JOHN CODMAN ROPES. 629 



ber of the Board of Finance of the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, 

 and he had most liberally served his native town of Woburn in perform- 

 ing the duties of many offices and in the support of its public schools. 



Such are some of the facts in the life and activities of Mr. Cummings 

 which made him worthy of fellowship in the American Academy of Arts 

 and Sciences. 



Besides contributing to the support of institutions and working zeal- 

 ously to make the teachings of science more widely known, he manifested 

 a very unusual interest in the study of nature. He made himself very 

 familiar with the various species of plants growing in the region of his 

 large farm in "Woburn, and he profited by every opportunity to become 

 acquainted with the minerals, the rocks, and the physical features of the 

 vicinity. He was a good example of that notable class of men who in 

 the earlier days of science devoted as many hours to the study of nature 

 as their secular duties would permit. In all the various fields of work 

 with which he became associated he was appreciated for the readiness 

 and correctness of his judgment, for the energy with which he labored in 

 the causes he espoused, for his invariable adherence to the highest stand- 

 ard of integrity and of right doing, and for his strong individuality of 

 character. 



Wm. H. Niles. 



JOHN CODMAN ROPES. 



JoHX CoDMAN Ropes was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 28, 

 1836, and died at his house, 99 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston, early in the 

 morning of October 28, 1899. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy 

 in May, 1885. His father was William Ropes, a native of Salem, and 

 his mother was Mary Anne Codman, daughter of Hon. John Codman. 

 William Ropes was for some time engaged in business in St. Petersburg, 

 but removed to London in 1837 and lived for some time at Islington, 

 where a younger son, the late Dr. F. C. Ropes, was born. 



After the return of the family to Boston John Ropes studied for a 

 while at the Chauncy Hall School, but at about the age of fourteen he 

 was obliged to leave school on account of a physical infirmity. Up to 

 that time he had been perfectly well and his figure was erect and shapely. 

 But at about that time a slight curvature of the spine became apparent, 

 which increased rapidly until it became a noticeable malformation. This 

 physical deformity did not embarrass the action of heart or lungs, and 

 during his entire life his health was remarkably good. But nevertheless 



