The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-24
REPORT OF THE PRESIDE

providing for It's future growth and dcyci-
opmcnt.
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
Hon. II. a. Rcichardt, President Board OF
Directors.
i sir--I beg 10 submit herewith the BIZ
cnnial report of the president. giving .
statement of tho condition and needs OF
The college,
Il In view of my recent election to the
presidency OF tho college and lack OF per
sonal knowledge OF its operations during
the two years covered by this report. 1
have not felt competent to edit the reports
| of the heads OF the various departments OF
! the college, and present only such points
ms might be deemed NEST pertinent, and,
therefore, they are transmitted IN their
4 entirely for your consideration. For the
same reason have RETAINED from special
mention Of the work OF any OF the depart
mcnts. ! will state, however. that so far
az I am able to determine from observa-
lions made since my connection with the
4 college, the work OF tho several Depart
ments has been most satisfactorily per-
formed.
/ The steady Increase In the number OF
students seeking to enter the college is the
best evidence that those who have hcrcto-
fore putroniged the institution are salts
lied with the result.
/
1897 students matriculated. and the grad
uatlng class at the close OF the session
u numbered 20.
/ During the present session 39i students
have been matrIculated, With a fair pros
pect OF the number exceeding 400 before
the close OF tho scholastic year.
I With adequate dormitory room and some
addition to the facilities for Instruction,
the number OF students IN attendance
would reach 500 during the next session.
!, But the college has reached the limit OF Its
4 capacity. and Instead OF soliciting patron
I age, tho college authorities are forced to
+, advertise 10 keep students away. The pres
ent is therefore In my opinion, critical
period in the history of the growth and
). development of the institution. 1t must
either take an advance step, or suffer great
I loss In patronage, money and prestige.
/ Students turned away from its doors will
go elsewhere, and as there Is no other coll
!. lege in Texas where similar instruction Is
: given. many Of them will go out Of the
|, State for an education. IA
/, While additional dorfnitory room is the
4 most pressing need OF tho college. 1t is by
I, no means the only thing necessary to Its
continued advancement. With additional
students comes the necessity for addi-
. tienal facilities for their Instruction..
Z In any scheme Of Improvement the nccdt
of each department of the college should
! be carefully considered, and as far as prac-
, ticablo provided for. Abnormal develop
r ment Iii any direction Is undesirable. Per.
t manent success depends upon the sym
: metrical growth Of the institution AZ {
= whole, and due regard for the fact tha
: ench. department Is OF equal importanc'
' with every other department In It's partic
!. ular sphere OF action.
y a comparatively small outlay, in i'm
!, provementss Will very. nearly double TIN
= capacity OF the college. and enable 1t t
y accommodate many who IRE knocking a
!, Its doors for admission No appropriation
q the Legislature can make would In IN.
: judgment, be productive OF more genera
:. and permanent benefit to the people. i
would give fresh impetus to Tho cause o
! Industrial education. now more In need Q
N aid than ever before, on account OF tn
I changed conditions surrounding the agri
i cultural classes in particular, and who
= affect to greater or less degree ever
VI other Interest.
t. The professions are overcrowded an
ut public attention Is turning rapidly towar
" industrial education as affording one {
A. tho most promising sources Of relief frol
40 these conditions. Young men are seekin
fy an education that will fit and qualify theI
e. to follow farming, dairying, horticultur,
go bIacksmithing carpentry, mechanical en-
ct cheering, civil engineering and work !
al the machine shops with tho very best re
H. suits. These things are taugnt theore
t. ticnlly and practically In this college, an
~ large nulnDcrh OF lts graduates nave st
u cured profitable employment ms manager
! OF large farms, dairles. nurseries and a
le engineers on railroads and other places
~ by reason of the technical knowledge an
~ skill acquired here. The number that en-
~ gage In industrial callings after leavn
:, the college Is increasing every year. TIL
- populariZation OF technical education O
Z, recent years, by means OF local organiza
. lions and the establishment OF agriculture
y colleges, Is beginning to exercise marke
4. influence on the student body In determin
40 Ing tho future course of students. Com
ho paratively few students enter any colleg
an with fixed purpose In life, and colleg
n life and environments enter largely int
nj the determination OF what they will follo'
Nv after leaving college. For this reason.
H. believe the agricultural department OF tn
d !: college should be enlarged and bette
equipped for the instruction of student
= In the science of agriculture. For the prop
: or and successful instruction of the classe
In agriculture, in all of its branches. ther
should be constructed and thorough
equipped an agricultural and horticulture
IN building and chemical and veterinar
laboratory. by combining the agriculture
on and horticultural buildings and the chem
,00 zeal and veterinary laboratories, two build
ings viii accommodate the four depart
100 mcnts. ench OF which Ia necessary to thor
ough instruction in the agricultural cours,
100 The mechanical department. has bee
lOO neTetuItTt pIoNlutu WIN HUCu DutiulnR
and equipments anrl Il will require only
small sum for additional shop room an
,on tools TO meet the additional demands mad
~ upon It by INCREASED attendance,
nm The appropriation Of a hundred thousan
ny, M dollars for theNrsotion of new dormitoris
~, ~ and IN agricultural and horticulture
,So building, q chemical and veterinary labora
~ tory, the building OF professors residences
M water supply. repairs and the enlarge
ment 81 tho college In each of its depart
,oo ments would meet real, actual and cor
5oo ntantiy increasing need, and inspire III
D00 friends OF the institution everywhere wit
n0o new hopc and courage for the future.
az this too much to ash In a State, 20 per Ger
ort OF whose population belong to the indus
md trial nlasses, and that spends much MOI
The than that sum annually for the educatio
tho OF other classes?
sed The erection OF the new mess hail. pre-
ip- vided fer By the last legislature, gave II
in students a comfortable and commodior
IN dining hall, which was occupied at ii
beginning OF the present session. an
ngs greatly relieved the pressure for add
on- tionnl section room. That portion OF Il
as old mess hall made vacant BY the remoy,
...I