Wesleyan University - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Middletown, CT)

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'WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY OLLA PODRIDA. I3 PRQFESSGR W. U. ATW TER. 141 ILBUR OLIN ATWATER, was born May 3, 1844, at Iohnsburgh, lVarren County, N. Y. He was graduated at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn., in 1865. After three years spent in school-teaching, Mr. Atwater entered the Sheffield Scientinc School at New Haven, Conn. After two years of study there Mr. Atwater left the institution with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The next two years were spent in European travel, and in study of chemistry and allied branches of science at the universities of Berlin and Leipsig, and in various European experiment-stations. Returning home, he was appointed professor of general and agricultural chemistry in East Tennessee University, at Knoxville. He was made pro- fessor of chemistry in the Maine State College at Orono, in 1873. Next year he was elected professor of chemistry in Wesleyan University, an oflice he still retains. Soon after he had removed to Middletown, Professor Atwater gave a lecture before the State Board of Agriculture in which he set forth the urgent need of experiment stations. This discussion led to an attempt to establish an experiment station in this state. In 1874, the Connecticut legislature appropriated 52,800 per annum for two years, for beginning such work at Wesleyan University. Mr. Orange Judd, a warm friend of Professor Atwater's, also gave 51,000 yearly to help the new work forward. After two years of successful labor, the experiment station was removed to New Haven. In 1882-3 Professor Atwater was absent in Europe, giving his time, mainly, to work in biological chemistry in Munich, Heidelburg and other places. When the Storrs School Agricultural Station was established at Middletown, Conn., in 1889, Professor Atwater was made its Director. Professor Atwater was appointed by the Commissioners of Agriculture to the important and difficult business of giving unity, variety and comprehensiveness to the work that is going on at the Experiment Stations in the various states and territories, under the recent act of Congress, giving every state and territory 515,000 for doing such work,

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'WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY OLLA PODRIDA HERBERT WILLIAM CONN, PH. D DANIEL AVRES PIIUFESSGII OF BIOLOGY. Q13 j. HJ Q3 High St. ELINIER TRUESDELL MERRILL, M. A ROBERT RICH PROFESSOR IIE THE LATIN LANGUAGE AND LIIEIIATURE C4 S. CJ Q8 Collfglf Sf. REV. ANDREVV CAMPBELL ARMSTRONG, JR M A PROFESSOR OF I'HII.0SoPHY. C8 S. C1130 Pear! St. KARL POMEROY HARRINGTON, M. A 'rumk IN LATIN. C40 Aff CJ Q3-fflgh Si. YVILLIAM JOHN JAMES, M. A., TUTOR IN MATHEMATICS, AND REGISTRAR. 22 NY C. FRANKLIN HENRY TAYLOR, M. I'U'I'oR IN GREEK. 32 Colfege St. A EDWARD BURR VAN VLECK, M. A 'rU'1oIe IN IVIATHEIWIATICS. 17 0. H., WALTER PARKE BRADLEY, PH. 1Ns1'NUCTr:R IN GI-IEIIISTRY. 05 Broad Sf., LEVI OSCAR KUHNS, M. A., LIBRARIAN, AND INS'I'11Uc'I'oI: IN FRENCH. 18 IVY C. AARON LOUIS TREADWELL, B. ASSISTANT IN NAI-URAI. I-1151-okv. C13 j. HJ 7 S. C. JOHN LAW BRIDGE, B. S., ASSISTANT IN CHEIVIISTRY. 42 N. C. DUDLEY CHASE ABBOTT, B. A ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN. 42 N. C. HENRY LINCOLN HOUGHTON, B. ASSISTANT IN PI-IYSICS. 80 College Sf. D. S., S.

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14 VVESLEYAN UNIVERSITY OLLA PODRIDA. In the Azrzenkmz Agffzkzrlfzzralzln' appeared, between 1875-1881, a series of nearly seventy articles from his pen on f'Agricultural Chemistry, under the general head- ing t'Science Applied to Farming, wherein some of the most important principles of fertilizing and feeding now generally understood and adopted were for the first time set forth in full detail in the English language. At first as Director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and later in connection with the Amerfrczfz Agfz'cuZ!zzmZzb'!, Professor Atwater planned a series of cooperative Field Experiments with fertilizers which were carried on by hundreds of farmers, and by some experiment stations and colleges in all the states east and some of those west of the Mississippi, and several Provinces of Cfanada. A series of years were required to carry out this enterprise on the broad side on which it was planned, and some of this work is still going on in colleges and experiment stations. , In recent years Professor Atwater has made a specialty of Biological Chemistry, the chemistry of animal and vegetable life. In his laboratory at Wesleyan University more analyses of fish have been made than in any other laboratory in America or Europe. His curiosity as to the sources of nitrogen in growing plants, led to a series of experiments, which successfully and for the first time demonstrated that such plants do absorb nitrogen in larger quantities from the air. In the Cefzfmjf Zlfagazifze appeared a series of articles intended to bring before the public such -results of these wide ranging and long continued studies as might awaken widely felt interest. These and the series of articles on agricultural subjects in the Affzeffzkafz Ag7'z'rzzZz'zzrrzZzLrf have made Professor Atwater Widely known as a popularizer of the methods of scientific farming. But it may be conjectured that those articles are dearest to the Professor's heart in which he has entered the realm of original research and of high science. Rnv. GEORGE PRENTICE.