520 ALVAN GRAHAM CLARK. 



medical. He eujoyed immensely the position of active patron of the 

 Lowell Lectures. He was very punctual and conscientious in his at- 

 tendance at the opening of all these courses. 



He was a constant attendant at, and an occasional contributor to the 

 meetings of the Academy. He took a keen interest in the practical 

 welfare of the society and of its members. 



Dr. Cotting was a sceptic ; his habit of mind was negative in 

 belief. This applied to his own medical belief and to all the range of 

 psychical events. He was a good observer, and clear-headed in his 

 views. He was a positivist but not a dogmatist. He had many virtues 

 which are called old-fashioned, and he was obstinate in his convictions. 



His benevolence was self-sacrificing, and therein differed from common 

 giving, — in faith nothing, in charity all. Those virtues which were 

 fundamental in the Puritan remained vital in him; they were tempered 

 by great kindness, but never weakened by concession. The frittering 

 attrition of modern luxury and material advancement softens or weakens 

 most characters, — a few, like our deceased brother's, remain sharp, clear- 

 cut, in all time, like the basalt or granite of Egypt. 



David W. Cheever. 



ALVAN GRAHAM CLARK. 



In St. Paul's cathedral is a simple tablet, and on it are these words, 

 " Si monumentum requiris circumspice." To epitomize the life of a noted 

 man is not an easy task. To remove the difficulty by entering upon a 

 panegyric and an extension of details is less promising still. It remains, 

 then, to carve a simple tablet by speaking briefly of his life and work, 

 leaving to the good judgment and recollection of the reader the supreme 

 prerogative of accurately filling in the details. 



Alvan Graham Clark was born in Fall River, Mass., July 10, 

 1832, and died in Cambridgeport, June 9, 1897. His father, Alvan 

 Clark, was born in Ashfield, Mass., March 8, 1804, and was a descend- 

 ant of Thomas Clark, one of the early Pilgrim settlers. His mother 

 was Maria (Pease) Clark. He had two sisters and one brother, George 

 Bassett Clark, who was born in Lowell, February 14, 1827, and died in 

 Cambridge, January 2, 1892. 



The life of Alvan G. Clark is largely involved in the establishment 

 and progress of the optical firm of which he was a member. His father, 

 Alvan Clark, the founder of the firm, was originally a portrait painter, 

 and early developed an unusual capacity for delicate manipulation. His 



