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THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMlXTRY
His character. There is no mystery about that. It shone out in every walk of life, and in every problem that presented itselfsimple, courageous, studious, affectionate, honest, and thoroughly human. We find him excelling as an Alpinist, climbing nearly every peak. We find him giving deep thought and study to the amelioration of his fellowmen. We find him, with these dreams and hopes shattered by the World War conditions in 1914 taking the lead in the movement so wonderfully seconded in our own country, to feed and clothe theunhappy people of Belgium. We find him endowing educational institutions of various sorts. We find him always doing good. But we never find him seek-
Vol. 14,No. 12
ing the spotlight. He sought the approval of his own conscience and I am sure he received it. He did not under-rate the value of the encomiums of his fellowmen, but these were a consequence and not an objective. He lived a happy life, except during those terrible years of the Occupation. As old age came creeping on, he gave up one responsibility after another to those he had so well prepared to bear them. Nothing was forgotten. His life was complete. The words of his father he had made his own: “Work is a debt that all true citizens owe to society.”
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES happy disposition furnish a living example of the joy of work. Gifted with rare ability as an investigator, his PENING the door of a quiet contributions in chemistry have made study, softly lighted from high his name familiar to students of science windows, walls lined with books and throughout the world. More than 200 rare prints of eminent chemists of the scientific papers have been published ages-glimpsing here an ancient lock by him, as well as numerous books wrested from the door of Priestley’s on chemistry. His monumental work laboratory in Birmingham as it was on “Electro-Analysis” has reached six destroyed by the mob, there a delicate editions and has been translated into balance brought by the aged exile to French, German, Italian, and Russian. America-one senses contact with a Tungsten, molybdenum, columbium, personality before one sees, seated a t tantalum, the separation of rare the desk, the quiet figure of the man, earths, and the constitution of comEdgar Fahs Smith-teacher, adminisplex inorganic acids, have particularly trator, author, chemist. Human, and engaged his attention. His work in of a generous and lovable nature, with the field of atomic weights is characa handclasp firm, warm, and sincere, terized by marked originality. his quiet smile puts one immediately In his valuable contributions to the at ease. Sympathy and strength seem field of historical chemistry, Dr. Smith to radiate from his person. A most has accomplished that rare thing-the friendly man, he makes friends and imparting of literary charm to a scienkeeps them in all parts of the world. tific subject. Opening a door more Not in a weak optimism, but in virile than a century old, he has let us peep EDGAR FAHSSMITH strength and sound judgment he at the babyhood of American chemisthinks kindly of human nature. trv. In his biographies of Robert - A son of the soil of Pennsylvania, of pioneer American de- Hare, James Cutbush, James Woodhouse, in “Priestley in Amerscent, educationally the product of an old-fashioned college ica,” and in “Chemistry in America” he has put flesh on the curriculum, broadly trained in the humanities, specializing later skeletons of pioneers in the science, making them living, breathin chemistry in a foreign university, a pupil of Wiihler-Dr. ing personalities, depicting their struggles and achievements in Smith’s keen and correct appreciation of persons and policies, a manner inspiring to patriotic Americans of the present his power of concentration, of rapid and effective accomplish- generation. ment of details demanding his attention, the never-flagging enerOther pages list the honors and rewards which have come to gies of his efforts, are qualities that have made him a marked man, this man of many-sided interests. Thrice elected to the office and caused his University, his State, and the Nation to press of President of the AMERICAN”CHEMICAL SOCIETY, his adminishim into services quite foreign to those of his chosen guildtrations have been characterized by untiring work for the prochemistry. tection of American chemical industries that America may be A teacher of chemistry for 44 years, 21 of which were combined free from foreign domination, by aiming to build up American with administrative service, first as Vice Provost and then Pro- chemical literature, by urging a broader education for chemists vost of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Smith’s career may as a proper foundation upon which to build for research, and by be summed up as one which for length and richness has seldom, emphasizing the study of what American chemistry has done that if ever,. been equaled in the history of American collegiate edu- American work, already large, may be appreciated. cation. An enthusiastic, inspiring teacher, an able and efficient Service, yes, in the highest sense of the word-service to manadministrator, he fairly won the title of the “best beloved college kind-so runs the record of Edgar Fahs Smith. president of his generation.” Dr. Smith is a firm believer in the creed that it is better to W. T.TAGGART wear out than to rust out, and his intense industry and
Edgar Fahs Smith
