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THE WISCONSIN ALUMNI MAGAZINE "
nificent work of the university, a
very large part of the value of
the university work is being lost?
The flower that is born to blush
unseen is useless to mankind. The
individual who lives in the State
of Wisconsin and who does not
understand   and   appreciate  the
work of the university at least so
far as it affects his family, and
business life cannot receive the full
benefits of its work.   So far as
that individual is concerned some
of the work of the university is
being wasted.
   Let me give you an illustration.
 During the past summer -on a busi-
 ness trip into central Wisconsin
 I had not been in the town an hour
 before I learned that the com-
 munity was very much alarmed
over a worm pest that had ap-
peared in their potato fields. Fields
of eight or ten acres were being
totally destroyed in a single night
by the millions of pests. No one
knew what to do although this com-
munity is a matter of only sixty
miles distant from the university.
Of course by the next outgoing
mail a box of worms and a letter
stating the facts were forwarded
to Dean Russell. Within forty-
eight hours an answer was received
giving the remedy. The remedy
was applied and thousands of dol-
lars were saved in that community.
Why did not the people in that
community know what to do? The
answer is easy. Such a condition
existed there, and it exists in a
large number of communities in
Wisconsin, simply because we al-
umni have neglected to do our
plain duty.
  If we are good citizens of the
State of Wisconsin, if we have
profited as we should from our
work in the university, we ought not.
be willing to sit by contented and
fail to do our share for the welfare
of the communities in which we
live. It should be our pleasure as
well as our duty to contribute to
the extent of our ability to the
growth of the state, to the growth
of the development of the intellec-
tual and moral life of the state.
   There are over 7,000 graduates
and over 3,000 non-graduate stu-
dents who have gone from the uni-
versity into the business and social
world. The great majority of them
are now living in the State of Wis-
consin. Each one should be a cen-
ter of growth and development in
his community. Each one should
have at heart a strong desire that
his community shall receive all
possible benefit from the work of
the university. The university has
certainly done its share in its at-
tempt to inform the people regard-
ing its work and to assist the peo-
ple in their work.
   And yet, we alumni know that
 but a small portion of the citizens
 of the State of Wisconsin under-
 stand and appreciate the fact that
 the university means to them a
 great deal more than simply a
 place where they can send their
 children to school. Relatively few
 understand and appreciate the fact
 that the university's work is of
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