Year: 1874




diana State University appointed the un-
dersigned committee of visitation, on
behalf of the people, for the inspection
lof their institution. Our instructions
were TO make two visits, one at any time
during the year TO suit our convenience.
and the other at the close of the last
term. and also 10 furnish a report TO the
trustees of the results of our observa-
tons Having made detailed report
of our visitation TO the faculty and trus-
tees, we have also been requested TO pre-
sent a statement of the practical work
iings of the university to the people of
the state. We have made the visits, as
requested by the trustees, and have in
stituted careful scrutiny into the work
ing of the university. We congratulate
the people Of the state that there is such
a college at the head Of our great COM
mon school system. IL should be a
source of satisfaction to every lover of
popular education, that place has been
perfected whereby the primary schools
of the state have been brought into har-
monicus union with the state university.
thereby offering TO the children of the
a continuous and com





mcnt is one of great advantage to the
lower schools as well as to the universi-
ty. To the children of the former il Of
fess the highest incentive TO active exer-
tfcn; TO the latter it presents wider
field for usefulness in the increased
nuWber of youth that will come up from
the schools, and in their more thorough
preparation for collegiate study. 1t WAS
feared that If any union were effected
between the extremes of the common
school system, it must be made al the
expense of the higher institution. Such
fears have not been realized and need
not bc further entertained. No change
las been made either i" q. ou.',,v ar
in the amount of instruction afforded bv
the university. NO abatement has been
made in the number or In the amount of
the studies. and the statistics of the insti-
tuition show that i'm the study of the an
cicnt languages there is larger per
cent. of students engaged than ever be-
fore. There is another aspect ia which
the


PRESENT CoNDtTIoS


of the University may be viewed, COM





Then. students of but one
sex occupied the halls now the daught-
ers of the people have an equal chance
for culture with their brothers. The
change bas brought with il signal advan-
tages. not alone To one sex but 10 both.
Each has assisted the other. The man
ner. and the morals of the Young men
have undergone "A remarkable transfer
nation; where rudeness and vulgarity
were formerly the rule. now they are
found 10 be the exception. Nor has the
intellectual training of the students suf-
fered any loss by the introduction of the
Young women. a fair comparison will
show that the young ladies are in no re-
spect inferior TO their brethren in all the
qualities that go 10 make the scholar.
Formerly. and it was not long ago, the
number OF students i'm attendance at an
Institution was about the only standard
by which lis success was measured. We
are glad to be able to state that the Uni
versiiy has passed the point when her
usefulness can be measured in that way.
While she strives TO benefit exery indi-
vidual who comes to claim her services,
she will not attempt 10 do 1t at the sacri-
fee of scholarship. AT the beginning of
the present year n large number OF APP
plicants were permitted TO leave the in
stitution because they were unwilling TO
have the faculty determine their stand
ing and classification. We look upon
this action of the faculty as eminently
wise, and commend both faculty and
trustees for their determination to make
scholarship aud not numbers the evil
ldence of excellence. We have seen the
students i'm their recitation rooms, and
we have been permitted TO examine the
lpapers that they prepared as tests of
their training. From the evidences, we
have been able TO make comparison OF
this years work with that of former
years, and ii is gratifying TO know that
such comparison proves the superior
excellence of this years work. The pa
pers generally give evidence of good
training-n neatness and accuracy are
their prevailing characteristics, while
the care bestowed upon composition,
spelling and penmanship, shows the
lfaithfulness of the faculty in looking af-
ter these important though frequently
neglected subjects. The recent erection
OF new building for the accommoda-
ltioE Of the law school, the labratory. and
the museum of natural history, afford.
additional proof of the determination OF
the trustees to spare no pains or expense
to render the institution one of the best
in the country. In conclusion, we ar,
Exceedingly gratified TO be able to say
to the people OF the state, that they hay,


now an institution in every way worth,
lof their confidence and cstecm-a place