Inaugural address and obituary notice of the late R. F. Kedzie, by the President of the Society
By W. J. BEAL.
Members and Friends of the Society far the
Promotion of Agricultural Science:
Again another year has rolled
around, and we meet for the third
time to renew acquaintances, form
new ones, and engage in discussing
subjects pertaining to science in agriculture.

At each previous meeting you chose
me as your presiding officer, an honor
which I shall always remember with
the highest gratification and pride.
From the start I have had a deep interest in the welfare of the society.
I am full of hope and zeal for its
future growth and usefulness. However much I may be gratified with the
high honor conferred on me, I cannot
help expressing my honest opinion
that no one person should long act as
President of such a society as this.
I believe it will promote interest,
strength and harmony to pass the
highest honors from one to another.
I hope you will agree with me, and I
shall be much surprised if you do not
select some other member for your
next President.

To those who do not belong to the
society, I may say that our number is
quite small and limited, persons only
becoming members by invitation.
At present we number thirty-four,
and these are widely scattered in
States bordering on the Atlantic, the
Pacific, the great Gulf of the South,
the great lakes of the North, and in
intervening States.

A larger number of members are
present than at any former meeting.
On our program for this meeting appear the names of two-thirds of our
members, and some of these appear
more than once. This is some indication of the interest felt in the society.
From all indications this interest

in our society is steadily on the increase. Without exception it has the
cordial support of all its members and
a host of others who are looking for
the advancement of agriculture.
The objects of the society are quite
distinct from those of any society
which has ever existed in this country.

The objects were stated briefly in
my opening address at the last annual
meeting.

It is not the aim of this society to
parade long lists of members or committees or to present popular addresses
to please a large crowd, but to work
in a quiet way for the promotion of
science in its relations to agriculture.

We are unanimous in the belief
that we have adopted the best plan
for carrying out our objects.

While we rejoice in the prosperity
of our Society, and her bright prospects, we have to mourn the untimely
loss of one of our youngest members.

Professor ROBERT FAIRCHILD KEDZIE died at the Agricultural College
in Mississippi, on February 13th,
1885, of typho-malarial fever. He
was the second son of Dr. R. C. and
Mrs. H. E. Kedzie, of the Michigan
Agricultural College, and was not
thirty years of age. He graduated
at the college just named with a rank
among the highest in 1871, although
he was one of the youngest members
of his class. He evinced great interest in pomology, but his especial delight was the study of chemistry, in which he showed great proficiency.

For about seven years he acted as
the assistant of his father in the
chemical laboratory of the Michigan
Agricultural College. In place of his
brother he acted for one year as professor of chemistry in Kansas Agricultural college, and at another time for a few months in Oberlin College.

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Several of his vacations were passed
in the chemical laboratory of Prof. S.
W. Johnson, of Yale College, and Prof.
F. H. Storer, of the Bussy Institute
of Harvard University, where he distinguished himself for his industry
and scholarly attainments.

General S. D. Lee, President of the
Mississippi Agricultural College, considered himself very fortunate in securing R. F. Kedzie as his professor
of chemistry. He afterward frequently expressed himself as greatly
pleased with the success and solid
achievements of Prof. Kedzie. Last
August, at our meeting in Cincinnati,
he was unanimously elected a member of this Society. This was certainly a very high honor, especially for
one so young. He was looking forward with bright anticipations, intending to be present and take an
active part in this meeting.
Last December Professor Kedzie
was married to Miss Nellie Sawyer,

of Ottawa, Kansas. It was my privilege to be intimately acquainted with
Professor Kedzie, both as a student
and associate teacher. His faithfulness as pupil and teacher was never
excelled by any of my acquaintances.
He was thorough and conscientious
in whatever he undertook. He was
earnest, enthusiastic, and successful,
and a fine example of a Christian
gentleman.

In conclusion, may our deliberations at this and all future meetings
be as harmonious as they have been
in the past. Like a fraternity of workers in a good cause may we be learners as well as teachers.
What a broad field of research is
open before us! 

What grand results
nature will yield to our patient, honest researches none can tell. Some,
most certainly. May this Society
long exist and prosper and accomplish
much for the promotion of science in
its relations to agriculture.