UIHistories Project: A History of the University of Illinois by Kalev Leetaru
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Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 353]

Caption: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871
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345 Mr. Flagg—That was according as it was convenient to those participating as lecturers. In those cases we have used the professors of the University to a considerable extent, and particularly outside of the institution, where they were carried among the people, not desiring them to lecture so much at home as they did abroad. On the other hand, as far as the institution itself is concerned, it has been rather a policy to bring outsiders in, to bring the practical minds, as they are called, into the institution. The policy of that, in part, was to bring our teachers and our people into closer relations to one another. The two first years, I believe, the teaching was mostly by single lecturers— by one person; that is, each professor delivered but one, or perhaps two lectures. During the last winter, and to some extent the winter before, there has been considerable done by one person. For instance, Dr. Hull, who was here yesterday, and Dr. Miles went to several places and delivered two and three lectures at each. There were some advantages in that, but one of the more special features, perhaps, was in getting in—although they may know less about it—the practical men who are not ordinarily engaged in teaching, and are not entirely aufait in the matter of communicating knowledge. We find in these cases some advantages and some disadvantages; they throw some new light on a great many matters. They aid our professors in thinking, and they waken them up, I think, to a considerable extent, giving them some new views of things, and they, perhaps, draw out the opinions and discussions of practical men which are valuable, better, perhaps, than regular teachers would do. The results of these meetings I take to be two-fold—they instruct the teacher as to the wants—the professors who go out, at least, and who are present at the meetings—they instruct them to a considerable extent as to what the people want the subjects in which they are specially interested, and on which they want information, and I think they are valuable to the people in bringing them more in relation to men who have a more scientific method than our ordinary farmers have. I think if agriculture is going to gain anything in this century, especially it is to be in the getting hold, as our farmers are seeming to do, of a scientific method—that is, a careful induction of facts—and coming in contact with men who are scientific in their character, as most of these professors who go out to give lectures are. I think they learn a great deal in that direction. They get hold of the reason of a great many facts, too, which they knew as facts, but did not know the wherefore of them. Upon the whole, I am inclined to believe that that is one of the most valuable features of a popular agricultural education, It has not succeeded as well as I could —34