Middletown transcript., 1907-09-21
DELAWARE COLLEGE

Delaware College has iuet bad the mos
successful opening of its long and yarie'
history. The encouraging conditions 0
last year in respect to number OF atndent
and quality Of their preparation have beer
surpassed to a surprising degree. Nor
than sixty boys have entered the Fresh
man class, the largest number in the his
tory OF the institution. What is mort
satisfactory than the number, however, il
the generally excellent preparation which
these students have received in the high
schools of the State. This improvement
is most noticeable in mathematics. Few
OF the candidates have been conditioned
either in nalgebra or plane geometry, and
several have presented certificates in solid
geometry and trigonometry. In English,
the preparatory work has not beenso sat-
isfactory, but an improvement is notice.
able even here, showing thatthe standard
OF the work done in the public schools of
Delaware is gradually rising. The super
intendents and teachers are to be eongrat-
ulated on the very satisfactory showing
made this year by candidates for entrance
to the State College.
The large number of entering Students
is rather remarkable in view Of stricter
requirements for entrance which have
gone in force this year. In her require
ments Delaware College is but one and
four-tenths points below the standard Of
the Carnegie Foundation. The only col.
lege Of the South on the Carnegie list is
Tulane University of New Orleans.
The new students represent almost
every section of the State. Wilmington,
as one would expect, sends the largest |
number. Several towns in the State send
more than one student. Five students
come from Newark, three from Lewes,
four from Dover, two from Greenwood,
two from Clayton and two from Delaware
City. Other towns represented are Kirk
wood, Port Penn, Seaford, BridgevilIe,
Harrington. Georgetown,
Smyrna and EIkton. The greater num-
Der of students enter the Engineering
Courses, the Civil and Electrical Eugi-
neering Courses leading. In consequence
Of the large increase in the number of
students, the Engineering Department
will be severely handicapped by lack Of
room and Of materials and machines for
practical application. An Engineering
building with thorough equipment is
surely one Of the pressing needs Of the
college.
Aside from this pressure on the re-
sources Of the Engineering Department,
avery department OF the college is better
prepared than ever to do good work.
rhe increasing funds have served to
strengthen greatly the efficiency of the
institution. The Agricultural Depart
nent has proitted most. as it seemed. to
De most in need. In addition to the farm
which was bought last spring, large addi-
ions have been made to the equipment
or agricultural purposes and the instruc-
ional force has been enlarged. The
number Of students in Agriculture is al.
'eady considerably larger than last year,
Ind the College is now prepared to give
both theoretical and practical instruction.
rhe farm 10 in excellent running order,
several crops having been raised this sum.
ner. Students will learn of course the
most approved methods of preparation of
he soil, planting and harvesting ofcrops.
A change has been made this autumn
IN the Military Department. Lieutenant
Slayer. of the 23d Infantry, takes the
place of Captain McCaskey, who has been
assigned to Fort Logan, near Denver, Col.
orado. The successful record last year
will no doubt be surpassed under the inn
petus Of sc. large an addition OF students
70 the battalion.
The condition Of the College in general
IS highly gratifying to the alumni and
,ther friends Of the old institution. Its
needs are great. The most pressing of
.hese seem to be an engineering building,
With laboratories, drafting rooms, and
'hop, thoroughly equipped with modern
Ind approved apparatus and much
arger fund for general expenses. The
unds from the United States Government
must be used for stated purposes; from
,ur own State the College hopes sometime
o receive an income which will enable it
o care satisfactorily for those needs which
10 not come under the provisions Of Fed
.rat acts.