Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1888 [PAGE 133]

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136

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

The botanical work goes forward with its wonted regularity and success. The zoological department has been brought fully up to that of its kindred science, and is gathering growing interest. The physiological work will derive fresh impetus from the new manikin. The work of this College is directed by Professors Burrill, Forbes, McMurtrie and Bolfe, aided by assistants Palmer, Tatarian, and Garman. The physics and electricity are taught by Professor Comstock. I trust that by the time when his services are all demanded by the work in mining engineering, the University may be able to give the whole time of an instructor to physics in its varied departments. No subject in the University courses presents a larger or more important field of labor. Some person should give it his whole strength.

THE COLLEGE OF LITERATURE AND SCIENCE

commands the service of Professors Pickard, Crawford, Snyder, Butler, and Brownlee, and assistant Eggert. No important changes have occurred in this department during the last year. Professor Brownlee's work goes steadily forward, and is bearing good fruit. The current series of orations delivered two or three times a week, by the members of the senior class in the chapel is excellently done and well received. I trust that the Junior Exhibition of this day will have been found to present a marked improvement upon any of its predecessors, beginning a new and improved order of things. As has been before noted, the constant progress which during the last few years has been made upon the technical side of the University has given an impression that the literary departments were being neglected, or, at least, were not so well advanced as the others. We trust that the facts are not such, and that the public impression, if it exists, may be corrected. The work of Professor Butler in Latin, of Professor Crawford in Greek, of Professor Snyder in modern languages, of Professor Shattuck in mathematics, all of this is up to the first standards, and the collateral scientific work enjoys the best efforts of the same men who are giving strength to the technical schools. But, out of all comes a complete answer to the old objection, so constantly harped upon, that the University was being diverted from its proper purposes to become a "mere" classical college.

THE ART CLASSES

under Professor Boos maintain their deserved popularity. His room is always a busy hive. The effect upon all forms of industrial art and design is salutary, and there is no department of the University which does not gather some benefit from this work. Besides this, the forms of mathematical drawing and projections .are taught thoroughly by Professor Talbot, while their applications