696 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ber of the Albany Institute ; and a member of the "Norske Turist- 

 forenings," of Christiania, Norway. 



Professor Nason, although, as we have seen, he has made a quota 

 of contributions in the way of special studies and publications to the 

 spread of scientific knowledge, is best known as a teacher ; and many 

 hundred men, now earnestly at work in fields of engineering and scien- 

 tific activity, can trace the beginnings of their usefulness and profes- 

 sional devotion to the enthusiasm which they drew from his instruc- 

 tions and example. His assiduous industry and constant labor to 

 improve and develop the educational facilities and appliances of the 

 seminary have contributed no little to the growth of the solid and 

 world-wide reputation which the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute en- 

 joys. The marks of his work are especially seen in the laboratory, 

 with its three departments — metallurgical and chemical rooms and 

 lecture and study rooms — affording experimenting accommodations 

 for forty students, which was planned and built under his direction. 

 After the mineralogical cabinet of Professor Eaton, which had been 

 rearranged and labeled by Professors Hall and Nason in the previous 

 year, was destroyed by fire in 18G2, Professor Nason, who was then 

 in Europe, immediately began collecting the nucleus of a new cabinet, 

 and this is now known as the Henry B. Nason collection of minerals, 

 containing five thousand specimens, which are arranged in several 

 divisions to illustrate their structural, physical, and chemical proper- 

 ties. His name is also closely associated with the botanical rooms, in 

 which one of the special features is a collection of more than three 

 thousand specimens of American and European plants presented by 

 him. As a teacher, he possesses in a high degree the power of inspir- 

 ing the minds of his students with a love of science for the sake of 

 science. In consequence of his faithful attention to the drilling of the 

 lecture-room, this work absorbing his time and being honored by him 

 as his duty of paramount importance, he has not been as fruitful in 

 the publication of original investigations and the announcement of the 

 new discoveries which he is so competent to search for, as he might 

 have been had he divided his attention more equally between the two 

 branches of his work. His methods of teaching are quiet, analytical, 

 simple, and winning. An eminent writer has said of him : " He is, in 

 my opinion, one of the most competent scientific instructors of our 

 country ; he bi'ings to his classes in the laboratory enthusiasm for 

 their inspiration, rich stores of scientific learning for their enlighten- 

 ment, and is, in himself, in respect to good nature, gentleness of man- 

 ner, and elegance of language, a model of what they should be." If 

 the workman may be known by his work, the hundreds of engineers 

 and scientific experts who have enjoyed the tuition of Professor Na- 

 son are the best evidence of his ability as a teacher. 



