The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-26

as student in the year of 1873, the year following the founding of the school and with some intermissions ;le has since that time been connected with the institution.
 He was graduated from the insti.u- ton in civil engineering. The Ysar following he entered upon course of Latin, German and English at Johns Hopkins University. In the year of 1881 he took the chair of Modern L1n- Euages at the Presbyterian College. The following year he came to Auburn to take the Chair of Latin and Modern Languages. He has for seventeen years been an instructor at Auburn, and to this day, although President, ical Economy. H. was three yeats ago, at the death of pr. Leroy Broun, elect ed President of the institution.
 A landmark at the college is the ven- erable and beloved Professor of Math- ematics, o. D. Smith, a man who has known the college and whom the col lege has known since its doors were thrown open to the youths of Alabama. Professor Smith Is a graduate of the University of Vermont, but came South to take up the work of education be- fore the war And In the great strug- gle he served in the army of the Con- federacy.
 A most valuable asset of the Ala bama Polytechnic Institute Is Bennett B. Ross, State Chemist and Professor of Chemistry. He is one of the many
 
 ing Auburn's history enviable. Facul- ty and students alike are proud of Pro- lessor Ross and well they may be. In- side or outside college walls there is He has vast acquaintance throughout Alabama, due in a measure to the in- stitute work of the Experiment Station in which he has assisted with other members of the staff of the Experiment Station. This work has been valuable alike to the farmers of Alabama, for ulagas ..ur. 4frN and to the members of the experiment Station faculty who in meeting face to face people of every section of the State become famiiiarly acquainted with the needs of Aiabama farmers and of the conditions that surround them. The work of the State Chemist. however, as well as of the staff of workers who assist him belongs prop erly under the head of the Experiment Station which will be dealt with in a future letter and with more detail. with the more classical portion of the work of the college, a part of its en- deavoT which has sustained the repu,, tation of the school as a symmetrical institution for higher learning.
 An important factor in what might be termed the academic department or the school is Dr., Geo. Petrie, the head of the efficient department of history. a department which has attracted att tention throughout the country and stands among the very best of the South, and of the entire country for that matter. Professor Petrie is a Uni- Versity of Virginia man who Introduced new methods in the teaching of history with signal success. Much of the work of the students of history at Auburn Is originaI research. Not that teachin E from the text book Is disdained. but the field and the vision opened by the text book is broadened by investigation and research.
 The students are encouraged and di- rected to seek out historical informa- tion and to embOdy it in original pa pers In other words, to put into print that of history which has not previous ly been printed.
 A graduate of this department, Pro- lessor ". L. Fleming, occupied the chair of history in the University of West Virginia. A late graduate, w. L. Ser0ggins at present receiving the benents of a scholarship at Harvard