OBITUARY Charles Frederick Chandler
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'I SEEMS as though the youngcst
Of UY all were gonc-i&i Chandler. ''I'll take the job of janitor." said he, without hesitahis eighty-ninth year. His body was old and broken, but his tion, and he proceeded to sweep out, wash up, and do general spirit M'ZS that of youth to the very end. He was the best of janitor's work before and after hours, for which he was paid, and cornpany; his advent was always a joy and an inspiration, for t o instruct and be tlie needed assistant in official hours, for which LIP was one of the most sympathetic of men. The most difficult he was not paid. A teacher of geology was wanted and he filled tasks became easy in his Dresence. He was a catalyst to en- the Dost: . . then came mineralogy, which he also taught; and shortly couragtment, for he had a remarkable aitcraards Professor Joy was called to faculty in making men believe in thernColumbia arid Charles F. Chandler beI ... . .. . came a professor of cliernistry a t the As a boy of fourteen he resolved to age of twenty-one. be a chemist, and he stuck to it. His In 1x64 he was invited to take the father, a New Bedford merchant, was chair of chemistry in tlie Colurribia addicted to botany and he used to take School of Mines, which was opened in loiig walks with him; Louis Agassiz Novrmber of that year. There was no occasionally delivered lectures in h i s salary attached to the chair, each home town, and these he attended professor having to find a living out of diligently. Thus his scientific curithe fees paid by students and what lie osity was aroused. He dm collccted could make outside, so that it was minerals, and rigged up a little chemsometling of a venture. It was not ical laboratory. In 1853, at the age his habit to dicker over terms; he of sixteen, he entered Lawrence Scienaccepted the ofier and the school was tific School at Harvard. IIe could an immediate succcss. For many years not enter Harvard proper and take his he was dean of the School of Mines. work with Professor Jackson, because By 1867 he became professor of chemin his ardor to advance in the physistry at the College of Physicians and ical sciences he had failed to become Surgeons, and for a long time, until its proficient in Latin and Greek. His 01'merger with Columbia University, he portunity, therefore, lay in attending lectured four afternoons a week to tlie the Lawrence Scientific School, which medical students. C. F. Chnndtei was attached to the mlleee but hardlv The New York College of Pharmacy equal in rank, because in those days tiad one rooin in the old New York science did not lead to law or divinitv. University Building on Washington He continued to work at physics, chemSquare. and twenty-three students. istry, geology, and mineralogy, but the chemistry course was They had no nmney hut they had great need of instruction in somewhat restricted. chemistry. So Professor Chandler gave them three evenings a On the advice of Professor Joy of Union, supported by his week for five months, gratis, and then they allowed him $400 a uncle, Prof. Theophilus Parsons, head of the Law School at year for an assistant and chemical apparatus. Pinally, the college IIanvard, Prof. Charles T. Jackson of the department of chcmis- grew to be a big establishnient with its own building on 67th try, and Vr. A . A. Hayes, heresolved to study under W6hler at Street, and Dr. Chandler was made president until it too was Odttinpcn. He crossed the Atpantic as supercargo on a sailing absorbed by the great university. ship carrying whale oil to Antwerp. He spent about a year at The Metropolitan Board of Health of New York was composed Ooltingen working with great intensity under Wijhler, and then first of alderrncn arid later of physicians, and the physicians under that great man's advice he went to Berlin to work under needed chemical advice. But they had no funds to pay for such Fleinrich Rose, the father of analytical chcmistry. Here lie re- services. The occupant of three chairs of chemistry, however, mained nearly a year as private assistant to Rose and taking didn't mind that; he always had time to give to any worthy mineralogy under his brother Gustav. Evcry week he attendei cause, and being asked to work for nothing he straightway coina reception a t the house of the American minister, where he miit plied. He first took up Croton water, ahich was getting the many important persons. He visited Aleraiiiiei von iiumboldt blame for all sorts of diseases that could not otherwise be exa t the Royal Schloss at Charlottenburp, and a t Hurnboldt's plained. He found it to he of prime quality, that no better cordial invitation remained over two liours in conversatiou with water was fuiiiislied to any city. Then he examined the milk him. Then he returned to Gdttiiigeii for his Ph.V. and came supply, and after long and bitter political struggle he established back to New Bedford. proper guaranties of pure product. Kerosene lamp explosions On learning that Professor Joy of Union College needed an were frequent; the first year he took up his work in this deassistant he set out post haste to apply for the position. Pro- partment fifty-two persons, mostly women and children, were fessor Joy did need an assistant, bot he could not persuade the burned to death from this cause. He established, again after a trustees of the fsct. and the only appropriation they were willing battle royal, the present standards of illuininating oils. I n to make was $400 a year for a janitor. 1 X i 3 he was appointed president of the Board of Healtli and for Tlwe never was a man of less false vanity than Professor ten years he hcld the office. He stopped the building of unsani-
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tviy teiiemmts and put throurli the first tenement house legislation Sewer gas was a bugaboo among physicians aiid he prosed this 10 be a11 illusion, but he set about to improve plumbing, which was vcry deicctivc. He designed the method still in vogue ior keeping water seals tight, aiid he proposed the now universally used Rush closet. There are two orders of Great Chemists: the Dynamic Forces atid the Lucky Strikers, Professor Chandler constantly attributed his achievements to his great luck, but that was sheer modesty. We caiiiiot review his life without immediately perceiving that about the only real luck he had was in marrying. I t was his own dynamic force and his entraordiiiary vision that constituted the key to his great achievements. He made leading contributions to the sulfuric acid industry and to the distillation, standardization, and use of petroleum. He discovered and passed on the ingenious system of toil-weight assaying. which is a boon to the metal and metallurgical industries. He was the father oi modern sanitation. Indeed, his contributions are so inany and so various that one is in danger ai "missing the trees for the woods." He would take all sorts of chances against himself, but he was
adamairt against running risks ior others. His gencmsity was unbounded. His students were always his first coticeril. A t times his income was high, hut much of it went to help students who otherwise could not haw continued their studies. I i his liberality was abuscd he straightway forxot all about it. Still aiiother lax on his fortune was the Chandler Chcrnical Museum at Columbia. For nearly hali a c?ntliry he collected materials lor this great assem1,Iy of cliemicals and chemical products Whenever he saw a prodiict of chemical industry that was rare or of precious beauty, lie could not resist the temptation to buy it to enrich the museum and "to show m y boys." His boys were his constant dclight and his ever-present care. Hc knew how. as iew others who have lived, to open the portals of chemistry to a plesring and attractive vista. 1% aroused curiosity and ardor. H e was a mighty force in the introdiiction oi chemistry into medicine. Wherever we go we find traces of this remarkable man-in industry, in sanitation, in the household, and in the improvement and comiort and saicty of living. He was a geutlcman to his finger tips, who never lorgot his own obligations. His friendship was a benediction. ELLWCOD HENDKXCK
Biographical Ctiarles Frederick Charidler was born at Lancaster, Mass., founded the American Chemist, oi which he was editor arid December 6, 1836, and died at East Hartford, Conn., August part owner. After sir volumes the puhlication was abandoned 25, 1025. He began his education at the New Bedford High in favor of the Proceedings of the Americelr Chemical Sociely, which two years later became the Journal of the American School, and took his advanced work at Harvard and Berlin. Chemical Society. Gcittingen conferred its Ph.D. upon him in 1856, and he was Dr. Chandler was assistant iii chemistry at Union College given the honorary M.D. at New York University in 1873, hoiiorary LLD. at Union College in 1873, honorary Sc.D. in 1857 and proiessor from 1857 to 1864. He taught analytical at Oxford in 1900, and honorary I.L.D. at Columbia Uni- and applied chemistry at the School of Mines, Columbia University in 1911. Among his many other honors may be menversity, from 1864 to 1877, and was adjunct professor of chemtioned his presidency of the AMEXCANCIIEMICAI. SoCrsTY in istry and medical jurisprudence at thc College of Physicians 1881 and again in 1889. He was also president of the New and Surgeons from 187%to 1876, and professor tIier6 from 1876 York Chemists' Club in 1899 and of tlie Society of Chemical to 1897. He taught chemistry at Columbia University from 1877 t o 1911, aftcr which time he held the title of emeritus lridustry in 1900. In 1919 the New York Section of the Society of Cliemical Industry bestowed professor. Dr. Chandler also upon him its Perkin Medal. served as professor of organic Dr. Chandler was one of the chemistry and president oi the founders of the A X E K L C A N New York College oi Pharmacy, CHBMICALSOCIETY, if indeed and as chemist and later as not the individual most responpresident of the Metropolitan sible ior the formation oi the Board of Health of New York SOCIETY. On January 22, 1876, City. Among his last activia circular was issued inviting ties were those as consulting those interested to meet ior the clieniist oi the Chemical I%muformation of 6 chemical society, dation, Inc. slid Dr. C1,andIer was the first 111 1909 lie was a delegate to to sign this communication. I t the International Congrcss of was a t first intended to form R Applied Chemistry in London. local chemical society in New He WBF an honorary member York, but such wide interest was 01 the AMERPXN CKEMICAI. evideiiced that an Maicli 22, SOCIETY, a member oi the Na1876, a iurtlier letter indicated tional ilcademy of Sciences, the that a national society would Aiiiericaii Assmiation for the be formed. 9 t lhe organization Advancement oi Science, the m e e t i n g April 6, 187ti, Dr. Society of Chcmical Industry, Chandler presided, and although the American Institute of Eleche declined to bccoine the first trical Engineers, the Americari president oli thc ground that tlie Institute of Mining and Metallronor should go to an older and lurgical Enginccrs, the Philobetter known man, he did besophical Society, tlie New York come vice president. The early Chemists' Club, the Piew York records show that he was the Academy, the 1,undun Chemical active official of the new orSociety, the Chemische Gesellganization. In 18i0, with his schait, aod the Soci6t6 Chimique brother, W. II. Chandler, he dc Paris. Dr. Chandler af Work
