Excerpt from Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Clark University: Worcester, Mass; 1889-1914

I was at the outset sent on an eight months' trip to Europe, With several score letters of introduction, including one from the national government which gave me access to the inside workings of Kultus M Wisteria and university circles and archives, so that my trip constituted a pedagogic journey I think almost without precedent. T wenty-five years ago these very weeks I was on this unique mission and was surprised to find the most eminent men of learning in Europe profoundly interested in it, and so lavish with their time, sympathy and counsel. I was entertained by Lord Kelvin, Pasteur, Helm holtz, Jow-ett, and some scores of others of the greatest living leaders in scientific thought, went on a trip of inspection cf German universities as the guest of the Prussian Minister of Education, von Gosslar, and, perhaps most embarrassing of all, was taken in state by General Trepanoff on a visit to the two great Russian military schools near St. Petersburg, in each of which an all day's program of military evolutions had been arranged for my special edification, was a guest of honor at a meeting of Swedish universities, etc. My instructions from Mr. Clark had been to see everything and every insti tution possible, collect building plans, budgets, administration methods of 'every kind, and find out a few of the best men who might be willing to come to a new institution here, but to engage no one but to be ready to negotiate with them later. The amazement to me was how lavish everybody was of ad vice, h0w cherished and often how elaborate were the ideals of university men, many if not most of whom seemed to, have imagined installations of their own departments rivaling not only Bacon's House of Solomon, but sometimes almost sug gesting apocryphal vision. From my voluminous notes of that trip could be compiled ideals lofty, numerous and far-reaching enough to inspire all the universities of the world for a cen tury, and to organize a new one here for the conduct of which' ten times ten million dollars would be sadly inadequate.

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