Radcliffe College.

The two important events that President Eliot calls attention to in regard to Radcliffe College are the opening of Bertram Hall, and the conferring of the first Radcliffe degrees of Doctor of Philosophy. The death rate among the graduates of Radcliffe is very low, the first death among the 415 women who have graduated between June, 1883, and June, 1901, occurring in 1902. The fact is emphasized that Radcliffe College affords admirable opportunities for benefactors, in the form of buildings or endowments, on the part of those who wish to promote the higher education of women.

Union Not Self-Supporting.

In regard to the Harvard Union it is pointed out that the membership during its first year was not large enough to support it properly. The Union could not pay the moderate ground-rent to the University, nor lay aside a proper sum to cover depreciation. A sufficient number of new members, active and life, is needed to produce in all an additional sum of $5000 a year.

Estimate for New Library.

Commenting on the report of the Librarian, President Eliot mentions the work of the Committee appointed to study the needs of the Library. The Committee found that a building which would fairly meet these needs would cost about $750,000. An endowment to meet the cost of administration and service in such a building would also be needed. The accessions of the year to the library in Gore Hall were 14,017 besides 17,679 pamphlets.

Methods of Instruction.

President Eliot calls attention to the fact that there exist five different methods of instruction in the large elementary courses in English, French, and German, history, government, economics, philosophy, and geology. In the language courses a good small-section method has been worked out. In history and government a lecture method is used; but the classes are also divided into sections. In philosophy two parallel courses are given three professors, one assistant professor and one assistant taking part in them. In economics three instructors and two assistants gave Economics 1 to 432 students in the year under review. In the half-course, Geology 4, one professor with two assistants gave instruction to 451 students. It is certain that all five of these methods have plain advantages, and that the Faculty has learned something from each one of these experiments. The Faculty has appointed a committee to consider, among other things, whether the methods of instruction in large elementary courses can be improved.