The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-26

of Dr. William Leroy Broun, the Presi- dent of the Alabama Polytechnic insti- tute removes from the State of Alabama perhaps the greatest educator or the South, and the sad occasion invites full review for the public of his work in Ala bama during the last twenty years m the development of this institution which has grown so wonderfully in equipment and patronage under his administration. and which must stand in the marked growth of this period. as his most conspicuous achievement.
 For convenience the history of this in- stitution may be divided into three de- <cade, the first QS72-1SS2), the second dss2- 1S92)., the third QS92-1902), which may be period of growth, and the period of blos- som.
 It was in 1882 that Dr. Broun was first called from Vanderbilt University to take | charge of this institution. that is. at the beginning of the second decade and from | year to year he saw Sne cotlcge. that had | been so we'll established by the first President Dr. l. T. Tichenor, increasing in patronage. expanding in departments, | strengthening in equipment until 1t stands today easily the equal of any college of l applied science in the South.
 | Dr. Broun was. indeed, a forerunner in | the establishment at Auburn of several scientific departments hitherto unat. tempted in the South. He established | here the first manual training laboratory in the South, having thoroughly studied l the Russian theory of mechanic art in struction as displayed at the Centennial l exhibition in Philadelphia in 1s76 He also first introduced into Southern col | lege a well equipped electrical engineer | ing plant and a first class biological lab e tss ,9 the into a college of higher education in Alabama.
 As is well known the college at Au- burn is one of tse splendid system of of every State of the Union through the far-reaching craftsmanship of the great Senator from Vermont Justin s. Nor Till. Of the purposes and aims of these institutions Dr. Broun had high concep- tions which he set forth on various oc- casions from the college platform, and notably in compact, luminous inaugural address delivered before the Association was President. This address was so high | ly regarded by the distinguished United | States Commissioner of Education. Dr. w. T. Harris, that 1t was printed in full | in the annual report of his department 1 The aim of all educational effort pr. Bround regarded to be education of the mind. He rejected the theory, disas- | trously exploited by some, that the pur- teach a trade. This European trade school idea, the caste-school. the school | for the common" people, he held as absolutely foreign to the American tra- dition and American spirit. He had a profound regard for the true study of the natural sciences and the application of | their principles in the industrial arts. The hand and the eye must be cultivat- ed, but in order to develop the mind. Be-
 hind the profession was the man; above all intellect and skill was character, In
 many of his views and in his general att titude to student life he vividly recalled the famous Dr. Arnold of Rugby.
 Standard.
 In conformity with these principles the
 college has always demanded the same degree of preparation for entrance to the
 courses of technical studies and~natural
 science as for the courses of languages
 and philosophy. Scientific and practical
 subjects have been taught in an inspiring
 manner. The workshops have not been
 mere factories. In word, the college
 under Dr. Broun's guidance has attempt
 ed to turn out not mere artisans. but
 leaders and captains of industry. Per. haps nowhere more completely than at
 Auburn, have the two hemispheres of
 culture and utility been more completely and fully rounded into a harmonious
 whole.
 With such ideas the college, as might
 have been expected, has grown steadily, solidly and symmetrically. Year by year it has strengthened both in equipment and teaching power. and increased in the | number of students in attendance until today it's halls are filled with young men from every section of Alabama, and the entire South. At the end of the first de- cade In 1882. the number of students was 10; while for the last several years the attendance has averaged over loo. it be- | ing now 39e; representing forty-six coun- | ties in Alabama, eleven States, and two
 foreign countries. The faculty has in | creased from six professors and two in- structors to sixteen full professors and | ten instructors and assistants. Within
 the last decade six distinctly new de partments of technical instruction have
 Biology, Electrical Engineering. Physi- ology and Veterinary Science, Pharmacy, Entamology-all of these departments have proven highly successful and today have full patronage.
 houndly the increase In patronage has
 been about 23O per cent, the increase in | faculty and experiment station staf l about 240 per cent; the increase in in-
 showing of which the State may bt proud.
 Equipment.
 The disastrous fire in 1887 destroyed the main b,lildinbg and all of its contents. Dr. Broun at the time of the disaster | in reply to the news was brave: Pub
 fish to the State that we will rebuild
 on larger scale" Since that day he
 has seen every building and nearly ev- cry tree put in place on the new beau
 tiful campus. Nearly dozen separat,
 structures, some of them strikingl, | ndnusOme, HaVe been erected. IWeIN'
 thoroughly appointed laboratories have
 been established for practical instruc'
 tion in chemistry, civil engineering, me. | chanical engineering, electrical engineer ing. metallurgy. assaying, technical draw
 ing, mechanic arts, physics, botany, biol ogy, pharmacy. physiology.
 An experiment station of 216 acres was
 established in 1886, and the high order | of work done by the stan in this de- | pertinent has been of vast service tc
 the farmers of Alabama and has given
 the institution a high rank in scientific | circles. The station bulletins are highly l esteemed both by practical and scientific
 men. A beautiful drill ground and ath- | letic field, a first rate gymnasium have 1 been provided for practical culture. "The | Doctor was a firm advocate of whole | some outdoor sports practiced in mod | eration and as a means to an end. The library collected within the last | twelve years numbers about l6,0OO vol | umes and is a most admirable collection | of books. In history, the natural sciences, | and all branches of engineering, 1t is per | haps unexcelled in the South All this | late President saw rise from the ashes | of the old building.
 Graduates.
 1 An institution is known by its grad uates. These are it's epistles read of all | men. The total number of graduates is 1 591, about 800 of these having graduated l in the last two decades. These graduates | technical professions: Civil engineering, | 24; electrical and mechanical engineering, | 4S; mining engineering, IS; total number | of engineers, 90. Architects, 10; manu- lecturers. 23; chemists 20; food inspect ors, instructors, assistants, professors, teachers, 57; professions, 99. Thus it is | seen that the total number of technical