Charles Richard Van Hise needs no introduction to Wisconsin
readers, nor indeed to readers in any part of America. He is
a man whom our state may proudly call her own. He was born in
Fulton in 1857, took his bachelor's degree in mechanical
engineering at his own State University in 1879 and his Ph.
D. there in 1892, and throughout his whole life, since
receiving his first degree, he has been in the faculty of his
own Alma Mater. In 1903 he was made its president, which
position he now holds.
He is recognized by all as the peer of any man in our country
as an authority on geology. His face, through photographs
appearing from time to time in public prints, is familiar to
us all: while in Madison, and indeed in most cities of the
state, his slightly bent figure, with the face peering
forward as though seeking some new truth, would be readily
recognized by any schoolboy.
When at Madison one of his favorite diversions is riding
horseback, and no doubt in many of his geological trips
horses have been his most dependable friends.
Needless to say, his interests are wide and varied. Nothing
that affects the welfare of his country and its people is
outside the field of his attention. Through his membership in
many learned societies and his connection with various
educational bodies and institutions he wields an influence
for the spirit of truth and enlightenment second to almost
none in the United States.
We quote here a brief passage from his writings to indicate
something of the range of interests the mind and heart of
Wisconsin's most active citizen find time in which to
interest themselves. While President Van Hise's interests are
not primarily literary, any man of fine sensibilities and
intelligence, placed as he is, at the center of momentous
events, is bound to have a message of vital import; and any
such message, clearly and suitably delivered, is literature.