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Ames Iowa Dec. 25th 1885

My Dear Prof. Bessey

I have been very tardy in answering your kind letter. Partly because
I thought I could get hold of some published accounts of recent doings
so there would be less to do by hand. The inauguration exercises are
now published in pamphlet form and I will send a copy. This will give
you some idea of the outlook and perhaps some insight into the character
of the present executive. Aside from Prof. Wynn there has been no
important change relating to the faculty. Prof. Knapps resignation was
accepted and Herman is retained for one year to run the department under
the direction of the President. A committee was appointed to look up a
suitable man for Prof. of Agriculture. The Mechanical Department has
been receiving the lion's share of the appropriations of late and physics
came in for a pretty big lump this fall. I have understood that there
is a vacancy at Iowa City and that Prof Wynn has some chance of getting
the place. How much I do not know as I have ont seen him or any one to learn
from lately. If he should go there it would look very much as if we were
trying our best to build up the State University. A commendable enterprise
of course but somewhat ruinous here. Last year our Prof. of
Chem., a very talented man was [K____ O____] allowed to leave, and within a
very few weeks he was installed in the Univ. The Hornaday Collection
of birds and mammals offered to us if we would stuff them and estimate
to be worth when put up at least eight or ten thousand dollars was
after a years very hard work to get the Board to see its value refused