Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-12-11
ENGINEERING SOCIETY.

A New Organization Formed by the
students of Delaware College.
Communicated
The students OF Delaware College
have formed an engineering society, the
object of which is to aid and encourage
its members in the study of engineer
ing practice, in original research, and
in the cultivation Of their powers of
thought and expression.
Papers will be presented and dis
cussed by members at their regular
monthly meeting and leading technical
journals will also be submitted. By
the latter, members will be kept in
close touch with the latest practice, and
consequently many points of interest
and value will be observed. Besides
this, the college has arranged for a
series OF lectures by prominent engi-
neers, which will be given under the
auspices of the society. These lectures,
together with the more important OF
the papers of it's members, will appear
in the Annual Proceedings" Of the
society, to be published at the close OF
each season.
Membership in the society includes
all students in the senior and junior
classes in the civil, mechanical and
electrical engineering courses At
present the students in these courses
constitute 81 per cent of the total col
lege enrolment. Their proportion rela-
tive to the entire student body. having
increased steadily during the past few
yeara This is not the case at Della
ware College alone, but proportional
increase in technical students is noted
in all colleges throughout the country,
wherever engineering courses are Of
fered. The primary cause for this seems
to lie in the fact that technical courses
supply just that useful, practical knowl-
edge SO much demanded by the COM
mercial and industrial worlds at pres
ent. Commercial and Industrial pur-
suits are no longer looked upon as in-
ierioT spheres OF activity to the So
called learned professions. For it is
now realized that the former may en-
gage all the higher intellectual facul-
lies and develop all sides of the char
aoter as we'll as the latter. Ana the
education which fits young man to
follow these pursuits. is therefore the
more valuable IN that it enables its
| possessor to realize his faculties in acts
whicL make, for the increased power
and strength. the nation at large. In
fact, the prospect of American indus,
trial supremacy is causing no small
amount of anxiety in our English
cousins, and in their efforts to account
Tor it, they have pretty generally con-
cluded that it il the result of our
system Of technical education. AS the
| Saturday Review, London, recently put
it, 1.-The American ideal is to make
| America the leader in all the depart
ments of practical life, and the educa.
tion of the young American is to be
directed mainly to that end. To dc
things, to be obserrant and quick oi
eye, to be ingenious in continuance, tc
be clever in manipulating all kinds oi
material from early years in order that
school life may be graded procest
leading up to the actual business oi
life, is the system which American
eiucationists are most intent on estab
fishing for the budding American in
| tellect. There are advocates Of the ole
classical drill, but they are diminish.
ing quantity; and the universities are
making wide their gates to admit the
new classes of pupils"
And Delaware College is striving tC
do for the youth of our State, what tbs
other colleges and technical schools are
doing for the young men Of othei
States, and the country at large If the
much needed Improvements in worl
shops and laboratories, which the in
stItution is struggling hard to secure
can be obtained, Delaware College vii
be we'll able to keep abreast with it,
more aggressive adversaries in tht
matter OF technical education. AnC
thus it hopes to offer to the youth o
our State privileges and facilities vel
qualified to mako them ''rAe fines
commercial instruments in the world.