Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/268

234 A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO the work of construction were submitted to him and received his approval. He paid the bills as they came in, and the laboratory cost him in the end two hundred and two thousand, two hundred and seventy dollars. He also generously furnished the laboratory equipment at a cost of thirty-three thousand dollars. That the building might be made as complete and perfect as possible, under the most competent expert advice, Professor Ira Remsen was asked, and generously consented, to come from Baltimore and assist the architect in working out the general plan and details of the laboratory. The building was formally dedicated and turned over to the University at the Fifth Convocation, January i, 1894. A conference of professors of chemistry from other universities and colleges was held. The dedicatory exercises were held in the evening. As the procession entered the main hall of the building it passed a bronze tablet on the wall, in the center of which was a bust of Mr. Kent, the donor of the building, in bas- relief, with this inscription below: THIS BUILDING IS DEDICATED TO A FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE, IN THE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE A FOUNDA- TION STONE LAID BROAD AND DEEP FOR THE TEMPLE OF KNOWLEDGE IN WHICH AS WE LIVE WE HAVE LIFE. SIDNEY A. KENT The design was the work of Lorado Taf t. In receiving the build- ing President Harper spoke as follows : Ladies and Gentlemen: As the most fitting introduction to the exercises of the evening, I read to you the contents of the letter which I hold in my hand: Mr. William R. Harper, President of the University of Chicago: "MY DEAR SIR: I hereby give this building, fully furnished, and com- pletely equipped, to the University of Chicago as a chemical laboratory, for the use of this and future generations. "Trusting that the standard of education will be such as to command the respect, not only of this country, but of the civilized world, I am, " Very truly yours, "S. A. KENT." "Chicago, January i, 1894."