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INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Vol. 18, Yo. 2
Charles Avery Doremus
F
OLLOWING the services at St. Thomas’ Church for Prof. two sons in infancy. Their only daughter married Park BenCharles F. Chandler, I walked down Fifth Avenue with jamin, Jr. Dr. Doremus. “I am getting along pretty well myself,” Dr. Doremus, like his father, was interested in both the new he remarked. But it came almost as a shock to learn that he and the historical in science. He had the first telephone rewas seventy-four. ceivers made, and the City College received the historic coils Those who attended the College of the City of New York in of copper straps, crudely insulated, with which Professor Henry the old days of stern military discipline under General Alexander made his classical induction experiments, by hanging - - one coil S.Webb, a hero of Gettysburg, when the on either side of a door. Dr. Doremus motto was “Make good, or make way,” and made synthetic diamonds here with Henri a class starting with eight hundred would Moisson, which are now in possession of graduate about eighty, will never forget their George F. Kunz. With John W. Draper induction into physical and chemical science and his father, he made the first daguerreby Prof. Robert Ogden Doremus and his otypes produced in this country, and was assistants, Professors Charles Avery DoreReporter on Photography for the United mus (his son) and L. Heinrich Friedburg. States a t the Vienna Exposition in 1873. Prof. R. Ogden Doremus had done splenHe served as expert in many patent and did work in popularizing science, and his criminal cases and his patents cover water forceful lectures were reenforced by a host softening, a mechanical gas furnace, treatof stories drawn from his extensive experiment of kryolith, manufacture of hydroence. His “Write, you sinners! Write!” fluoric acid, alumina from clay, and potash and stories about Ole Bull, P r o f e s s o r from feldspar. H e also did notable work in D r a p e r , and “my former assistant Dr. the fields of foods and sanitary chemistry, Wilkinson,” are remembered by many until toxicology, and physiological chemistry. this day; and despite the lack of one forearm, A t the time of his death he had just perh e w a s a s k i l l e d experimenter, a good fected a new method for the production of a m a t e u r painter, and a n accomplished aluminium. musician. Occasionally, “my son” gave Dr. Doremus was always the refined and the lecture on the rare occasions when courteous gentleman. His profound and “father” was absent; and later with Dr. extensive fund of information was often Friedburg, “Charley” introduced us into drawn on t o aid a friend or to add t o a disCharles Avery Doremus the mysteries of qualitative and quantitacussion. At college “Charley’s grin” was a tive analysis. It is hard to realize that the tall, handsome, by-word, and a host will long remember him as teacher, fellow, bearded gentleman of those days has passed on. and friend. Death kindly took him as he slept, and with him Following his graduation from the College of the City of there passes in science an honored ,name and a tradition. Aue New York, in 1870, he went to Heidelberg to take his Ph.D., and at que-vale! JEROME ALEXANDER the story is told that one of the brofessors there on seeing this six-footer burst out-“Was fur ein Biibschen ist dass !”-not . . .. .. .... realizing, perhaps, that he would be understood. “Ich bin das At the meeting of the New York Section on January 8, 1926, Rubschen des Professor Doremus,” smilingly replied “Charley.” Soon after his return here, he became assistant in chemistry, the following resolution was adopted: toxicology, and medical jurisprudence at Bellevue Medical WHEREAS,The members of t h e New York Section of the CHEMICAL SOCIETYhave heard with deep regret of College ; and besides his Alma Mater, Buffalo Medical College, AMERICAN and the American Veterinary College claimed his services. He the death of Dr. Charles Avery Doremus, a charter member of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY and of this section, and of was one of the few surviving charter members of the AMERICAN the Chemists’ Club of New York City, and whereas Dr. Doremus CHEMICAL SOCIETY, and in the “middle ages” when the New York has been for more than fifty years a n active worker in chemistry, beginning with his graduation a t the College of the City of Section used t o meet in Professor Doremus’ lecture room at 23rd Street and Lexington Avenue, he rendered yeoman’s service in get- New York and followed by the degree conferred by the University of Heidelberg and Leipzig, and by the teaching of medical ting new members and creating enthusiasm. H e also became a chemistry and toxicology in Bellevue Medical School in New leading light in the American Electrochemical Society, and was York and in the Medical School of the University of Buffalo, a member of the Association for the Advancement of Science, and by prolonged service as assistant professor and professor of the Society of Chemical Industry, and associate member of the chemistry as successor t o his father, the late Dr. Robert Ogden Doremus, in the College of the City of New York for twenty-two Society of Electrical Engineers, the Medico-Legal Society, the years, and further, after his retirement from teaching in 1904, Massachusetts Medico-Legal Society, the Soci6t6 de Chemie in the practice of consulting chemistry in New York City, and in the publication of chemical papers, beginning with a n article de Paris, SociCtC de Chimie Industrielle, and a fellow of the New in the Proceedings of the American Chemical Society in 1876, York Academy of Science. In 1896 he was United States deleand of later contributions during his life t o the Journal of the gate t o the International Congress of Applied Chemistry in American Chemical Society, and in other chemical journals. Paris, in 1900 chairman of the American committee on organizaTherefore, it is Resolved, That the influence of Dr. Doremus as a teacher tion in Paris, and Section X, Berlin, in 1903. He was a coland a worker in many fields of chemical interest is long t o be laborator on the Century Dictionary. remembered and t h a t the members of this section hereby exDr. Doremus was born in New York City on September 5, press their respect for his memory and esteem for him as a 1851. His wife, Elizabeth Johnson Ward, is a well-known colleague and as a brother in the chemical profession. Resolved further, That the sympathy and condolence of t h e playwright, being author of “The Circus Rider,” played around members of this section be extended to the relatives and friends the world by Rosina Volkes, “Fortunes of the King,” played by of Dr. Doremus and t h a t these resolutions be recorded in the James K. Hackett, and “By Right of Sword,” played by Ralph archives of this section and that a copy of the same be presented Stewart. Their married life was ideal, but sad to say they lost t o the widow of our deceased member.
