IN MEMORIAM THOMAS J. BURRILL 



ERWIN F. SMITH 



In the recent death (April 14) of Prof. Thomas J. Burrill of 

 the University of Illinois, there passed away, at a ripe old age 

 but still in possession of all his faculties, a lovable man of un- 

 common personality, and one who contributed materially during 

 his earher years to the advancement of American science. In 

 America we have a peculiar way of treating all those who have 

 demonstrated the possession of research ability of a high order, 

 which may be designated as a method of extinction by promo- 

 tion. As soon as a man becomes conspicuous through his re- 

 searches, boards of control find other things for him to do, more 

 in keeping with their ideas of efficiency and eternal fitness, and 

 he ceases to contribute further, except perhaps very indirectly, 

 to the advancement of science. Professor Burrill was no ex- 

 ception to this rule. He never lost his interest in science and 

 having a high order of mind he was peculiarly fitted to be a 

 productive research worker, but from middle life on it was his 

 misfortune, recognized by him as such, but borne with cheerful- 

 ness, to have his time absorbed by administrative duties con- 

 nected with his university, of which he was at one time the 

 acting head. His actual contributions, however, were amply 

 sufficient to perpetuate his memory. 



In addition to his mycological studies, which he pursued with 

 great eagerness and with good results ("Fungi of Illinois' ') he 

 studied the bacteria at a time (1870-1882) when literature was 

 scanty, methods were crude, and microscopes were not what they 

 are today. Into this field of darkness, or at best of dim half- 

 lights and perplexed gropings, which he has described to me in 

 memorable words, Burrill projected his keen intellect and brought 

 forth the beginnings of a whole new science, i.e., he discovered 

 and demonstrated in ''pear blight" the first bacterial disease 



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