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measure of that control which Commissioner Draper demands for it, the result can be very simply effected by a further amendment of the charter which would authorize the Governor of the State with the advice and consent of the Senate to appoint annually, for a term of five years, one of the three Trustees still elected by the Board itself. In that event one-third of the elective Trustees would be appointed by the State of New York, one-third elected by the alumni, and the remaining one-third chosen by the Board itself, while the State of New York would still retain on the Board the Governor and other ex-officio Trustees, thus giving the State fifteen of all the Trustees. Or if the State desired complete control, this could be easily accomplished by converting all trusteeships now filled by the Board into trusteeships filled by the State.

In any event the plan of governing a university, which sustains the peculiar relations to the State of New York which is occupied by Cornell, by a Board of Trustees, who represent both the State and the alumni, seems a peculiarly happy one, and while this amendment of the charter undoubtedly marks a new era in the history of Cornell University, it is not at all improbable that it may also mark a new era in the history of the administration and government of American universities. This new legislation regarding Cornell University accentuates the inadequacy of the classification of American universities as state and endowed. The classification should be three fold and not two fold; for in the United States we have endowed universities, state universities, and Cornell University, which is both an endowed and a state university. Like the endowed universities it is (in part) self-supporting and self-governed and like the state universities it is (in part) state-supported and state-governed. It forms a class by itself, being the only state-and-endowed university in the United States.

TRUSTEES AND FACULTIES

In accordance with the legislation described in the preceding section, Governor Hughes has appointed the following gentlemen members of the Board of Trustees: Frederick C. Stevens, Attica, for a term of five years; Henry W. Sackett, New York City, for a term of four years; Thomas B. Wilson, Hall's Corners, for a term of three years; Almon R. Eastman, Waterville, for a term of two years; John N. Carlisle, Watertown, for a term of one year. The alumni elected Willard Beahan and Charles C. Dickinson to fill the vacancies caused by the expiration of the terms of their predecessors, while the Board itself re-elected Stewart L. Woodford, C. Sidney Shepard, and Walter C. Kerr to succeed themselves as Trustees for a

further term of five years. William F. Pratt of Batavia, was elected by the New York State Grange a Trustee of Cornell University for the year 1909-1910. The Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Hiram W. Sibley and gave expression to their sentiments in the following resolution:

"Resolved, That the Trustees place upon record an expression of their deep regret that Mr. Sibley's other interests and duties render it necessary for him to withdraw from this Board, of which he has for many years been a highly esteemed member, thus terminating the official relations which have so long and so honorably existed between his family and Cornell University; and, in voicing their regret at this separation, the Trustees desire once more to assure Mr. Sibley of their genuine and grateful appreciation of the support which he and his father before him have given to the cause of scientific and technical education at this University-support so generous and vital that it makes the name of 'Sibley' an abiding heritage of Cornell."

The University Faculty, and particularly the Faculty of the College of Agriculture, sustained a great loss during the year in the death of Mark Vernon Slingerland, Assistant Professor of Economic Entomology. A life long student, a devoted investigator, a scientist of high standing, he possessed the happy and unusual faculty of bringing to the

practical aid of the agricultural industries of the State the results of scientific research and investigation.

The entire world has been told of the death of Ross Gilmore Marvin, the Cornell instructor who has written his name where men will read it as long as they are interested in exploration or the history of polar expeditions. News of his death came to the President of the University in the following telegram from Commander Robert E. Peary:

“BATTLE HARBOR, via Cape Ray, N. F., September 10, 1909.

Deeply regret inform you Professor Marvin drowned April tenth forty-five miles north of Cape Columbia while returning in command my third supporting party. Professor Marvin had planted the Cornell colors beyond the farthest of Nansen and Abruzzi. His loss great to expedition and me personally."

Throughout the community expressions of grief were universal at the sacrifice of this young life. Those who knew him best had been deeply impressed by his quiet, modest manner, his kindly disposition, his earnestness and sincerity. "We mourn his loss as a friend," says one of his colleagues in the Faculty of Civil Engineering, "and as one giving promise of greater achievements, even, than those amid which he gave up his life."

The year was marked by the retirement of Thomas Frederick Crane, Professor of the Romance Languages and Literatures and Dean of the University faculty. Dean Crane was a member of the original Faculty when Cornell opened her doors in 1868, and as Assistant Professor, Secretary of the Faculty, Professor, Head of Department, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Acting President during the second half of the year 1899, and, finally, as Dean of the University Faculty since 1902, he has given more than forty years of active service to Cornell University. The measure of influence of such a lifetime of devoted service can never be told. Not only has his success as a teacher and adminis

trative officer been marked, but during forty years he has stood pre-eminent in this University community as a living exemplar of that idea of liberal culture to which the College of Arts is dedicated. Happily he is still to remain here as emeritus professor.

Dean Crane retires upon a pension furnished to the University by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The names of other professors who have similarly retired will be found in the Report for 1907-1908 (p. 11).

Professor Crane had been Dean of the University Faculty which up to June last had charge also of the graduate work of the University. The Graduate School was, however, organized last year with a separate Faculty consisting of the professors and assistant professors who give instruction to graduate students. Of this new Faculty of the Graduate School Professor Ernest George Merritt was appointed Dean.

The following sabbatic leaves of absence during the year 1909-1910, have been granted: Professor R. S. Tarr, for one year; Professor H. C. Elmer, for one year; Professor R. C. Carpenter, for one year; Director L. H. Bailey, for one year; and Professors F. Bedell, F. A. Fetter, and R. C. H. Catterall, for the second term.

The following promotions to professorships were made among the assistant professors of the University: H. C. Elmer, to be Professor of Latin; G. D. Harris, to be Professor of Paleontology and Stratigraphic Geology; O. M. Brauner, to be Professor of Drawing and Painting; E. W. Olmsted, to be Professor of the Romance Languages and Literatures; W. Strunk, Jr., to be Professor of the English Language and Literature; C. L. Durham, to be Professor of Latin; H. A. Sill, to be Professor of Ancient History; C. F. Hirshfield, to be Professor of Power Engineering; E. W. Kemmerer, to be Professor of Economics and Finance; G. W. Cavanaugh,

H. H. Whetzel, E. O. Fippin, G. F. Warren, W. A. Stocking, Jr., G. N. Lauman to be professors in the College of Agriculture; and Doctors I. Haynes, C. N. B. Camac, J. A. Hartwell, and W. J. Elser to be professors in the Medical College in New York City.

The following new appointments to professorships were made during the year:

MARTIN WRIGHT SAMPSON was appointed Professor of the English Language and Literature and head of the department. Born in Cincinnati in 1866, Mr. Sampson received the degree of A.B. from the University of Cincinnati in 1888, and the degree of A.M. from the same institution in 1890. In 1887-1888 he attended the University of Munich, continuing his studies in Paris in 1891, in London in 1899, in Dublin in 1901, in London in 1901-1902, and in Dresden in 1906-1907. From 1889 to 1891 he was instructor in English in the University of Iowa; from 1892 to 1893 he was assistant professor in Leland Stanford Junior University and from 1893 to 1906 he was professor at Indiana University. He was called to Cornell University as Acting Professor of English for the second term of the year 1907-1908. He has written numerous reviews in literary and scholarly periodicals and has edited Milton's "Lyric and Dramatic Poems," Webster's Plays, Mrs. Gaskell's "Cranford," and Irving's "Sketchbook." He is joint author of a textbook on "Written and Oral Composition," and translator of Singer's "The Dresden Gallery."

WILLIAM WISTAR COMFORT was appointed Professor of the Romance Languages and Literatures and head of the department. Mr. Comfort was born in Philadelphia in 1874. Graduating at Haverford College in 1894, he continued his studies in Harvard University, receiving from Harvard his A.B. in 1895, A.M. in 1896, and Ph.D. in 1902.

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