--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Anderson, Edward H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 19 number: 5 published: 1916-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Edward H. Anderson, "The New President of the University of Utah," *Improvement Era* 19, no. 5 (March 1916): 447–457.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1905unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1905unse start_page: 447 end_page: 457 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1905unse publication_year: 1916 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The New President of the University of Utah The New President of the University ofjUtah BY EDWARD H. ANDERSON Recently Dr. John A. Widtsoe, President of the Utah StateAgricultural College, was elected, by a majority of the Board ofRegents of the University of Utah, to fill the position made vacantby the resignation of President J. T. Kingsbury. A more capable,scholarly, and able man for the position than Dr. Widtsoe couldnot be found in the United States. The state and the Universityare to be heartily congratulated on securing him. It is true,some have objected to the action of the Board of Regents inelecting Dr. Widtsoe to that position, on the laughable ground ofhis lack of qualification, but principally, one would think, becausehe is a Utah man—if we can so confine him to one state, for he isa national and an international character who is as well knownin educational circles in Europe as in America, and at home. It will be interesting and an inspiration to some of theyounger readers of the Improvement Era, who are not ac-quainted with the labors of Dr. Widtsoe, to read of some of hisachievements. This article is presented to them with the hopethat not only the Alumni of the University of Utah will unitedlystand by him, because he is worthy of it, but with the hope thatwe may not, as a state, fail to recognize the value of our owncitizens, merely because they live with us, and modestly moveabout in our midst like ordinary persons. John A. Widtsoe was born on January 31, 1872, on theIsland of Froyen, Norway, where his father was teaching. Dr.Widtsoe's father was a well educated teacher, and sprang froma family of teachers for several generations. His mother is thedaughter of the "King's" Pilot of the coast and came of three gen-erations of Chief pilots. They had two children, John A., andO. I. P. Widtsoe. Six years after John A. was born, his fatherdied, in 1878. From that year up to 1883, John attended private and publicschools with the ministry in view. In the meantime, inT881, hismother joined the "Mormon" Church, and two years thereafter,in November, 1883, she, with her two children, emigrated toAmerica and settled in Logan, Utah. Up to 1891 the boys hereearned a living by a variety of work. They attended the publicschools, and took up many subjects by private evening instruc-tion. In June of 1891 John A. Widtsoe graduated from thenormal course of the Brigham Young College, and in July he DR. JOHN A. WIDTSOE The new President of the University of Utah, for years Presidentof the Utah State Agricultural College, Logan. THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 449 entered Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. InApril of the following year he won the University scholarship onaccount of high attainments. The stipend was $150. In Aprilof 1893, he won a scholarship again, and in September he waselected President of the Boylston Chemical Club of Harvard. InJune, 1894, he graduated from Harvard with the bachelor's degree,highest honors in Chemistry, and for general excellence in study.It may here be stated that the highest honors may be won, first,by examination showing excellent and wide acquaintance withone group of knowledge; or second, by uniform excellence in allsubjects taken. Highest honors may be won in both ways at thesame time, and was won by him in both ways, summa cum laude.His graduation thesis was published in the American ChemicalJournal, under the title of "The Oximes of Mucophenoxybromicand Mucophenoxychloric Acids." He also took research incomposition of Athenian Pottery, and wrote and published articleson a variety of subjects. In the Boston Magazine's review of the work of the class of1894, the literary quality of the class was represented by selectionsfrom his writings. During the college course, he gave especialattention to science, but also dipped into many fields of knowl-edge. He was offered several positions in science and literature,but preferred to come back to Utah. Coming West, that summer,he taught science and mathematics in the Central Utah SummerSchool, at Manti, during July and August, and in September ofthat fall, he entered the service of the Utah Agricultural Col-lege, as chemist to the Experiment Station and instructor inchemistry. It was here he began an exhaustive study of thechemical life history of lucern, having in view the best time tocut the crop, and its feeding value. The following year he waschosen Professor of Chemistry at the Utah Agricultural College;and in the summer undertook the first systematic soil survey ofUtah, studying the soils of Sanpete, Juab and Cache counties. InDecember of that year, he published his Research on the Compo-sition of Irrigation and Drainage Waters of Utah. During 1896,he made a survey, by hundreds of co-operative experiments, of thepossibilities of raising sugar beets in Utah. He began also sev-eral other chemical investigations. During the summer of 1897,he conducted the first Farmers' Institute party over the state,visiting half of the counties in the state, especially in southernUtah. This year he also published bulletins on the Chemical LifeHistory of Lucern, on Sugar Beets in Utah, and on miscellaneouschemical work. The following year brought forth many momentous eventsin the life of Dr. Widtsoe. In the first place, on the first day ofJune, 1898, he married Leah Eudora Dunford, in the Salt LakeTemple, and in the same month he was appointed to a Parker 450 IMPROVEMENT ERA Fellowship in the Graduate School of Harvard, with the privilegeof foreign study. There are four of these fellowships, and theyare competed for by all who desire to study in foreign Univer-sities. The annual stipend is $800. Having obtained this fellow-ship he sailed, in July, for Europe, and in October began his studyin the great University of Goettingen, Germany, as a candidatefor a doctor's degree. He pursued especially, plant chemistry,physics and mineralogy; He was in the private laboratory ofGeheimrath Dr. B. Tollens, a world's authority on carbohydrates,with Drs. E. Liebisch and E. Eriche, famous in mineralogy andphysics. This same year he published bulletins on the chemicalcomposition of Utah soils, sugar beets in Utah, digestion experi-ments, the second part of chemical life history of lucern, and sev-eral others. In June of the following year he finished his doctor's thesisentitled, Ueber das Traganth-Gummi, und die Methyl Pentosane.He published also crystallographic methods. In July and August,of 1899, he traveled in northern Europe, making tours in Nor-way, Denmark and Sweden. From September, 1899, to January, 1900, he studied in Berlin.FIc took the examinations of the faculty of the University ofGoettingen in November, 1899, winning the degrees of Master ofArts and Doctor of Philosophy, with high honors—magna cumlaude. F>om January, 1900, to May, he studied plant chemistry inthe Polytechnicum of Zurich, Switzerland, with E. Schulzer; andfrom May to August of that year, he resided in London, much ofhis time traveling in England and on the continent. He sailed forAmerica in September. In the meantime, in June he had beenelected President of the Brigham Young College, but declined,and accepted the position of Director of the Utah ExperimentStation and professor of chemistry in the Utah AgriculturalCollege. In the autumn of 1900, he planned and inaugurated the ex-haustive irrigation studies of the Utah Experiment Station, whichare still being continued, and which have laid a secure scientificfoundation for irrigation practice. He also organized the workof the Utah Experiment Station. In the spring of 1901, he planned and organized the Farm-ers' and Housekeepers' Institute work, now grown into the ex-tension division of the Utah Agricultural College. That sameyear he conducted a survey of the dry lands of Utah, and on thebasis of the accumulated experiences of the farmers, and onscientific principles, organized our dry-farming knowledge into asystem of principles which, up to date, have not been overthrown,but only enlarged upon. During the autumn he continued work THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 451 on dry-farming, irrigation, and other experiment station work,and farmer institute work. It was in the spring of 1902 that he held the first Farmers'schools, and with Mrs. Widstoe, the first Housekeepers' confer-ence in the state, and in the West. These were the forerunners ofthe Farmers' Roundups and Housekeepers' conferences. Thatsame year he published several bulletins, and many articles, onebeing the first bulletin on dry-farming in the United States, whichwas soon followed by nearly all the western states. He continued the work of the preceding year, with otheractivities added, for the three years following; and in 1905 waschosen a member of the State Horticultural Commission. In July,he became the director of the department of agriculture, to beorganized in the Brigham Young University at Provo, where heorganized agricultural work, and the following year taught largeFarmers' schools in Provo, Utah. These were the largest in thehistory of the state up to this time, about 250 being registered.In 1906, he did a great deal of literary work, and in the springof 1907, was elected President of Utah Agricultural College. Dur-ing that year he organized the Agricultural Extension work asa division of the college, co-ordinate with other divisions of thecollege; and since that time, up to the present, he has organizedpractically every division of the college. Its courses of experi-ments were placed on an elective basis. He organized several newdepartments, such as Bacteriology, Botany, Farm Mechanics, etc.He secured a faculty of high training, many from the West;raised the entrance standard from two years' high school work tothe requirements of standard colleges; organized the correspond-ence department; and the Farmers' roundups and Housekeepers'conferences; secured several new buildings, such as the Gym-nasium, the Woman's Building, Stock Judging Pavilion, Chem-istry Building and Heating Plant; remodeled the Mechanic ArtsBuilding, and built up new laboratories in practically every sciencetaught in the college; secured modern studies for pure and ap-plied art; established the cafeteria; renovated nearly all theold buildings; secured new and improved livestock, etc. The income of the college was nearly trebled during thisperiod; the extension income increased from $1,500 to about$45,000, and the Experiment Station income was nearly doubled.The students of college grade, on standard basis, increased nearlyeight times; and more than four-fifths of all the graduates of thecollege went out during this period. The short practical coursesof the college were organized. Altogether, it has been a period of great prosperity for theAgricultural College of Utah, which has gained, not only in na-tional, but in international reputation. And thus we might go on to enumerate the achievements of 452 IMPROVEMENT ERA this wonderful educator who has wrought in our midst for thesemany years, and who has now been elected to take charge and setupon its feet what must be the leading educational institutionof the state of Utah and the West. Every person who knows Dr.Widtsoe has faith in his ability, if he be left unhindered, to makeof the University of Utah a great institution. When, in 1900, Dr. J. M. Tanner was trying to secure thePresidency of the Agricultural College for Dr. Widtsoe, the voteof the directors stood four for Kerr and three for Widtsoe. Oneof the voters later changed, and Dr. Widtsoe, receiving four votes,was made Director of the Experiment Station, that year. Amongmany others these testimonials were secured for Dr. Widtsoe atthat time: From Henry B. Hill, Director of the Chemical Laboratory ofHarvard College: "I beg to say a word in behalf of my friend, Professor J. A. Widt-soe, whose name has been suggested, as I hear, for the Presidency ofyour Institution. "I have known Professor Widtsoe for eight years, and am familiarwith the details of his brilliant work as a student and of his subse-quent successful career, I can urge his appointment without reserve,since I consider him the man of the younger generation best qualifiedbjr natural ability and by training to fill such a position; certainlyamong our own graduates of the past twenty years, I could suggest noone whom I could so warmly recommend. I may perhaps be allowedto add that I have as hearty a respect for the simple manliness of hischaracter as I have for his intellectual strength or his scientific at-tainments." Charles Loring Jackson, Erving Professor of Chemistry inHarvard, says: "I am informed that Dr. J. A. Widtsoe is a candidate for thePresidency of your Institution, and take great pleasure in testifyingto his most uncommon ability as a man and a chemist. "I knew him during his period of study at the Lawrence ScientificSchool, of Harvard University, and have since then kept track of himby correspondence, so that I am well qualified to speak about him. "He is one of the most able men who has come under my in-struction, and you should remember that my advanced students arepicked men from all parts of the country. He showed remarkablepower in his work, and owing to his recent study in Europe is nowas well qualified as anyone in the country for work in physiologicalchemistry, in fact I think there is no one in America so well equipped.With this preparation for his work, and the excellent work he didbefore he went to Europe, we have a right to expect a most distin-guished career from him—one that will be followed with interest andadmiration by the whole chemical world. "He is broad, progressive, industrious, and enterprising. "This letter sounds exaggerated, but it is not, as he is a veryrare sort of man. T shall be glad to answer any questions about him." Theodore Wm. Richards, Chemical Laboratory of HarvardCollege, says: THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 453 "Mr. J. M. Tanner has just written me that he would be gladif I should say something in behalf of J. A. Widtsoe as a candidate forthe Presidency of the College, and I am glad to have the chance todo so. While he was here he distinguished himself both in Englishand in Chemistry, having been among our best students. Besides in-tellectual power he possessed rare patience, as well as energy. Hisbearing and demeanor gave an impression of dignity and reservepower. "I feel sure that if you should select him he would do all in hispower to promote the usefulness of your Institution, and I hope thatyou may decide to do so." Dr. B. Tollens, Director of the Agr. Chemical Laboratory of the University of Goettingen, says: "Professor Dr. J. A. Widtsoe, during his stay in Goettingen, hasshown himself to be a well-trained chemist, with solid knowledge inall the branches of his science. In the Agricultural Chemical Labora-tory of this University he has carried out his valuable investigation ofTragauth and other gums, pentosans, methylpentosans, etc.; and inthis work he has shown in a high degree care, exactness, industry,love of work, and interest in matters of science. "I may add that I also value Professor Dr. Widtsoe very highlyas a man; and that I feel to give him my best recommendations." Charles W. Eliot, Harvard University, says: "I understand that Mr. John A. Widtsoe is a candidate for thepresidency of the Agricultural College at Logan, Utah, and I desire totestify that he has received an admirable training for such a post. Hereceived the degree of Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, fromHarvard University in 1894; and for two years of the course in theLawrence Scientific School he was the recipient of a University Schol-arship. You then had observation of him in the Utah AgriculturalCollege. In 1898, he obtained the appointment to a traveling fellow-ship of this University—an appointment which is always competed forby a large number of promising men. He has held a Parker Fellow-ship for two years, and has used his time with care and intelligence. Icongratulate you on having so good a candidate for your vacantpresidency." N. S. Shaler, Lawrence Scientific School, says: "I have just learned that Mr. J. A. Widtsoe is a candidate for theposition of Professor of Chemistry in your College. "Mr. Widtsoe is remembered with pleasure by all those who knewhim in Cambridge. He is a man of unusual capacity and high attain-ments. I am satisfied that he will prove an excellent teacher and aman in every way fitted to further the purpose of your College." It would take many pages, merely to enumerate the laborsof Dr. Widtsoe outside of the College, but which were in har-mony with his labors there. Thus, in 1911, he published the book,Dry-Farming, now translated into many langnages. The following is a partial bibliography of the published writ-ings of Dr. John A. Widtsoe to January 1, 1915. In these writ-ings all his theological studies and articles are omitted: 454 IMPROVEMENT ERA Books. Dry-Farming, A System of Agriculture for Countries under a LowRainfall. Macmillan, 1911. Le Dry-Farming, Librairic Agricole de la Maison Rustique, 1912. El Dry-Farming o Cultivo de Secano. Libreria Gutenberg de JoseRuiz, 1914. The Principles of Irrigation Practice. Macmillan, 1914. BULLETINS "The Chemical Life History of Lucern," I. U. E. S. No. 48 (1897)."The Chemical Composition of Utah Soils," U. E. S. No. 52 (1898)."Utah Sugar Beets," (1897) U. E. S. No. 53 (1895)."Digestion Experiments with Shredded Corn Fodder, Lucern,Timothy and Wheat Bran," U. E. S. No. 54 (2nd part 1898)."Report of the Chemist," U. E. S. Report of 1896 (1897)."The Chemical Life History of Lucern," II. U. E. S. No. 58 (1898)."Lead Ore in Sugar Beet Pulp," (with L. A. Merrill) U. E. S. No. 74 (1902). "Arid Farming or Dry-Farming," (with L. A. Merrill) U. E. S. No. 75 (1902). "Irrigation Investigations in 1901," (with Station Staff) U. E. S.No. 80 (1902). "The Right Way to Irrigate," (with W. W. McLaughlin) U. F. S.No. 86 (1903). "The Relation of Smelter Smoke to Utah Agriculture," U. E. S.No. 88 (1904). "Arid Farming in Utah," '(with L. A. Merrill) U. E. S. No. 91(1905). "Memoranda of Plans for Arid Farm Investigations," U. E. S.Circ. No. 1 (1904). "Memoranda of Plans for Irrigation Investigations," U. E. S.Circ. No. 2 (1904). "Memoranda of Plans for Arid Farm Investigations," U. E. S.Circ. No. 3 (1905). "Memoranda of Plans for Irrigation Investigation," U. E. S. Circ.[STo. 4 (1905). "The Storage of Winter Precipitation in Soils," U. E. S. No. 104(1908). "Factors Influencing Evaporation and Transpiration," U. E. S. No.105 (1909). "The Movement of water in Irrigated Soils," U. E. S. No. 155(1912). "The Production of Dry Matter with Different Quantities of Irri-gation Water," (U. E. S. No. 116 (1912). "The Effect of Varying Quantities of Irrigation Water on theProduction of Dry Matter," U. E. S. No. 116 (1912). "The Yields of Crops with Different Quantities of IrrigationWater," (with L. A. Merrill) U. E. S. No. 117 (1912). "Methods for Increasing the Crop-Producing Power of IrrigationWater." (with L. A. Merrill) U. E. S. 118 (1912). "The Effect of Irrigation on the Growth and Composition ofPlants at Different Periods of Development," (with R. Stewart) U. E.S. No. 119 (1912). "The Chemical Composition of Crops as Affected by DifferentQuantities of Irrigation Water," U. E. S. No. 120 (1912). "The Soil of the Southern Utah Experiment Station," (with R.Stewart) U. E. S. No. 121 (1913). "The Nature of the Dry-Farming Soils of Utah," (with R.Stewart) U. E. S. No. 122 (1913). THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 455 PAMPHLETS "Ueber das Traganth-Gummi und die Methyl Pentosane." UnivBuchdrucherei, Goettingen (1899). ''The State Experimental Arid Farms," for State Fair of 1903 ''Education for Necessary Pursuits," U. A. C. (1913)."A Talk with Young Men About Agriculture," (1905)."A Talk about the Education worth While," (1907). REPORTS "Twelfth Annual Report," of the Utah Agricultural ExperimentStation, (1901). "Thirteenth Annual Report," U. E. S. (1902). "Fourteenth Annual Report," U. E. S. (1903). "Biennial Report," U. A. C. Colfege Vol. 8. No. 4 (1909). "Biennial Report," U. A. C. College Bulletin Vol. 10. No. 9 (1911).(1911). "Biennial Report," U. A. C. College Bulletin Vol. 12 (1913). "Biennial Report," U. A. C. College Bulletin Vol. 14 (1915). PERIODICAL ARTICLES Research: "The Composition of Athenian Pottery," (T. W. Richards) Am.Chem. Journal XVII No. 3 (1893). "The Oximes of Mucophenoxybromic and MucophenoxychloricAcids," Am. Chem. Journal 18:631 (1895). "Composition of Irrigation and Drainage Waters," U. E. S. (1895). "Composition of Potatoes," U. E. S. 8th Report, p. 22 (1897). "The Ripening of Sugar Beets," U. E. S. 8th Report, p. 25. "Utah Guano," U. E. S. 8th Report p. 30. "Water Used for Irrigation on the Station Farm," U. E. S. 8thReport p. 30. "The Composition of Package Tea," U. E. S. 8th Report, p. 31. "The Composition of Utah Feeding Stuffs," U. E. S. 8th Report,p. 32. Popular: "Alkali: Its Cause, Composition and Cure," U. F. I. Report No. 2, p. 7 (1897-98). "When to Cut Lucern for Hay," U. t. I. Report No. 2, p. 63. "Foil Fertility," U. F. I. Report No. 2, p. 81. "Agriculture in the Public Schools," U. F. I. Report No. 6, p. 12 (1902-03). "Alkali Lands and their Reclamation," U. F. I. Report No. 6, p. 74. "The Experiment Station and Its Work," U. F. I. Report No. 7, p. 7 (1903-04). "Ihe Coming Danger to Utah Agriculture," U. F. I. Report No. 7, p. 15. "The Irrigation Investigations of the Utah Experiment Stations," U. F. I. ReportNo. 7, p. 19; also Proceedings National Irrigation Congress. "The Experiment Station and Its Work," U. F. I. Report No., p. 23 (1900). "Dry- or Arid-Farming in Utah," U. F. I. Report No., p. 29. "Dairying and Farm Fertility," U. F. I. Report No., p. 13 (1900). "Two Unseen Friends," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 17 (1900). "One of Aristotle's Elements," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 132 (1900). "Liebig and Lawes," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 196 (1900). "The Folly of Astrology," Improvement Era. "Sunshine," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 371 (1900). "Water," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 439 (1900). "The Chemistry of Digestion," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 564 (1900). "The Circulation of Matter in Nature," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 66 (1900). "The Food of Man," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, n 769 (1900). "Some Properties of Soils," Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 840 (1900). "Plant Breeding," Improvement Era, Vol. 5, p. 293 (1901). "Forests and Snow," Improvement Era, Vol. 5. p. 295 (1901). "Wheat Farming and Soil Fertility," Improvement Era, Vol. 5, p. 297 (1901). "Some Sources of Water Supply," Improvement Era, Vol. 5, p. 595 (1901). "Nature in the Trust Business," Improvement Era, Vol. 5, p. 686 (190T. "Food" (Series of 12 articles Young Woman's Journal, Vol. IX (1898). "An Every Day Engine," Young Woman's Journal, Vol., p. 128 (189). "Bjornstjerne Bjornson," Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 9, p. 217 (1898). 456 IMl'k< iVKMHNT ERA "On the Mountain I'op," Young Human's Journal Vol. 9, p. 217 (18y8). "Two American Female Poets," Young Woman's Journal, vol. 9, p. 348 (1898). "The Cheer of a Life," Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 12, p. 10 (1901). "A Violet in the Snow," Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 11, i>. 534 (1900). "A Snapshot," Improvement Era, Vol. 9, \>. 36! (1906). "Manual Training ami Our Social Questions," White and Mac, Vol. 9, p. 200(1906). "The Reign of Law," U kite and Blue, Vol. 9, p. 139 (1906). ' Arid Farming," Salt Lake Tribune, Christmas, 1905. "The Reclamation of Empires," Dcscret News, Christmas, 1906. "Onward Studies of Arid Farming," in Dcscret News, Christmas, 1906. "The Present Status of Dry-Farming in the Great liasin," Dry-Farming Congress,First Report (1907;. "Don't Waste Water," Deserct Farmer, Vol. 1, p. 1 (1904). "Irrigation Investigations of the Utah Experiment Station," Irrigation Age (1904). "The Supplemental Value of Irrigation," Irrigation Age (1906). "The Rational Use of Water in Irrigation," Twelfth Irrigation Congress Report(1904). "Share and Acre-F'oot," Deseret Neivs (May 12, 1906). "Fall Irrigation," Deseret Farmer (19(T5). "The Economic Effect of Smelter Smoke in Salt Lake Valley," Salt Lake TribuneNew Year, 1905). "The Irrigation of Sugar Beets," Deseret Farmer (1906). "How to Keep Sugar Beet Land Fertile," Deseret Farmer (1906) . "Utah Agricultural Experiment Station," Salt Lake Tribune (New Year, 1901). "The Experiment Station," Salt Lake Tribune (New Year, 1902). "Work of the State Experiment Station," Salt Lake Tribune (New Year, 1905). "An Evening by the Tjern," U. of (J. Chronicle (1896). "A Humble Failure," Harvard Advocate (1893). "Prepared Cereal Breakfast Foods," Juvenile Instructor (1902). "Off the Coast of Norway," Juvenile Inst) uctor (Nov. and Dec, 1902). "Elementary Agriculture in Public Schools," Deseret Farmer (1908). "The Conquest of the Desert without Irrigation," Western Monthly (1908). "Upper and Lower Star Valleys," Deseret Farmer (Oct. 10, 1908). "The Passing of the Ranch," Deseret Farmer (1908). "Bear Lake Valley," Deseret Farmer (Oct. 3, 1908). "Agricultural Resources of Utah," Utah Conservation Commission Preliminary Re-port (1908). "Co-operative Marketing of Fruit in California" March 19, 1910). "The Economical Use of Water," State Press (1911). "The Kingly Sport of Cultivation," Deseret Farmer (May 4, 1910). "Problems of Irrigation and Methods of Attacking Them Experimentally," Bulletin 228, Office of Experiment Stations, p. 112 (1900). "Why Every Utah Farmer Should be a Dairyman," Deseret Farmer (Feb. 10,1912). "How to Reduce the Water Requirements of Soils," Dry-Farming Congress Reportfor 1910, p. 591. "The Industrial Value of Manual Training," School Board Journal (March, 1909). "An Example for City Wage Earners," Deseret Farmer (Sept. 26, 1908). "Education for Women in Utah," Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 20 (1909). "Industrial Education," Ogden Examiner (Aug. 22, 1914). "Kvad Vi Skylder Fcedrelandet," Bikuben (May, 1914). "The Relation of Utah Agricultural College to Utah Horticulture," Utah StateHorticultural Association Report, for 1910, p. Ill (1910). "The Utah Agricultural College," Improvement Era, Vol., p. 593 (19). "The Conquest of Drouth," Improvement Era, Vol. 16, p. 281 (1913)."Education for the Necessary Pursuits of t. ■ Nation," Utah Educational Review(1910). "The Need and Kind of Education," Improvement Era, Vol. 11, p. 826 (1909)."Agricultural Education—A Definition, ' Utah Farmer (1912)."The International Dry-Farming Congress," Improvement Era, Vol. p. 610"Utah Agriculture in 1911 and After," R. R. Reu Book (1912)."The Biggest Thing in My Line of Business," Spokesman Review (June 7, 1912)."The Banker and Agricultural Encouragement," Logan Journal (July 23, 1912)."Fall Irrigation," Deseret Farmer (Sept. 28, 1905).Editorials (Just a few, and all in the Utaa Farmer which he with L A Merrillfounded in 1905). "Mt. Pleasant" (1915); "The Farm Home" (1915); "How to Lower the Cost of Living" (1915); The Farmer a Man" (1915); "Whose Farm?" (1915); "Gov. Spry's NewYear's Message" (1915); "When to Sow" (1915); "Too Good for Beet Growers" (1915):"Whining" (1915); "The Soutnern Farm" (1910); "Laughing at the Drouth" (1910)"St. George" (1910); "LaVerkin" (1910); Hurricane" (1910); "Notes" (1910)"Mountain Bound" (1910); "Dry or Arid Farming in Utah" (1914); "Agricultural College of Utah" (1904); "Soil Fertility" (1904); "Fertilizers for Strawberries" (190S)"Drainage the Cure for Alkali" (1905); "Irrigation" (1906). PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE PUBLISHED THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS OF JOHN A WIDTSOE— 1899-1915."Anthon L. Skanchv," Improvement Era, (1q15)."Rational Theology" (1915). THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 457 "Concordance to the Book of Doctrine and Covenants." "A Voice from the Soil," Improvement Era (1899 (..lso in Danish and German). "We Walk by Faith," Improvement Era (1900). "Joseph Smith as Scientist," Improvement Era (1903-4) (Also in Swedish and Ger-man.) "The Study of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants" (1904). "Joseph Smith as Philosopher," Improvement Era (1904). "The Prophetic Value of Section Two," Improvement Era (1906). "The Book of Doctrine and Covenants" (28 lessons—2 years—for study of Y. L.M. I. Association (1902-04). "The History of the Savior" (72 lessons—4 years—for study of Y. L. M .1. Asso-ciation (1904-08). "Outline for the Study of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants" (4th year Theo-logical Department, Sunday School Union Outlines u^04). "The History and Message of the Doctrine and Covenants" (1906), Manual forY. i\I. M. I. Association. "Enoch, Whom the Lord Took unto Himself," Juvenile Instructor (1903). "The Promotion of the Physical Comforts of Sunday Schools," Juvenile Instructor. The Journal of Education for February 3, 1916, just to hand,contains a notice of Dr. Widtsoe's appointment, written by theeditor, Dr.-A. E. Winship, one of the foremost educators of theUnited States. He says : "President Widtsoe has made a college of National reputation atLogan. As an author, as a scholar, as a specialist, as one skilfulin handling problems of human nature as of nature, of boys and menas well as of crops and animals, he is one of the distinguished ad-ministrators and leaders of the country. He will come to the stateuniversity with the prestige of ripe scholarship from Harvard and ofuninterrupted success in educational affairs. "Whoever thinks in large units in Utah, or in the rest of Amer-ica, will welcome him to the larger field, and those who think in smallunits, who see through glasses of prejudice clouded by fanaticism, areof slight account anywhere." Dr. Widtsoe is a member of numerous scientific and othersocieties, is Executive Committeeman for Utah in the IrrigationCongress, and chairman of the section on Irrigation Practice, andis connected with many business organizations. He hs beenactive in the propaganda for industrial education and has pub-lished much on the subject. He received the degree of Doctor ofLaws from the Utah Agricultural College, in 1914, and long stoodfor two main ideas: (1) making education, even higher educa-tion, accessible to all, so that our democracy may rest on a uni-versally developed intelligence ; and (2) using the discovered factsof science, and the discovery of new facts, for the reclamation,for the use of man, of the vast areas of the earth's surface (overone-half) under a low rainfall. In Dr. Widtsoe the state of Utah has one of the most activeeducators in the United States. He is level-headed, conserva-tive, energetic, an organizer and disciplinarian, a scholar whoseability will be felt for progress in the reconstruction, developmentand advancement of our beloved University of Utah. Give himhalf a chance, and he will place that institution upon a basis ofnational recognition, side by side with the greatest institutions oflearning in our country.