Popular Science Monthly/Volume 3/May 1873/Professor Tyndall's Deed of Trust

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PROFESSOR TYNDALL'S DEED OF TRUST.

I, JOHN TYNDALL, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, having, at the solicitation of my friends, lectured in various cities of the United States, find the receipts and disbursements on account of these lectures to be as follows:


I. RECEIPTS.

From Boston, for six lectures $1,500.00
" Philadelphia, for six lectures 3,000.00
" Baltimore, for three lectures 1,000.00
" Washington, for six lectures 2,000.00
" New York, for six lectures 8,500.00
" Brooklyn, for six lectures 6,100.00
" New Haven, for two lectures 1,000.00
Total receipts $23,100.00


II. DISBURSEMENTS.

Before leaving England: wages of assistants during the preparation of the lectures; work of philosophical-instrument maker; new apparatus; sundry items for outfit; travelling expenses of myself and two assistants from London to New York make a total of £671 6s. 8d. which, at the rate of $5.60 per pound, amounts to 3,692 31
In the United States: hotel and travelling expenses for myself and two assistants; other expenses incidental to lectures in Boston, Philadelphia,[1] Baltimore, Washington, New York, Brooklyn, and New Haven covering a period of four months —plus travelling expenses of myself and my assistants from New York to London—make a total of 4,749 35
Present to Yale Scientific Club 250.00
Salaries to assistants for four months, £250, which, at $5.50 per pound, amounts to 1,375.00
Making the total disbursements $10,066 66


III.

The total receipts are $23,100 00
The total disbursements 10,066 66
Making the net proceeds of lectures $13,033 34


As an evidence of my good-will toward the people of the United States, I desire to devote this sum of $13,033 to the advancement of theoretic science, and the promotion of original research, especially in the department of physics, in the United States.

To accomplish this object, I hereby appoint Prof. Joseph Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington City, D. C., Dr. E. L. Youmans of New York, and General Hector Tyndale, of Philadelphia, to act as a Board of Trustees to take charge of the above sum, to carefully invest it in permanent securities; and I further direct that the said Board shall, for the present, appropriate the interest of the fund in supporting, or in assisting to support, at such European universities as they may consider most desirable, two (2) American pupils who may evince decided talents in physics, and who may express a determination to devote their lives to this work. My desire would be that each pupil should spend four years at a German university, three of those years to be devoted to the acquisition of knowledge, and the fourth to original investigation.

If, however, in the progress of science in the United States, it should at any time appear to the said Board that the end herein proposed would be better subserved by granting aid to students, or for some special researches in this country, the Board is authorized to make appropriations from the income of the fund for such purposes.

I further direct that vacancies which may occur in said Board of Trustees, by death or otherwise, shall be filled by the President of the National Academy of Sciences.

If in the course of any year the whole amount of the interest which accrues from the fund be not expended in the manner before mentioned, the surplus may be added to the principal, or may be expended in addition to the annual interest of another year,

If at any time any organization shall be established, and money provided by other persons for the promotion of such original research as I have in view, I authorize the said Board of Trustees to exercise their discretion as to coöperating in such work from the income of this fund.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 7th of February, 1873, in the city of New York.

(Signed) Join Tyndall l. s.
In presence of
(Signed)C. Burritt Watte,
(Signed)L. E. Fuller.

  1. At Philadelphia I had no hotel expenses, but was most comfortably lodged at the house of my kinsman, General Hector Tyndale. He, I may add, paid his own hotel expenses wherever he accompanied me.