420 FRANCIS BLAKE. 



word free from scratching and breaking which no pre%'ious microphone 

 transmitter had even remotely approached, and which few even in 

 later times have rivalled. For its purpose, transmission over short 

 distances up to perhaps fifty miles, the Blake transmitter was abund- 

 antly satisfactory. It continued to be the standard instrument in 

 this country and was largely used abroad until A\ath the extension of 

 telephone lines to great distances a more powerful transmitter was 

 called for, which need was finally supplied by the modern gramdated 

 carbon transmitter. In this country, in 1910, there were 270,000 

 Blake transmitters in use, the maximum number reached. Through 

 this invention, ]Mr. Blake became knoA\Ta throughout the whole scien- 

 tific and industrial world. 



During subsequent years he devoted himself constantly to experi- 

 menting, and invented various other de\TLces mostly, though not wholly 

 electrical in their nature. 



Besides his fellowship in this Academy, Mr. Blake was a member of 

 many other societies, among which were the American Antiquarian 

 Society, the Archaeological Institute of America, the American Folk 

 Lore Society, the American Forestry Association. He was Treasurer 

 of this Academy for a number of years, and a Director of the American 

 Bell Telephone Co. and its successor, the American Telegraph and 

 Telephone Co., from 1879 until his death. He was also a member of 

 the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in whose 

 Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering he was greatly 

 interested, and to which he devoted much helpful thought, as well as 

 material aid. He represented the Institute as a Trustee of the Boston 

 IMuseum of Fine Ails, and was likeAvise a Trustee of the ^Massachusetts 

 General Hospital. 



]\Ir. Blake was a man of the highest personal and professional worth, 

 firm in his principles, decided in his opinions, sanguine and earnest in 

 the prosecution of his plans, but always considerate of the Aiews of 

 others and affable in his association with men. • 



Charles R. Cross. 



