The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-29

Lounsbury thus speaks: 1.-THE college
had no money to give, but even if it
had it is more than doubtful if 1t
would have given it. No one at that
time, however enthusiastic, ever dream
ed of the supreme Importance which
the natural sciences were soon to as
sumo in every well devised system of
education. The impression prevailed
that chemistry, like virtue, must be it's
own reward
The youth of this school was spent
carious. At length new forces came
to it's support Certain obstacles, else
where encountered, made it easy for
Professor William A. Norton to bring
to Yale his classes in civil engineering,
and he was followed by his colleague,
Professor John A. Porter, then devoted
to chemistry These appointments were
invigorating. Norton was an admir-
able teacher, well trained at West
Point, painstaking, accurate, thorough,
well acquainted with the progress of
his favorite science and always COM
handing students of ability Porter,
WIZ Iittu DeGII pupll lLISplS, Woo d
man of letters as wei as of science, a
poet philosopher and patriot, thorough
ly believing in new education, as Pres
ident Eliot named it, and ready to en-
large by the various influences at his
command, the scope of the Scientific
school, of which he became for several
years the able and eloquent exponent.
Rapid growth followed, due chiefly to
one man whose name, before all others,
is on our lips as the founder Of this
school, Joseph e. Sheffield. 1t is need
less to recount the steps from gift
of five thousand dollars to the amount
Of a million, with which we are famil-
lar Naturally, the school looked up to
him as a father, and asked permission
to bear his name. He consented with
reluctance, but never forgot the child
he adopted, and in the final distribu-
ton of his estate, made it equal with
his sons and daughters. The year of
christening was 1860, or the child's third
year.
Mr.. Sheffield was a man whom future
generations, like the present, may de-
light to acknowledge and honor as a
founder. Nothing will ever be revealed
about him that the school will wish to
cover. On the contrary, If those who
knew him best would utter what they
know, the world would admire even
more than it does now the sagacity,
the modesty, the consideration and the
unselfishness of our great benefactor
His liberality grew with the growth of
things and in great; in the payment of
current bills, in the provision of large
funds. II get my reward every day as
I look out upon that workshop" was the
answer that he made to an expression
of gratitude. mo investment pays me
so WE'LL" was another of his remarks.
IT wish you to bear in mind" he once
said to Professor Brush, "that you have
never asked me for a dollar" Yet with
all this growing interest, and with his
readiness to listen to ali the inside his
tory of the school, he never to the
slightest degree interfered with it's af-
fairs. He trusted the governing board.
He knew more intimately than any
member of the corporation, the plans,
the wants, the success and the linlita-
tions of the school, and to the utmost
of his ability he contributed to it's
maintenance. An intimacy which con-
tinued for more than thirty years be-
tween the chief executive of the school
and it's nearest friends was never cloud
ed by a moments disagreement. His
only regrets were the limitations of his
resources. To all these engaging traits
must be added the remembrance of his
strong intellect, his comprehensive
charity, his integrity, gentleness and
faith. Happy the school that can be-
stow love as we'll as gratitude upon the
memory of it's chief benefactor.
Such example was contagious. No
one was surprised when neighbors,
townsmen and friends at a distance,
one after another, in many successive
years, enlarged the endowment. Far
nam, the lifelong colleague of Shelf
field: Norton, the father of the agri-
culturist; Wheeler, an enthusiastic
graduate; English, senator and COVER
nor promoter of studies in law. history
and science; Phelps, whose gateway
adorns the campus; Winchester, foun-
der of the astronomical observatory,
who, like 1.-The embattled farmers at
Concord has fired shot heard around
the world" and whose widow has given
to the school one of it's most important
halls; Collier, who perpetuated by a