary much in excess of that which he received here. The chair of Astronomy has not yet been filled for lack of means at first, and then by reason of the difficulty of finding a suitable man. The chair will be filled soon. In the summer of 1900 Hon. John R. Kirk resigned his position as Examiner of Schools to the University to take the presidency of the Kirksville Normal. In his place the Board has appointed Mr. W. M. Hoge. The Fortieth General Assembly ordered the University to fill the chairs of Architecture, Anatomy, and Domestic Economy. Mr. Thomas Nolan was elected Professor of Architecture, which chair he held for one year, but in the summer of 1900 he resigned. Since then the chair has been vacant. Mr. C. M. Jackson has been made Assistant Professor in charge of Anatomy. It proved difficult to fill the chair of Domestic Economy. Our choice fell finally upon Miss Jane A. L. Zabriskie, who is entitled Instructor in Charge. At the unanimous request of the Medical department, and also of the Faculty of Agriculture, the Board decided to relieve Dr. Connaway of the work in Physiology, leaving him free to give his entire time to Veterinary Surgery. The admirable results that he has achieved in this direction abundantly warrant the change. Accordingly the chair of Physiology in the Medical Department was filled in time for the opening of the University in the fall of 1900, by electing Dr. C. W. Greene. The importance of Experimental Psychology and Child Study to those training themselves to be teachers in the State, and the importance of Sociology to the general public, have caused the Board in 1900 to establish iese chains Dr. Max Meyer has been elected Professor of Experimental Psychology and Child Study and Dr. Charles A. Ellwood, Professor of Sociology. In June, 1900, Professor Charles Frederick Hicks resigned the Chair of Political Economy. So late in the season as the middle of June, most of the desirable men are employed. Accordingly the chair has not yet been filled. Dr. Isidor Loeb, Professor of History, was put in charge of Political Economy for the session of 1899-1900, and to give him time for this double duty Dr. W. S. Drewry was made Instructor in History for one year. In June, 1900, Professor Harry Thomas Cory resigned the Chair of Civil Engineering. He has been succeeded by Professor F. P. Spalding. In June, 1900, Professor Younger Pitts Rothwell resigned his position as Director of the Gymnasium. He has been succeeded by Professor C. W. Hetherington. It has proved necessary to give him a woman as Instructor of Women in the Gymnasium. She will be appointed immediately. Owing to the large demand for Romance Languages the Board has felt constrained to appoint Mr. R. Emerson Bassett Assistant Professor and Richard Laurence Hawkins Instructor in Romance Languages. Since the meeting of the Fortieth General Assembly Mr. H. B. Shaw has been promoted from Assistant Professor to Professor of Electrical Engineering. In September, 1900, Mr. Isidor Loeb was promoted from Assistant Professor to Professor of History. In September, 1900, Mr. C. F. Marbut was promoted from Assistant Professor to Professor of Mineralogy and Geology. The Faculty and students of the University have long been insisting upon better provisions for the keeping of our Libraries for which the former force was utterly insufficient. Accordingly the Board has employed Mr. J. T. Gerould as Librarian and retained as first Assistant Mr. W. K. Stone. Moreover in order to make the Library accessible to the students the Board has employed a Cataloguer, an Assistant Cataloguer, and a Copyist. This has increased the cost of keeping the Library, but there could be no debate among intelligent people about the wisdom of our action. It was demanded by students and Professors alike, and justly. Since 1 February, 1898, it has been deemed advisable to keep the Law Library, and the General Library of the University open to students at night. It is believed that this is some offset to the temptations to which students are everywhere exposed at night. It is necessary to employ some of the students for this service. The compensation offered them is small and the service is satisfactory. No mention is made by name of the Fellows and Student Assistants, of whom a number are employed every year. They are not members of the Faculty, but are advanced students who find the small compensation ($200 a year for a Fellow and $150 for a Student Assistant) which the University gives them an aid in prosecuting their studies. Each of them teaches six hours a week, the remainder of time being spent in advanced study. It takes three Fellows to do the work of one Instructor and they receive each about one-fourth of the compensation given to an Instructor. This service is satisfactory in maintaining advanced work in the University and costs the State nothing beyond what it would have to pay Instructors. For deaths, resignations, and new appointments in our School of Mines, see its Special Report in this volume. THE FACULTY. In administering the affairs of the University one aspect challenges the most serious consideration. Changes in the Faculty are to be avoided, and should never take place unless for reasons the most cogent in their character. Changes are often inevitable because of our inability to retain in the service of the University the best qualified workers of the times. Other and more favored institutions, with ample resources at command, take from us our experienced, thoroughly trained men. The loss thus sustained is incalculable. The retention of such competent and valuable men is all-important. Unless ample provision is made to meet such needs we shall suffer additional losses. Enlarged resources should be placed at the command of the Board, enabling us to compete with any institution in the country in securing and retaining the best talent for University work. This view has special reference to the salaries of head professors. A great State like Missouri can not afford to cripple the work of its University or minify the opportunity of the youth of the commonwealth. In meeting the wants here indi |