, 1905-01-19
T|SDE s
INAUGURAL ADDRESS

state SIS, 900 annually for the mainten-
ance of experiment stations for original
research in agriculture, and Mr.. Car
negie has recently endowed what is
known as the Carnegie institute, de
voted exclusively to the advancement
OF original research.
The Investigations of the scholars
have often been a source of ridicule for
their seeming uselessness, but their in
vestigations have in the end proved OF
estimable value. If one would learn
the advantage of research to the world
of industry he needs but to visit the
great packing houses of Swift and Ar
'mour Inc notice how the researches in
chemistry have made it possible to util-
ize every atom of substance to the
very hairs and hoofs of the animal
which enters the slaughter rooms
A few years ago if one had wished
to raise a laugh at the expense of the
better opportunity thar the great Pas
teur and Koch spending days in their
laboratories patiently watching the
transformation of yeast and microbes?
Who could then have guessed the i'm
portance to the world of the study of
bacteria? Cholera and yellow fever
no longer. Smallpox is under control.
The first signs of diphtheria in the
throat of the child no longer chill the
heart of the parent with utter despair.
Even tuberculosis has ceased to be a
~hopelessly fatal disease. Anteseptic
surgery has made possible operations
~undreamed of heretofore. making life
long invalids. robust and strong.
The university Of today is thus a
complex and comprehensive institu-
ton. TO its originally simple course
of study. have been added courses In
pure and applied science and to its
original function of instruction has
been added the function of original re
search. These, however, have only
been added to the original course of
study; they have not taken the place
of it. The old liberal studies, the So
called humanities still maintain their
high place. They have been modified
to meet modern needs. The languages
are now taught TO serve a practical
as well as a cultural purpose, and to
Language and mathematics have been
added courses in political science and
history and commerce. The nature
of man and of human life as expressed
in the institutions of civilization are
studied with the same scientific care
as the material world. The college of
liberal arts, however, has not lost its
old ideals: it still stands primarily
for the development of character, the
enrichment of the human spirit, the
development of broad and high-minded
citizenship. 1t remains one of the best
things the university has to offer to
the fortunate who have the time and
the money to spend upon 1t. To make
the well rounded man both the liberal
arts course and the technical or pro-
f~essional course are desirable. Fortu-
nate the young man or young woman
who can go to school until he is TWEEN
ty-fve and thus reap the profit of a
broad as well as a specialized educa-
tion.
A university, then, is an institution
for liberal and cultural studies. for the
study Of applied science. and for orig
iral investigation. To what extent is
the University Of Wyoming such an
institution n is the state of Wyoming
able to provide for its growth along
the lines which other like institutions
have laid down? What is the basis
of our pride in her present aad of our
hope for her future? The university
was fortunate In the beginning for it
was organized as a college Of liberal
arts, an institution OF culture and re-
inement. This Is the fit basis upon
which to build a great institution of
learning. This foundation has stood
firm and still gives and should con-
tinue to give strength and tone to the
entire institution. The university,
however, has from the beginning felt
the influence and taken advantage o.
the new educational forces. First the
curriculum was enlarged to include the
pure sciences and the courses in chem
istry, physics, botany. and zoology
are now among the strongest In the
university. The federal appropriation
of $25, 900 annually for instruction in
agricultural and mechanical arts made
possible a development along the lines
Of applied science and courses in az
ricultural and In mechanical engineer
ing were emphasized. Later a normal
school was developed and a school of
mines established; still later a depart
ment Of commerce. . school Of music
and finally a purse in irrigation engi-
neering.
But the university has also under
taken original investigation in q lin
tied degree. The department Of bot
any has built up the best Rocky noun
tain herbarium In existence. consist
ing Of $4,000 specimens. The depart
ment Of paleontology has discovered
many valuable fossil remains espee
tally Of the Jurassic period. The de-