186 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
His collection of minerals was bought by Cornell, and called 
the Silliman Cabinet. Another collection was added to Yale 
College Scientific School, and Professor Silliman personally 
solicited the money to buy the mineralogical collection of Baron 
de Lederer in 1843. 
During the World’s Fair in New York in 1853, Professor 
Silliman had charge of the departments of chemistry, miner- 
alogy, and geology, and in 1869 he became one of the State 
Chemists of Connecticut. 
He was a trustee of Peabody Museum and a member of numer- 
ous European and American scientific societies. 
Of his principal writings, the “ First Principles in Chem- 
istry’ was published in 1846, and “ Principles of Physics” in 
1854, and “ American Contributions to Chemistry” in 1875. 
Investigations in mineralogy and chemistry formed the basis 
of Professor Silliman’s scientific work, but he engaged also in 
studies relating to geology, to meteorites, and to physical optics. 
(See ARTHUR W. WriGHT, in Biographical Memoirs of the National 
Academy of Sciences, vol. 7, pp. 115-141.) 
THEODORE STRONG 
Born, July 26, 1790; died, February 1, 1869 
Theodore Strong was descended from Puritan ancestors. His 
father Joseph Strong and also his grandfather were clergymen of 
the Congregational denomination. His mother, Sophia Wood- 
bridge, was a daughter of the Rev. John Woodbridge of South 
Hadley, Massachusetts. In this town Theodore Strong was born 
on July 26, 1790, in the house of his uncle, Colonel Benjamin 
Ruggles Woodbridge. Joseph Strong, having a large family of 
children to provide for, was induced to transfer the respon- 
sibility for the education and training of his son Theodore to 
Colonel Woodbridge by whom he was practically adopted. 
Theodore Strong’s schooling began at an early age and when he 
entered Yale College at eighteen he was well prepared in lan- 
guages, though not in mathematics. Having, however, on one 
occasion been subjected to ridicule by a classmate for his poor 
