A slow, but steady growth in the number of students enrolled and in the facilities for instruction is reported in Dean H. J. Hughes report of the Harvard Engineering School for 1926 to President Lowell.

"The total number of students registered in the School during the year was two hundred ninety, the largest enrollment to date. Two hundred sixty of these were from the United States, representing thirty-two states; and thirty were foreigners representing fourteen different countries. . . . There was a large increase in the number of postgraduate students over any previous registration.

Many Programs of Study Open

"Seven four-year programs of study, which are open to students entering directly from the secondary schools, are regularly offered in the School, namely: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mining engineering, sanitary chemistry, and industrial chemistry. In addition, three five-year programs are regularly offered which combine the four-year program in mechanical, or electrical, or civil engineering with studies to the extent of six courses in the Graduate School of Business Administration. About one-seventh of the undergraduates regularly elect the five-year combined programs. Instruction in the departments of metallurgy and sanitary engineering, in so far as degrees are concerned, is now wholly on a graduate basis; but both departments give considerable instruction to students registered in other departments of the School. . . .

"Material changes and improvements have been made at the Rotch Building. Most of the heavy machinery and equipment which has been little used during recent years has been removed; and the building has been remodeled to provide convenient and modern laboratories for the work in mining engineering and in mining geology under the direction of Professors McLaughlin and Graton, and for the work of Professors Sauveur and Wells in metallurgy. Important apparatus and equipment have been added to the metallurgical laboratories, including the latest type of X-ray machine for metallographic investigations. . . .

"Early in the year a committee consisting of Professors Kennelly, Clifford, Sauveur and Davis was appointed to republish in pamphlet form selected articles by members of the staff. When a paper is first published the author secures reprints which are bound in an attractive paper cover headed "Harvard University--Publications of the Harvard Engineering School," and bearing the title, the name of the author, the place and date of publication. The pamphlets are distributed, for the most part, to libraries in the scientific departments of universities, to the industries, and to the public utilities. . . .

"The School grows but slowly in numbers. Certain departments, however, are working well up to their present capacity, and the number of postgraduate students should not be materially increased without additional facilities, especially more space. For a time, at least, the Faculty must comfort itself in the thought that the School is getting so many young men from such widely scattered communities, in spite of the opportunities for engineering education in the state-supported universities. . . .

"We should continue to maintain very high standards for our degrees even if the immediate result is slow growth. In time we shall be able to attract more and more students of the best quality; and this is our ambition."