Student of Sapporo Agricultural College in its first year, first President of Hokkaido Imperial University, agricultural economist
Sato was the eldest of the students in Sapporo Agricultural College’s first year of intake, and worked under Dr. Clark’s tutelage. He studied abroad at his own expense at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Sato was appointed to the post of professor at Sapporo Agricultural College in 1886, and eight years later became president of the college. In 1907, Sapporo Agricultural College was elevated to a college of Tohoku Imperial University, and Sato became the president of the college. He was also appointed president of Hokkaido Imperial University when the college was elevated to a university in 1918, and stayed in the position until his retirement in 1930.
 Sato presided through repeated closure crises at Sapporo Agricultural College with his tireless efforts, and oversaw the college’s elevation to the status of imperial university.
  The Sato collection mainly consists of literature on agricultural economy, agriculture and colonial studies, and also includes books from a wide range of genres.