Hon. MELVILLE BULL...................................................Newport, County.

Hon. C. H. COGGESHALL................................................Bristol, County.

Hon. CHARLES J. GREEN........................................Washington, County.

Hon. HENRY L. GREEN.....................................................Kent, County.

Hon. GARDINER C SIMS..........................................Providence, County.

Hon. C. H. COGGESHALL, President.....................P. O., Bristol, R.I.

Hon. HENRY L. GREEN, Vice-President.................P. O., Riverpoint, R.I.

Hon. CHARLES J GREEN, Clerk............................P.O., Kenyou, R.I.

Hon. MELVILLE BULL, Treasurer..........................P.O., Newport, R.I.

JOHN H. WASHBURN, Ph. D.............................President of the College.

CHARLES O. FLAGG, B. Sc.............................Director and Agriculturist.

H. J. WHEELER, Ph. D. ..............................................................Chemist.

L. F. KINNEY, B. Sc. ...........................................................Horticulturist.

SAMUEL CUSHMAN...................................Apiarist and Poultry Manager.

J. D. TOWAR, B. Sc. ..............................................Assistant Agriculturist.

GEORGE M. TUCKER, B. Sc. ................................Assistant Agriculturist.

B. L. HARTWELL, B. Sc. .............................................Assistant Chemist.

C. L. SARGENT, B. Sc. ................................................Assistant Chemist.

GEORGE E. ADAMS, B. Sc. .................................Assistant Horticulturist.

NATHANIEL HELME .........................................................Meteorologist.

BERTHA E. BENTLEY ....................................................................Clerk.

January 18, 8:30 A. M. ........................................................Term begins.

January 30 .....................................................Day of Prayer for Colleges.

February 29 .........................................................Washington's Birthday.

April 3 ...................................................................................Term ends.

April 13, 8:30 a.m. .............................................................Term begins.

_______ _____ ..................................................................Arbor Day.

May 30 ...........................................................................Memorial Day.

June 11 .........................................................Senior Examinations begin.

June 19, 10 A. M. ...............................................Entrance Examinations.

June 21 ...............................................................Baccalaureate Sunday.

June 28 ........................................................................Commencement.

September 15, 10 A.M. .......................................Entrance Examination.

September 16, 8:30 A. M...................................................Term begins.

________ _______...............................................Thanksgiving Day.

December 23 ......................................................................Term ends.

January 4 ..........................................................................Term begins.

In 1863 the State of Rhode Island accepted from the United States Government the land grant scrip, which gave to each State thirty thousand acres of the public lands for each Senator and Representative in Congress. The land was to be sold by the States, or their agents, the proceeds arising from the sale invested, and the annual income derived therefrom was to be "inviolably appropriated 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 Mechanic Arts, in such manner as the Legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life."

On March 2d,1887, the act known as the Hatch Act was passed, appropriating $15,000 annually to each State, for the purpose of establishing an Agricultural Experiment Station in connection with an Agricultural College or School.*

From the time of the acceptance by the State of Rhode Island of the land scrip in 1863, there were many people who felt that this State did not offer to young men such advantages for instruction in agriculture and mechanic arts as others afforded that had genuine agricultural and mechanical colleges. So great was the dissatisfaction among the citizens of Rhode Island that the absence of these educational advantages, that they were determined to have the Hatch Agricultural Experiment Station located at a bona fied agricultural educational institution.

The Rhode Island State Agricultural Experiment Station was established according to Chapter 706 of the Public Laws, passed May 23, 1888. ( See Fifth Annual Report, page 6)

The United States Congress, on August 30,1890, passed an act known as the new Morrill Bill. This appropriated for the further support of the agricultural and mechanical colleges a sum beginning with $15,000, and continuing with a yearly increase of $1,000 until the annual appropriation should reach $25,000.

That the school already established might receive the benefit of the act of Congress, the General Assembly amended Chapter 706 of the Public Laws, (for text see Fifth Annual Report, page 12), incorporating the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.

Since September, 1892, the institution has been conducted on a college basis, with an entirely new course of study.

On April 19, 1894, the Legislature passed an act authorizing the state Treasurer to pay Brown University the sum of $40,000, in consideration of which the University was to turn over to the State the proceeds of the original Land Grant of 1862, and to withdraw from the United States Supreme Court its suit for the Morrill Fund.

* See Bulletin No. 1 of Experiment Station.
 
 

On Sunday, the twenty-seventh of January last, at about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, at the time when most of the young men and faculty were at church, College Hall, the only dormitory connected with the College, caught fire and burned to the ground in less than one hour. At that time, the wind was registering on the anemometer the rate of forty miles per hour. There was no water supply, and the small tank full of water in the

Upon the old foundation, a new dormitory of ample accommodations has been built, which was occupied on the tenth of October. Temporary buildings were constructed shortly after the fire to be used as barracks, carpenter shop, and recitation rooms. They continue to be so used except the barracks, which has been fitted up as a temporary physical laboratory, library and reading room. It is dangerous to have so much valuable material, over $2,000 worth of physical apparatus and at least $4,000 worth of books, stored in such a temporary wooden structure, which must be heated by stoves. The College is sadly in need of recitation rooms, laboratories, and drill hall. There is no adequate place for instructing the students in military science and tactics, although the government has liberally supplied the institution with $8,000 worth of arms and other material for instruction and has detailed an army officer, Capt. W. W. Wotherspoon, to teach in this department which is of so much value to the State. It would seem to be a duty of the State to provide suitable quarters for instruction in military drill and tactics. In the horticultural department, glass structures are much needed. During the year, Arthur C. Scott, B.Sc., has been appointed instructor in chemistry and Physics: and Charles S. Clarke, B.Sc., assistant in mechanics. There have been more students than ever before, and the scholarship and efficient work of the College are steadily improving.

Valuable additions of apparatus and books have been made during the past year to the working facilities of the departments. Grateful acknowledgment is made of gifts of minerals from the Smithsonian Institute: agricultural books from President H. H. Goodell of the Massachusetts Agricultural College; ten White Mountain plants from Miss Adelaide Smith: forty New Hampshire plants from Miss Fanny E. Langdon: two hundred specimens of Michigan and Ohio plants from a friend of the College: a full set of War Records with maps, through the courtesy of the Hon. Nathan F. Dixon: a number of valuable reports from the State Board of Agriculture of this and other States: Report from the State Board of Health: Health Reports from the City of Newport: Records from the Rhode Island Historical Society; a plough and hoe, such as are used at the Azore Islands, which were brought here by Dr.Philip K. Taylor; a spinning-wheel for the studio from Miss Lizzie Robinson: and various articles from other friends.
 
 

Candidates for admission must bring testimonials of good character and be not less than fifteen years of age. The requirements for admission to the College are necessarily low, on account of the deplorable condition of our district schools. They embrace both an oral and written examination in advanced arithmetic, geography, English grammar, and United States History. Each candidate will be required to write a short composition upon a subject announced at the time of the examination. The composition will be expected to show familiarity with the works mentioned below:

Hawthorne's Wonder Book, Dickens's Christmas Carol, Irving's Sketch Book, Scott's Lady of the Lake, Longfellow's Evangeline. Applicants for the regular course will find some knowledge of algebra of great assistance. On and after September 1898, an examination in algebra through simple equations of two or more unknown quantities will be required.
 
 

Graduates of high schools, and others who have had a sufficient amount of high school or college work, may enter in advance any higher class for whose work they are prepared.
 
 

During the past year, the College has prepared excellent accommodations for young women, by furnishing a dormitory. Miss Anna B. Peckham has been made preceptress, having full charge of the young women at all times. Comfortable waiting and study rooms have been fitted up in another building for the use of the young women day students. The same courses that are offered to men are open to women, together with special courses which substitute for agriculture, -science, language, mathematics, and art.
 
 

Expenses at the College are as follows: Tuition free to Rhode Island students; table board at $3.00 per week; necessary text books, fuel and lights at cost; physical laboratory expenses for breakage, if the student is ordinarily careful, $1.00 per term; chemical laboratory charges, $3.00 for chemicals during each term of qualitative analysis; in the shops, $1.00 per term for the use of the tools; room rent, $5.00 per annum, or $2.00 per term; gas, an average of $1.50 per term. Students are required to provide their own furniture and bedding; and if aid is needed, it will be given by the President, for whom special rates are made by the dealers. A uniform for military drill is also required: this uniform may be worn every day if the pupil chooses. Whenever a student is measured for a uniform or for any part of one, a corresponding deposit must be made. The price of a full uniform is $15.50. The only other expense is for heavy laundry work, 50 cents a dozen, 2 cents each for collars and cuffs. All clothing should be distinctly marked. Packages sent the students by express or freight in care of the College, will be taken from the station to the College free of charge. Once at the beginning and at the end of each term, a team will go to the station to take or bring trunks and other luggage. Graduates pay the cost of diplomas, $5.50. No diplomas will be issued till the candidate has paid all term bills. Day students are required to deposit $10 per term in advance; and boarding students must either pay term bills in advance, deposit $50. or give bond for $100, to insure the payment of all bills. No bond will be accepted from any member of the faculty.

The labor of the students during class exercises, in the shops, at iron work, and in the horticultural and agricultural departments, is a part of their instruction, and is not paid for unless special arrangements be made with the professor in charge. All extra work outside of the required hours of labor is paid for when the student is employed by the superintendent in charge. A limited amount of work about the buildings, on the farm, at the Experiment Station, and in the laboratories may be furnished to those students who are desirous of assisting themselves.

EXPENSES FOR YOUNG WOMEN.-- Board including room-rent is $3.00 per week; fuel and lights are supplied at cost. Rooms are furnished, with the exception of bedding and towels. Other general expenses are given above. The young women have an opportunity to do their own washing and ironing.
 
 

The students are expected to be present at chapel exercises every morning, and on Sundays to attend services in some chruch at least once a day. A branch of the Intercollegiate Young Men's Christian Association is doing good work among the students; meetings are held every Wednesday evening.
 
 

The rule for the conduct of the young men is, "Be gentlemen." Students who do not understand the elements of gentlemanly conduct will not continue to be members of the institution. Negligence or absence from class duties of any kind will be vigorously opposed. The following regulations concerning absences are rigidly enforced.

1. Students shall go to each professor or instructor for excuses in his or he department.

2. An application for an excuse shall be made, if possible, beforehand; if not, at the first recitation after the student's return; otherwise, the absence will be considered unexcused.

3. A students may be absent from 10 per cent, of the total number of recitations in each subject for each term, without excuse.

4. An unexcused absence in excess of the number shall dismiss a student from the institution.

5. Attendance of Chapel exercise shall be treated like attendance upon any class, except the application for excuses from the same must be made at the President's office on Tuesdays, at 8:30 A. M.
 
 

The college is situated on a hillside, which furnishes it with quick drainage and a delightful view. It is less than two miles from the railroad station, insuring at all times a good walk and drive. The railroad station is situated on the New York, New Haven & Hartford R.R., with twenty-one trains daily, in the winter, stopping at Kingston, and more in the summer. The town is a very healthful place, five or six miles from the ocean.

Transcribers notes: All spelling and punctuation are as in the original book.

Transcribed by Sally Jaquet Roberts
Proof read by Danyelle and Hayzel Bowen

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