osmotic pressure, of vant Hoff on the theory of solutions, and of Arrhenius on the dissociation theory. A long chapter follows on the evidence deduced in favor of the theory, and a chapter on some of its numerous applications, among others Nernst's theory of the Voltaic cell, concludes the work. The chief criticism one would make is a one-sidedness of the work, resulting from the failure of the author, who is an enthusiastic advocate of the theory, to discuss with the great mass of evidence supporting the theory the various objections which have been raised to it, and difficulties which it still fails to explain. The importance of the theory would lose nothing by such a critique; for in its present form the theory has already helped to clear up more questions, in both physics and chemistry, than any other theory proposed during the last decade.

H. M. GOODWIN.

VOL. III.

The Technology Review

JULY, 1901

No. 3

THE TECHNOLOGY CLUB

Somewhat more than five years ago a small party of men met in the Rogers Building, in the President's office.

These people gathered in answer to a notice issued April 23, 1896, summoning them, as signers of an agreement to that effect, to meet for the purpose of organizing the

Technology Club. This meeting was held May 1; and among those present were members of the Corporation and the Faculty, a number of graduates, as well as several former students at the Institute who had not become graduates. The scheme was a broad one, intended to include every one who had been definitely connected with "Tech" work, unless the undergraduates should be excepted; and, as to these, the question of their admission was at first left open, although there was from the beginning much sentiment in favor of admitting them to membership. No undergraduates, however, were included in the organizing committee. The policy of the club in this matter was promptly settled just previous to the first annual meeting, in October, 1896, when provision was made for the admission of sixty undergraduates, as part of a total membership limited to six hundred at that time. The policy in this direction thus early inaugurated has been uniformly maintained, and with no prospect of change at the present time.

At the meeting of May 1, officers were elected and measures taken for securing quarters, with the result that at the adjourned meeting of May 7, announcement was made that No. 71 Newbury Street had been secured on lease for five years from September 1, 1896, and with an option to the club for a renewal of the lease. So came formally into existence the Technology Club at the two meetings of May 1 and May 7; and so also came into use the house which has served so well, and which we shall leave, after all, with some regret when we go into our own house and into improved quarters in the fall.

Two matters not of formal record may well be referred to here. The real initiative seems to have been taken by the Alumni Association's Executive Committee of 1896 at

their first meeting, as a result of which a preliminary notice, under date of February 8, 1896, was sent to the officers and some of the members of the Corporation, to the present and past officers of the Alumni Association, to several members of the Faculty and to certain non-graduate

alumni, inviting them to come together at a preliminary meeting to be held at the Institute. A second meeting, on March 5, was held at President Walker's house. Next followed the drawing up of the formal agreement to which twenty-five signatures were attached, this constituting the basis for the more formal meetings of May 1 and May 7.

The earlier purpose was to form a corporation at once, acting under the general laws governing the securing of

charters for clubs and similar associations. It was found, however, that some inconvenience would result if all the technicalities necessary were critically observed; and the project of corporate organization was early abandoned in favor of a simple association (largely in view of the fact that no necessity for corporate existence was apparent until the club should find it advisable to purchase real estate), so that corporate organization was not effected for nearly five years, or until March, 1901.

In the formation of the club General Walker took a warm interest from the beginning. Notwithstanding the many other interests he had in hand, busy as he generally was, and, as we now know, even then beginning to give way under the stress of many-sided efforts, he was known to be always available even to complete a quorum of the council, while in matters of policy he took an active and at times a most earnest and vigorous, even a controlling, part in its deliberations.

The preliminary circular from the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association contained the statement that "one of the greatest needs, perhaps the greatest, of the Institute to-day, is not pecuniary endowment, not greater strength or wisdom in its Faculty or its Corporation, but the earnest, active, persistent interest of its past students. On them its future must more and more depend, not only for material support, but for all the essentials of vigorous life." If General Walker's interest in the club was mainly along these lines, as it doubtless was, it is to-day pleasant for us to realize, as we may, that more than anything else in the history of the Institute the Walker Memorial has been the means of demanding and securing from the old students at Tech that "earnest, active, and persistent interest" so necessary now, and that his influence, exerted even