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DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS.

On the death of Dr. Hackley, in 1861, William G. Peck, professor of pure mathematics, had been transferred to the chair of mathematics and astronomy, and two years later Mr. J. Howard Van Amringe was promoted from the tutorship to the adjunct professorship.

In 1865 Dr. Davies, the professor of higher mathematics, was retired as emeritus professor. Dr. Davies had gained great eminence in his profession. He was a graduate of West Point, where he was afterwards professor of mathematics. This position he was forced to resign on account of illness, but later held similar chairs in Trinity College, Hartford, and the University of New York. For five years he served as treasurer of the United States Military Academy. The professorship at Columbia, to which he was called in 1857, was the last that he held. On his resignation he retired to private life at Fishkill Landing, where he died on the 17th of September, 1876. His works, which are distinguished by plainness and close logical arrangement, comprise an entire series of mathematical text-books, extending from a primary arithmetic to the higher mathematics, and including editions of Legendre's Geometry and Bourdon's Algebra. Among his more advanced works are Descriptive Geometry; Surveying and Navigation; Shades, Shadows, and Perspective; Differential and Integral Calculus; Logic and Utility of Mathematics, and a Mathematical Dictionary, the latter written in conjunction with his son-in-law, Prof. William G. Peck.

On the retirement of Dr. Davies the whole department was reorganized under the leadership of Dr. Peck, who, graduating from the United States Military Academy at the head of his class, was assigned to the Corps of Topographical Engineers and served in the third expedition of John C. Fremont, in 1845. He was also with the army of the West, under Gen. Stephen W. Kearny, during the Mexican war. He was assistant professor of natural philosophy at West Point in 1846 and professor of mathematics from 1847 to 1855, when he resigned from the Army. He then became professor of physics and civil engineering in the University of Michigan, where he remained until 1857, when he came to Columbia.

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At the outbreak of the civil war Mr. McCulloh was expelled for having abandoned his post and joined the rebels," thus leaving vacant the chair in mechanics and physics. Dr. Peck took upon himself the duty of giving instruction in mechanics, and an able professor of physics was found in the person of Ogden N. Rood. Professor Rood was a graduate of Princeton, in the class of 1852. He began his scientific studies in the Sheffield School at Yale and continued them at the universities of Munich and Berlin. Returning to this country, he was chosen professor of chemistry and physics at Troy University, where he remained nearly five years, being called 3176-11

from there to Columbia. Professor Rood has won great distinction for himself in his science. He was one of the first to apply photography to the microscope and to take binocular pictures with that instrument. His original investigations have been numerous, including special studies of questions in mechanics, optics, acoustics, and electricity. His studies of the nature of the electric spark and the duration of the flashes are particularly interesting, involving the determination of more minute intervals of time than were ever before measured. In 1880 he devised a mercurial air pump giving an exhaustion of a degree that has never been attained by other pumps. The methods of photometry that he has originated and his investigations of the phenomena that depend on the physiology of vision are very ingenious, and he was the first to make quantitative experiments on color contrasts. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the National Academy of Sciences, before which many of his most important memoirs were read.

DEPARTMENT OF GREEK AND LATIN.

The resumption of the academic exercises in October (1867) found two important departments of instruction unofficered. The veteran professor of Greek, whose masterly scholarship and whose signal services to the cause of classical education had won him a reputation as wide as the republic of letters and mad him the pride of the institution with which he had been identified for nearly half a century, had passed away during the summer, and had descended to his rest full of years and full of honors.'

Dr. Anthon was born in New York City on the 19th of November, 1797. He was a Columbia man from the beginning, taking his first degree there in 1815. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1819, but in 1820 returned to the college in the capacity of adjunct professor of Greek and Latin. From that time to his death his connection with Columbia was never severed. He was a voluminous writer and an authority often sought. He prepared many text-books for colleges, edited an edition of Lempriere's Classical Dictionary, besides writing one himself, and published a dictionary of Greek and Latin Antiquities.

Happily for the cause of classical learning in the college, a worthy successor to our lamented fellow laborer was found without the necessity of seeking beyond our own ranks. Dr. Drisler has already established for himself a solid reputation as a profound investigator of Greek philology, and his transfer to the vacant chair was a measure so obviously appropriate that it was effected without a dissenting voice. By this transfer the chair of Latin was thrown open, and this has since been filled by the election of Prof. Charles Short, late president of Kenyon College, a gentleman who had come to us recommended by the highest testimonials, and who, in discharging the duties of the office as professor ad interim for some months previous to his election, had proved himself eminently efficient as an instructor and agreeable as an associate.

1Report of President Barnard, June 1, 1886.

THE ELECTIVE SYSTEM.

These changes in the force of instruction immediately led to the first step in the development which characterized President Barnard's administration. Up to this time the course of instruction had been confined mainly, as President Barnard said, "to studies called par eminence disciplinary," and distinguishing this as the "gymnasial period." Since 1855, it has been seen, numerous attempts were made to advance to the university stage, but they had been ahead of their time, and the real development began with the creation of the professional schools and the parallel expansion of the arts course.

In 1868 four books of Professor Davies's edition of Legendre's Geometry were added to the requirements for admission and thus a much greater amount of work in higher mathematics and allied subjects was made possible in the course. The establishment of the elective system followed closely upon this.

At the end of their junior year the class of 1870 sent a petition to the faculty requesting them to arrange a system of elective studies so that during the senior year the individual student might to a certain extent be able to choose what subjects he would pursue. This, of course, it was not within the power of the faculty to grant, but they referred it to the trustees, and by the middle of the following year, with the aid of the students of that class, a provisional course had been arranged for an experiment. During the second term instruction was conducted in accordance with this plan, which proved in a large degree successful. In the ensuing May a committee of the trustees was appointed to consider the expediency of extending and making permanent this more liberal system, and as a result the following arrangement was adopted: Of the fifteen hours a week occupied by the seniors in lectures and recitations, about half were spent on required subjects, and for the remainder the class was divided into sections according as the members desired to pursue higher classical, philosophical, mathematical, or scientific courses.

POST-GRADUATE WORK.

"The adoption of a liberal system of elective study of this description prepares a college to rise naturally and easily to the higher level of post-graduate instruction," says President Barnard, and this result, indeed, followed in Columbia. The first step was taken in 1878, when a provision was made for examinations for the degree of Master of Arts. The student was to pursue his studies outside of the college and could not be a candidate for examination until three years after graduation. No instruction was offered in the college for this degree, because it seemed impracticable for want of room and a sufficient corps of instructors.

Before 1880, however, when the plan was to have gone

' President Barnard's Report, 1879.

into effect, these difficulties had been overcome.

During a few years

a large number of instructors were added and an entire reorganization of the college took place.

REORGANIZATION OF THE LAW SCHOOL.

In the law school five distinct professorships were created

I. The law of contracts, maritime and admiralty law.

II. Real estate and equity jurisprudence.

III. Criminal law, torts, and procedure.

IV. Constitutional history and international and constitutional law and political science.

V. Medical jurisprudence.

The first of these was filled by the warden, Professor Dwight, the third by Mr. George Chase, who for four years had ably assisted Professor Dwight, the fifth by Professor Ordroneaux. To the second was elected the Hon. John F. Dillon, formerly judge of the United States circuit court in the eighth district, and to the fourth Prof. John W. Burgess. This professorship was a revival of the chair which had been created in 1865 when Dr. Lieber was transferred to this school and given the duty of delivering lectures on the State, embracing the origin, development, objects, and history of political society, and the laws and usages of war, on the history of political literature and on political ethics. Dr. Lieber continued his connection with the law school until he was removed by death in 1872, giving lectures on these special subjects, "in which," says Professor Dwight, "he had gained great distinction for his learning, originality, and independence of thought, extensive research, and sound judgment."

Professor Burgess was a graduate of Amherst College of the class of 1867. He had studied law two years, but through the recommendation of President Seelye went to Knox College, Galesburg, Ill., where he taught English literature and political economy from 1869 to 1871. He then went to Germany to study history and political science in Göttingen, Leipzig, and Berlin. In 1873 Professor Burgess was called to the newly established chair in history and political science in his alma mater, where he lectured with extraordinary success until 1876, when he was invited to the similar chair in Columbia.

NEW PROFESSORS IN THE SCHOOL OF MINES.

Professor Vinton having resigned the chair of civil and mining engineering, William P. Trowbridge, Ph. D., LL. D., was elected in his place. Dr. Trowbridge was a graduate of the United States Military Academy. Standing at the head of the class of 1848, he was promoted second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers and spent two years in the astronomical observatory preparing for coast-survey work. He was assigned to duty in the primary triangulation of the coast of Maine. In 1853 he was sent to the Pacific, where he was occupied

three years conducting a series of tidal and magnetic observations along the coast from San Diego to Puget Sound. After serving one year as professor in the University of Michigan, he was again appointed on the coast survey and was engaged in preparing for publication the results of the Gulf Stream exploration. In 1860 he went to Key West to superintend the erection of a self-registering magnetic observatory, and he prepared minute descriptions of the Southern coast for the use of the Navy. During the war he was in charge of the engineer office in New York City, where his duties included the supply of materials for fortifications and other defences and the construction and shipping of engineer equipage for armies in the field. He constructed the fort at Willets Point, and was in charge of the repairs at Fort Schuyler and of the works on Governors Island. In 1865 he became vice-president of the Novelty Iron Works in New York City, with the direction of their shops. He was elected professor of dynamical engineering at the Sheffield Scientific School, remaining there from 1869 until he was called to Columbia. Dr. Trowbridge has held many honorable offices, both State and civic. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

On his election the title of the chair was changed and he became professor of engineering. At the same time Henry S. Munroe, E. M., Ph. D., was made adjunct professor of surveying and practical mining, and a few years later Frederick R. Hutton, A. M., E. M., C. E., Ph. D., was made adjunct professor of mechanical engineering. Besides professors, there were in this school a steadily increasing number of lecturers, instructors, and assistants.

CHANGES IN THE SCHOOL OF ARTS.

Prior to 1876 the only assistants in the school of arts were in the classical department and in the department of English-in the former Dr. A. C. Merriam, tutor in both Greek and Latin; in the latter, Dr. John D. Quackenboss, now adjunct professor in the same department. This force was now increased by the appointment of a tutor in Latin, Dr. Sydney G. Ashmore, and a tutor in mathematics, Mr. Frank Drisler. This was followed by the appointment of Mr. Richmond Mayo Smith, of Amherst, as adjunct professor of history and political science, to share the labors of Professor Burgess; and of Dr. Archibald Alexander as adjunct professor of moral and intellectual philosophy. During the year 1879-80 additional tutors were appointed in Anglo-Saxon, French, German, Greek, Latin, and mathematics. Finally, in anticipation of the increased work, the aged and distinguished Dr. Henry I. Schmidt was honorably retired to the rank of emeritus professor. To his chair was elected Mr. Charles Sprague Smith, who afterwards, with the aid of Dr. Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen, so thoroughly organized the department of modern languages.

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