, 1905-01-30

whereas in Wisconsin we sustain only one, and naturally our
department is better housed, better equipped, and better
manned. Such a strong department can do the work i'll
physics demanded by the youth OF the state incomparably
better than can three departments scattered in different
parts of the state, each small, each imperfectly equipped,
each feebly manned. In a weak department one, or at most
two men, must cover the entire range Of a great field of
knowledge, whereas if there were but one strong depart
ment there may be several men in it, each being a specialist
in some one part of the subject, and, therefore, a master.
What is true of physics is true OF many other departments
of knowledge"
1t is impossible to have a separate College of Agriculture
or Engineering OF standing and repute which does not offer
thorough-going training in language, literature, mathcmat-
les, and science, and thus it is that every independent tech
meal college must repeat a large part OF the work OF the
university. In a similar way the university as it grows, hay
ing as its foundation work in pure science and the human
tiles, is sure to develop the application OF science to the
problems of life.
From the above it follows that every state which starts
out by dividing its higher educational interests sooner or
later has before it the problem of sustaining not one uni
versity, but two or three universities. This is. illustrated
by the State of Iowa, in which the State University of Iowa
and the Iowa State College have practically equivalent in
comes, and each have Laboratories and courses i'll language,
literature, history, the pure sciences, and engineering. The
same situation obtains in Indiana, where Purdue University,
the state technical institution, and the University Of the
State largely overlap.
And what is true Of Iowa and Indiana is true in part in
every state where the principle OF division obtains. In a
given state the amount of overlapping and duplication de
ponds upon the number of institutions within it and the
stage of their development. But wherever in a common
wealth there are two higher state institutions OF learning
the work of these two institutions overlap, and wherever
there are three institutions the work Of each OF these in
stitutions overlaps some part Of the work of the other two
This duplication or Implication results i'll the useless eN-
penditure of great sums Of money and makes the bill OF a
state for higher education unnecessarily large. Also, and
this is the worst feature, the work i'll each department thus
duplicated is less effective than it would be were a smaller
amount of money nasscd at a single point.
The State University of Wyoming, having concentrated
the entire funds of its state devoted to higher education,
has the opportunity to rise conspicuously among the uni
versities of the surrounding states which have not adopted
this policy, as have risen the State Universities OF Cali
fornia, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The policy Of
concentration adopted by Wyoming, if continued, is sure
to make its University great, and at the same time will give
better opportunities to the students of both pure and ap-
situations.
Notwithstanding the undeniable truth Of the above, |
hear with surprise and regret that there is talk OF division
of the Wyoming State University. If, contrary to the clear
teachings of the past, this calamitous course be adopted by
the state, it is certain that the University, as well as the
colleges which are separated from it, are condemned to
perpetual obscurity. With this obscurity will go inferior
education to your SONS and daughters. And yet a much
larger cost will be paid by the state for higher education
than would be necessary if the funds were concentrated.
But | look forward with confidence to the future, for
cannot believe that any state which once seriously consid-
crs broadly the problem of university education can consent
to sacrifice the financial interests of the state. sacrifice the
education of the youth of the state, sacrifice the future OF
its University to the local and selfish demands Of any COM
munity.
Upon behalf OF the universities of the nation, | congrat-
ulate Wyoming upon calling to the head of the University
a man of such wide training and experience as is President
Tisdel-one who at this critical moment has the breadth
of view and the wisdom to safely guide the educational de
velopment of the state.