Penn State University - La Vie Yearbook (University Park, PA)

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8 J WCN N S YLV AN IA STATE COLI J?.GF. During the time from 1873 to 1885. hcsitlcs his teaching. ho. was engaged in original research covering the pcti'ogi'aphy and gcologg Of the crystalline rocks. and thc Oldcr geological formations. He further studied the ore deposits meteorites. classification of rocks. the earth's structure, etc. He was further cmpluyml quite largely as an expert in reporting: upon mining properties and in iichl work. During lilL' period from 1877 to I885 ho puhlishcd hctwccn eighty and ninety articles and hooks upnn suhjvcts within his lines of invostigaticm. Amongst: these may he mentioned the Geology of thc Iron and Copper Districts of Lake Superior, his Lithological Studivs and thc Amie System, written in con- junction with Prof. j. D. Whitney. 111 I885 110 was calicd t0 a new chair of Mineralogy and Geology in Colby University. At this institution he not only established and developed his in- struction, including llotany aml' Zoology, hut alsu rearranged the University courses. For this work he had been prepared not only by his earlier work upon acadcmic and graded school courses. but also by his work upon the development of the courses in the Lzuvn-ncc Scientiiic School. In I886-87 he served as Assistant Geologist in thc Minnesota Gcnlogical Survey and published a work upon thc eruptive rocks of that state. No remained at Colby until 1887 when he resigned to hccomc Director 0f the Michigan Mining; School. and the Professor of Mincralugy. Pctrography, and ticology in the same. When tht- name of the school was changed t0 that of the Michigan College of Mines by the legislature in 1897. his title changed to that of lh'csidcnt. From 1888 to 1893 he was also State Guologist 0f Michi- gan and published reports and papers relating to the work. At 1116 time he took charge of the Michigan School it was one year old and practically nnm'ganizcd, although it had hccn announced that its CUIWSC should he for two wars only. The school ililti hut 23 students. nu coursc of study. no rcgnlaliuns, nu rccunls, no buildings, and hut very little equipment. A two years course was arranged, and in 1889 a three years course i'as introduced; lilt' rcqnircmcnts for admission i'aiscd. and a large brownstone building com- pleted and occupied by the school. In 1800 Dr. tVadswnrth Changed the cnllcgc ycar irmu 37 to 39 weeks, which in 189! he extended to 45 weeks. thus inaugurating the nearly continuous system of College instruction. that was later adopted by President Harper of Chicago University, to whom the credit for originating the plan is incorrectly given. This scheme was carried into effect without increasing the instructional

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N 1621 William W'adswnrth lamlctl with Daniel Cnukin at Newport News in X1 irginia. Later ilt' returned tn England and with his younger hmthcr, Christopher, rcnmvcd to this country in 1632, landing :t iUStOH. .- Wiliiam tirst scttlwl at Cambridge. Mass, and 0n the site of his 11-si1h-11n- nuw stands 1111' fannms l'nivcrsity Press. In 1036 11c went with iinokt'l' through the XVihh-rncss and assisted in the foundation ut' l'Iartford. Conn. 15110111 wVilham lit'SCL'lltiUti Captain .luscph, of Charter Oak fame; Daniel, the foundcr ul' thc Hartfnrtl .thncnm; .Iamcs, thc philanthropist: and ticnvral janws S. who was killwi in the battle 0f the iVihlcrm-ss. Christuphcr settled in anhmw, Max's. From Min tit'SCCHtictl Captain 8111111101. who was slain at tho 111assacrt' at Smihnry, in King 1411111113- war; icnjmnin. lilt' ninth I'1'csitlv11t uf Harvard: and Gt-nvrai Polog tVadsworth. the grand- fnthcr 0f Ilvnry Wadswurth lamgtvllnw. 'lihv suhjcct' 11f 01111 sketch is in the direct lino of descent fmm Christopher and 8:111111131. lie was horn on a farm at Livcrmm'c lialls, Maine: and prepared for Cnilcgt- in tho gradcd schuuls Hf his native village. and in Hates College, and Lcwistmv Jialls Avath'my. entering iitnwitlill 01110540 in 1305, tlnnnlcnmng in 18113 and until his graduatinn ilU taught from 0m: to thrcc terms a year. Hwing to this and his uthcr lahnrs, hc was ahIc to h: proscnt with his Class less than fnrty-thn'v wwks. but by hard work kept up with thc Class. never receiving a Cnmiitinn. aml graduating in cnursc in 1861;. He was chictiy distinguishwl during his Cullt'gt- VUIH'SC hy his vxccllcncc i11 111:1thc11mtical. scirntitic. and philnsulihical studios. From 1801; to 1873 he was 0115.111ng as principal and s11pcri11tc111h-nt nf schools in Minncsnta :11111 tViscnnsin. In 1873, 110 tunk 1111 a lmst-gradnatc cunrs: at Isliarvartl Uniwrsily. receiving the dcgrt-c 01' A. M. in 1874111 ! P11. H. in 1371;. i To scrvcii as lirufcssor 0f Chvmistry in thc Huston Dental Cullt-gc in 187$ 74, as Assistant 011 thv Now Hampshirt- th-ulng'ical Survvy in 1874, as Instructor in Matlmnatics and Mineralogy in Harvard L'nivcrsity from 187.1 lu 11'77, :11111 as Assistant: in timhigy in the same. from 1877 t0 1887. During this time 11:: gava- at Harvard the first mursc in Microsuipical Pctrography cvcr taught in thc linitctl Status. :1 subject in which hv was self instructed.

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L A V I F. 9 fnrcc by arranging the vzlcutimis fur the instructors in different seasons of the year. During the fourth year of his :ulministmtiun, the school became the largest miningr school in tho L'nitcd States. overpussingr Lehigh, Columbia. and Culi- fm'nizl. Its success in thawing students was such that it caused the abandonment 11f IhC other state mining schunls in Michigan. XViscnnsin. and Illinois. 111 1803. he introduced into 11w schnnl :1 course of four ymrs of t'orty-fivc weeks cuchuh'x' fur thc hardest cnut'sc ever used in :my schnni in the United States. This cmn'sv i'cqnirctl of each student :lhutit seven thousand hours 111' work in the Class mom 11ml laboratory. of which the thcmwticul cnvcrul over two thousand hours and the practical sumo loss than five thousand huurs. 'lihc rccognizwl ditiicnltics in the way of such :1 Course. lwl Dr. W'zulswnrth to devise :1ml inti'mhicc in 1805 thc tirst complete clcctivc system ever used in any technical school in thc United States. 113' mczms of it 21ml by suitable regu- lations. was SUIVUI the problem of ulluwingr men to graduate in three 01' four years as desired, 1111 having put in their studies tho samc amount of time that 1110 usual four years College courses rvquirc. 'It :111 depended upon this, whether :1 man dusirul to put in his 45 wccks :1 your 01' loss. The student cmnplctcd thc cnnrsc when ho had his requisite credits. This system harmonized the interests mt stmh-nts 11ml instructurs, rcmlcrwl thc :uhninistmtion simple and easy, and reduced the l'clntivc expenses fur instruction, for thc attendance rapidly incrmscd. Since us :1 Stzttc institution the schux 11 was instructingr students nut 01in from mzmy parts 111' North :1ml South America. but also from many parts of linropc, Asia. and Africa. hc induced the Legislature in 18117 10 place the tuition for non- resitlcnts :11 $150 1101' year, and raised the nintrimlntiun :uul practicmn t'ccs. As was expected it temporarily reduced thc :lttcmhmcc. but it soon recovered and rapidly increased its numbers. The Michigan College 111' Mines then being tirmly established. having four building's thoroughly equipped. :1 unique system 41ml large attendance, President Wadsworth put into execution :1 111:111 1011;; turmoil, cluscd his connection with the institution. :1ml engaged in pmfussimml wurk in 1390, after twelve y 131's of service. Since that time his system has hccn steadily employed in the Michigan C01- lcgc, 11ml there has hccn no apparent Change. in it'. except the addition of one now professnr. new buildings, and 2m inm'cusc in students. Duringr tho twclvc years he hzul charge at the Michigan institution he was activch engaged in publishing, partly upon sciontitic subjects, but more largely