CAROLYN MORSE REA 



The Museum has suffered an inestimable loss in the death of 

 the wife of its Director, who passed away on Sunday, May 

 the eleventh, after a five weeks illness from typhoid fever. Mrs. 

 Rea spent her youth in Medford, Massachusetts, until she 

 entered Wellesley College in 1895. Her chief interests were ever 

 along scientific lines. During the summers of 1898 and 1899 she 

 studied at Wood's Hole and after taking her B. A. degree in 

 1900 became instructor in biology at Western College, Oxford, 

 Ohio, and later teacher of science at the Lowell Normal School, 

 Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1904 she was married to Paul Mar- 

 shall Rea, professor of biology in the College of Charleston and 

 director of the Charleston Museum. Thenceforth his interests 

 were to be hers. During the early years of struggle for the re- 

 organization of the Museum Mrs. Rea was her husband's chief 

 assistant as she has ever been his first advisor. Every detail 

 of the work was familiar to her and her sound judgment and un- 

 tiring efforts on behalf of the Museum have contributed in large 

 measure to its present development. The very existence of the 

 Charleston Natural Society History is due to her, since at a time 

 when it seemed on the verge of extinction she assumed respon- 

 sibility for it and worked out its success. Today the Society 

 is one of the most influential factors in the life of the young peo- 

 ple of Charleston. The recent installation of mineral exhibits 

 at the Museum is her work, the excellent descriptive labels of 

 which are significant of the clear logical mind which wrote them. 

 Her last work of love for the Museum was the rather arduous 

 task of preparing the invitation list for the anniversary reception. 



Mrs. Rea's activities extended beyond the Museum to all 

 movements for the public welfare. Her interest in the work of 

 the Civic Club, the Public Schools, and the Housewives' League 

 will make her loss deeply felt in Charleston, and among the 

 broad circle of friends who have felt the impress of her strong 

 personality. 



Mrs. Rea leaves one son, John Morse Rea, born in September, 

 1909. 



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