Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-15
RICHMOND COLLEGES NEEDS.

| kichmonds location, history, ana pre-
/ sent Importance demand a iirst-c,ass
| college here. Richmond College has an
| honorable past. the best possible site,
I and is in position TO meet every just ex-
pectailon IL II can only secure a mode
rate increase OF funds.
| No appeal fer help of any kind has
been made in behalf Of the college for
| nearly twenty years. Two of Rich
mond's families have given literally to
! the college, but nearly all the remaining
! funds OF the institution were secured in
/ the North. Mr.. Bostwick of New York,
| gave $4,000 at one time. Richmond has
reaped the advantages of these gifts in
! excellent educational facilities within
her gates. in courses of lectures by pro-
fessors and specialists. and yet our citi-
zens generally have never helped the
college in any way.
The college authorities have recently
made all the improvements possible with
their present funds. Last year they
opened the first working laboratory for
students. This year they have intro
a .
and established chair of the English
Bible They have improved the public
halls. lecture-rooms, library. and dor
miiories. and during this session they
have opened a second boarding hall.
But they are now at the end Of their
resources. They can do nothing more
without additional funds. The very best
they can hope for, without help, is to
hold their own. and every one knows it
is impossible to stand still. The college
must 80 forward or backward.
The colleges greatest need is scientific
equipment About year ago it
was determined TO remedy this deficiency
by building a hall to contain ample labo-
ratories for instruction in physics, chem
lstry. and biology. Plans have been pre-
pared and approved by leading scien-
lists in Johns Hopkins University and
elsewhere. The hall will cost between
$4,000 and $4,000 a few thousand dol
lars expended in additional apparatus
will permit the institution to put to
work in the new laboratories three times
as many students as it now has in
science
with the money guaranteed by the
trustees. they lack only $500 of Sc
curing the S3O,0o0. This they desire to
raise at once, because they need the
building for the next session. and it will
require between four and six months. at
least, to build the hall.
The reasons for desiring to extend col
lege work are many. First. the vast
extension of applied science. Colleges
must meet the demand for knowledge
OF what the world has done in natural
sciences, and must employ the laboratory
method in science teaching Expert
msntation produces accuracy. and the
inductive method is supreme in modern
teaching. Then, there Is active competi-
ton 10 be met, in which scientific equip
ment counts for much.
These proposed laboratories will sup
PIGMENT the work done in all the other
schools of Richmond. whether in acade-
mics. or in the Virginia Mechanics In
stitute
The fact that the South is poorly
equipped IN scientific schools will enable
Richmond College to bring hither many
more students from Southern States than
ever before. There are more at the
college this session than during any year
in its history and Richmond College and
its students now spend annually between
$4,000 and $3.50 in this city.
The enterprising and philosophical
people of Richmond ought to see 10 it
that the sum needed is promptly raised
and put at the service of the college.
We ought not TO refer the college TO the
rich men of the North; we ought not
to tell 1t to wait until the United States
Government pays it the money that it
owes. The college has waited as long as
ii can afford TO wait for that ever-ex-
pected and continually-deferred appro-
priation. And it is already largely debtor
10 generous northern friends.
Viewed as an educational enterprise
and valued also for the actual money
that it's students annually bring to Rich
mond, our people ought 10 be glad TO
show their appreciation of the college
and be prompt TO subscribe the $500 that
1t needs to complete the science hall
fund. True, 'times are hard" and bust
ness is not good, but the amount asked
is a small one for a city of our rank
to raise Now. here is a fine opportunity
to display our public spirit and show
our readiness to help build up our city.
We hope to hear of liberal subscriptions
at once and TO be able 10 announce in
the course of a few weeks that the
science hall is to be a certainty.