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President of the Agricultural College of Utah

Improvement Era, vol. 19, no. 6, April 1916, pp. 537 to 539

Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations

President of the Agricultural College of Utah

Parents and young people are equally interested in knowingsomething of men who are chosen to be leaders in the great educa-tional institutions of the state.

E. G. Peterson, B. S., M. A., Ph. D., was selected February17, by the board of regents as president of the state AgriculturalCollege, to fill the place made vacant by the resignation of Dr.John A. Widtsoe. Dr. Peterson was born, August 26, 1882, atPlain City, Weber county, Utah. He is a grandson of WilliamGeddes, a well-known Utah pioneer who, with six others, foundedPlain City, in 1859. His early education was received in thepublic schools of Idaho and Oregon, and in the high school in theOneida stake Academy, Preston. He was trained on the farmboth in Weber county and in southern Idaho. He graduatedfrom the Agricultural College in 1904, with a degree of Bachelorof Science, and was instructor and assistant professor there duringthe years 1904-6. In the latter year, he took a special course inthe University of Chicago graduate school, and at times also as-sisted at the Utah experiment station. In 1908, he became agraduate student at Cornell, New York, and in 1909, secured fromthat university the degree of Master of Arts. In 1911, he re-ceived his degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the same uni-versity for work in bacteriology. In 1910, he was apointed aFellow in the graduate school of the University of Chicago butdeclined. He was an instructor in Cornell university in 1909-10;and professor of bacteriology at the Oregon Agricultural College,and bacteriologist of the Oregon experiment station, in 1910-11.The following year he was appointed director of the extensiondivision of the Utah Agricultural College.

Since the year 1912 that division has developed the systemof county agricultural demonstrations, and the home demonstra-tions which are now at work in thirteen of the large counties ofUtah. Under his charge as director, the large round-ups havebeen developed at Cedar City, Monroe, Richfield, and Logan, aswell as the farmers' and housekeepers' institutes in all parts ofthe state.

Dr. Peterson is a member of the National Scientific Associa-tion, and one of the organizers of the Association of WesternLand Grant Colleges of which he is a director. He has writtenextensively upon agricultural and rural problems for the localpress, and is particularly devoted to the development of a highrural civilization. His writings, of which readers of the Era arenot in ignorance, for he has contributed a number of articles for

E. G. PETERSON, B. S., A. Mv PH. D.,The newly elected president of the Utah State Agricultural College.

PRESIDENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 539

this magazine, reflect faith in the ultimate destiny of the farming"profession. He believes that it will more effectively than nowform the very basis of our life and culture. He has expressedhimself frequently that Utah especially has been given the priv-ilege of leading the world in the development of rural life, on ahigh plane of intelligence, efficiency and prosperity.

Dr. Peterson will receive a salary of $4,000 per annum. Hewas married about a year and a half ago to Miss Phoebe Nebeker.They have one child.

He is one of the youngest college presidents in the UnitedStates. He may even be the youngest. His appointment is wellreceived by the people of the state generally, who join in not onlywishing him continued achievement, but in wishing him successin promoting the great work of this magnificent state institution.

When a Fellow's Lost his Job

When a fellow's lost his job and turns into the street,With a haunting feeling in the mind that chills from head to feet;The world looks mighty frigid, and there is no sweet content;For his cheque is not a big one and the landlord wants his rent.

The street car grates a deadly toll that makes him start;He sees the snow a-drizzling and the northwind strikes his heart.His face it twitches nervous-like when Twelfth Street's called around;And he steps into the darkness and forsakes the friendless crowd.

Thief-like he hurries—slackens pace—then stops before a blockOf tow'ring masonry. Ye gods! His very home delights to mockHis plight. And wifey somewhere far above! He sickens at the

thoughtOf telling her. 'Twill kill the precious girl he loves. "Poor Dot!"

He enters. Dot is waiting. How he hates that smiling face to rob.He hates to—but he must—so, sinking in a chair, he blurts, "I've lost

my job."He didn't see the supper a-piping hot, and Tabby brushed his leg in

vain;And chubby little Tommy a-crawling o'er his back thought Daddy

sure insane.He only saw a chasm, yawning, big and black ahead;And a wife and child a-pleading for their clothes and bread.

Then Dot, she laughed, caressed him, cried: "Have you, dear?""Cheer up, Jack; you look so blue—and Jack—I see it—fear.You, young, strong, ambitious, fear to fight again, and quit?Tonight 'tis dark—tomorrow's sun will surely shine, at least, a bit.

"Jack, keep up your chin, and never say all's lost;The world needs men, and, back she'll pay the cost.We'll fight together, Jack, and win. Yes, win without a sob.There, you're smiling! Good! Now, dear, forget you've lost your job."

Frank C. Steele

RAYMOND, ALTA, CANADA