Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/242

212 A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO by themselves to insure strong scientific departments, combined with the offer of Mr. Kent at the same moment to provide a great chemical laboratory and the Ogden designation explains the change in the President's original intention. He did not indeed give up his purpose to make the humanistic departments strong, but, although he lacked the funds for the purpose, he determined to avail himself of this great opportunity and make the scientific departments strong also. Mr. Whitman drove a hard bargain with him. After his election he wired the President as follows: I can accept on following terms, salaries and running expenses [for the Department of Biology] thirty thousand dollars, equipment twenty-five thousand, building one hundred and fifty thousand. Mr. Nef had his chemical laboratory already assured. Mr. Michelson did not attempt to make terms. It was expected that out of the campaign for a "million dollars in ninety days" just beginning, a biological laboratory would emerge. By a curious turn of fortune, however, it happened that at that time Mr. Whit- man did not get his building for biology, and Mr. Michelson did get the great Ryerson Physical Laboratory. Some years passed before Biology had a laboratory, but in 1897, through the munifi- cence of Miss Helen Culver, President Harper was able to give the biological departments four laboratories, instead of the one building he had promised. Clark University contributed fifteen men to the faculty. The President was tempted beyond what he was able to bear, and beyond what his resources could bear. But, his power of resistance having broken down before this splendid temptation, he was left quite helpless before one which immediately followed. The President learned that Thomas C. Chamberlin, president of the University of Wisconsin, having, during his five years at Madi- son, accomplished the task of reorganization he had set for himself and doubled the number of students, was weary of administrative work, which, indeed, he had undertaken reluctantly, and would, perhaps, welcome a call to the headship of a Department of Geology, and that his professor of Geology at Madison, Rollin D. Salisbury, who had already been recommended in the highest terms, would follow his chief. George C. Walker, one of the Trustees, had agreed to provide a museum building which might be used also as