Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - New Chemistry Building [PAGE 6]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

some little idea of the importance of the subject in the history of human culture and the importance of developing it in the interests of human health and human welfare in general. And yet, I think, there is no doubt t h a t the average man who has given his attention chiefly to Egyptology or Assyriology or to Latin $nd Greek, even though a cultivated and educated man, has little or no conception of the fundamental importance of the development of chemistry to the progress of human life. Now, of course, the simplest way, the most direct way, and the proper way to induce this appreciation of the work of this great subject in the mind of the average man is to educate him directly upon the importance of chemistry; try to get some chemical ideas into his head; point out the relation of chemistry to the practical things t h a t he himself is trying to do every day, etc., etc. But this is not always very easy to accomplish. I have found it to be so, as to the members of the faculties to which I have belonged and as to the members of my own family and acquaintances who were not connected with the universities; from a study of the remarks and views of the average man who comes to visit the University of Illinois, from the ranks of the advertising men, from farmers, from bankers, and men in general whose profession has not brought t h e m necessarily in touch with academic methods and academic standards and academic ideals. I have come around quite strongly to t h e view t h a t the most direct method of educating such people as to the importance of certain things is to let t h a t importance be shown in some visible structure of steel and iron, of concrete and brick, which impresses his senses and may impress his imagination. I a m quite sure t h a t no farmer in Illinois, t h a t no laboring man in Illinois, t h a t no advertising man, or banker, or lawyer could view this great building which has been erected upon the campus of the University of Illinois in the interests of chemistry, even though he look at it merely from the outside, without unconsciously experiencing the feeling—you might almost say the conviction—"Why, t h a t must be a mighty important subject on which the University of Illinois is willing to spend so much money!" And if he goes into the laboratory, though he doesn't understand what all these test tubes and all these pipes, etc., .mean, but simply sees all the amount of

(5)