The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-05-10
AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE start

Being the first one for business. the
meeting OF the Board OF Regents of the
Agricultural College or Hawaii yester-
day was a historical event. 1t was
the second act In carrying out the will
of the Legislature of 1907 that Hawaii
should have an agricultural college,
the first executive act having been the
appointing of the Regents by the Gov
ernor.
Every member of the board met with
Governor Carter in his office at 3
O'Clock, the Regents being Henry e.
Cooper, Alonzo Gartley. Marston
Campbell, Charles F. Eckart and Wal
ter G. Smith.
An informal discussion took place
as to the head of the new institution.
and 1t was decided to ask the Govern
or, on his approaching visit to the
mainland, to consult Professor Hilgard
about a suitable man for the position.
The Governor also expressed will
lingness to transact any other busi-
ness for the Board looking to the es-
tablishment of the college.
1t was Mr.. Cooper's opinion that the
president Of the college should be the
best man that money could procure,
and the college should not be so much
to produce agriculturists as to produce
teachers of practical agriculture. De-
tails Of that sort were, however, left
for future consideration.
The Regents then received their
commissions and were sworn in, after
which they elected Mr.. Cooper as
bat NJ a.
tary.
1t was an approved suggestion that
a small building be erected at first, to
conform to, some great general plan,
which would be carried out in future
years for other buildings.
Several sites were discussed. among
them the Allen property on Wilder ave-
nue., the Claus Spreckels property at
Punahou and a tract in Makiki valley.
The last mentioned is entirely Govern
ment property, containing valuable
water rights, and could be obtained
simply by proclamation. At present
the water is in use as part of the city
supply, but as soon as the Nuuanu
reservoir is constructed 1t will not be
needed.
Governor Carter said that he consid-
cred the founding of this college as
one of the most important acts Of his
administration. He believed that the
influence Of the college would constant
ly widen and be of great advantage
to the country. He was ready to take
whatever action was required in the
matter of proclamations or land ex-
changes which would be to the advan-
tage of the institution.
Nm af ha nfc I'D that DIR
Cofer had suggested the advisab!lity
of having school of tropical medicine
attached to this college, to which ply
sicians could come from all over the
world for postgraduate courses.
DR.. Eugene Woldemar Hilgard,
whom Governor Carter will endeavor
to consult regarding a suitable presi-
dent for the college, is the professor
of agriculture in the University of CAL
ifornia and director of the California
Agricultural Experiment Station. He
has Worldwide fame as scientist in
different branches. A native or
Rhenish Bavaria he graduated as Doc
tor of Physics at Heidelberg in 1858,
and has the degree of Doctor of Laws
from Columbia, the University of
Michigan and the University of Mis-
sssippi He was State geologist of
Mississippi from 1855 to 1873, also pro-
fessor of chemistry in the University
of Mississippi, and from 1873 to 1875,
when he took the positions mentioned
in California, was professor Of geology
and natural history in the University
of Michigan. He is a specialist in the
chemistry and climatology of soils,
alkali lands. ETC., and he received the
Liebig medal for distinguished achieve
ments in agricultural sciences from
the Academy of Sciences, Munich, also
a gold medal at the Paris Exposition
of 1900 as collaboration in agricultural
science. Both as author and editor DR..
Hilgard has contributed extensively to
scientific literature, including state and
national reports.
The Regents of the Hawaiian Agri-
cultural College would fain be over
whelmingly delighted If they could OBJ
tain the services of DR.. Hilgard, HIM
self, TO start the institution, but as he
is in his 18th year they fear that such
good fortune is impracticable.
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