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benefactions in Serbia, Belgium, France, and elsewhere in 

 Europe, have learned of his benefactions at home. 



''And how little he thought of reputation/' wrote Florence 

 Nightingale to Julia Ward Howe, in congratulating her on the 

 publication of Mrs. Howe's Memoir of her husband. So it was 

 of Alfred T. White. But the benefactions of a true philan- 



w 



thropist are made because of his love of his fellow men, not for 

 the encomiums w^hich they may pour out upon him, and Mr. 

 White found his reward and his satisfaction, not by public 

 recognition of his deeds, most of which were never known to 

 the public, but in the consciousness that those deeds were worth 

 doing, brought pleasure to others, and were done efficiently and 

 well. 



All that we have done at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden either 

 could not have been done at all, or could not have been done so 

 promptly and efficiently save, not only for the material con- 

 tributions, but for the time and thought and sympathy which Mr. 

 White put into it. 



An engineer by education, he managed the affair with engineer- 

 ing skill; a man of business, by occupation, he managed it wdth 

 business-like efficiency ; a philanthropist instinctively and at 

 heartj he contributed (and secured contributions from others) 

 with a sustained and increasing generosity that is rarely 



equalled. 



What a priceless asset is such a man to an institution, what a 



rich possession is such a character to any city, what a wonderful 

 stimulus and influence is such a life to his own generation and to 

 those that follow ! We gloried in him while he w^as here, we 

 mourn his loss, we thank God that we had him. 



C. Stuart Gager. 



ALFRED T. WFHTE^^ (184^1^)21) 



It is very difficult for me to comply with the request of the 

 Survey and hastily write any memorial of Alfred T, White 



V 



* Reprinted, with permission of author and pnblislier, from the Survey 

 for Feb. 5, 1921. 



