TWENTY-THIRD BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE Iowa State College of Agriculture MADE TO THE GOVERNOR OF IOWA For the Biennial Period, July 1, 1906 to June 30, 1908 DES MOINES EMORY H. ENGLISH, STATE PRINTER 1908 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL IOWA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AMES, IOWA, November 1, 1908. To His Excellency, A. B. Cummins: In accordance with the statute defining the duties of the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, I have the honor to transmit herewith the twenty-third biennial report of the Board. 6-354324 E. W. STANTON, Secretary. 288849 PRESIDENT'S REPORT. ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY. The laws of the State of Iowa provide for the election by the general assembly of a Board of Trustees, one member from each congressional district, whose duty it shall be to manage and control the Iowa State College, at all times supporting the best interest of the institution. In 1862 a bill was passed by Congress, entitled, "An act donating public lands to the several States and Territories, which may provide for colleges for the benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.' Section 4 requires: That all moneys derived from the sale of land aforesaid by the States to which lands are apportioned, and from the sale of land script, hereinbefore provided for, shall constitute a perpetual fund, the capital of which shall remain forever undiminished (except as may be provided for in Section fifth of this act), and the interest of which shall inviolably be apportioned by each State which may take and claim the benefit of this act, to the endowment, support and maintenance of at least one college, where the leading object shall be without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the Legislature of the State may provide, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life. The General Assembly of Iowa, September 11, 1862, accepted the grant upon the conditions and under the restrictions contained in the act of Congress, and by so doing entered into contract with the General Government to erect and keep in repair all buildings necessary for the use of the College. By this action of the General Assembly the College was changed from an agricultural institution into a College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts with the broad and liberal course of study outlined in the following paragraph. In 1882 the General Assembly passed an act defining the course of study to be pursued as follows: |