Earl Jerome Grimes 35 



EARL JEROME GRIMES. 



Russellville, Indiana, Williamsburg, Virginia. 



January 15, 1893. December 15, 1921. 



It seems to us, who cannot comprehend, that the most tragic irony 

 of fate is for a young man to step into the Great Unknown just as he 

 is beginning to realize his life's ambitions after conscientious and tire- 

 less effort to reach that goal. Thus came the untimely death of one 

 of our younger members. Earl Jerome Grimes, December 15, 1921, at 

 Williamsburg, Virginia. 



Earl Jerome Grimes was born at Russellville, Indiana, January 

 15, 1893, the son of Charles F. and Izzie Anderson Grimes. To his 

 parents he owed his simplicity of taste, his integrity, and his directness" 

 of speech as well as manner. 



Even while in the grammar schools of the town of his birth he came 

 under the influence of two of the members of this Academy, W. S. 

 Blatchley and Charles C. Deam. In C. T. Malan, superintendent of the 

 Russellville Schools, Mr. Grimes had a friend and confidant to whom 

 he often presented the problems that arose in the early part of his 

 career. 



By the time he graduated from high school, in 1911, he had pre- 

 pared a noteworthy collection of the flowering plants of Putnam County, 

 as well as collections of reptiles, bird eggs and insects. Through his 

 communion with the out-of-doors and through the help and encourage- 

 ment given by those who appreciated the promise Mr. Grimes held, he 

 developed into a keen and accurate observer, as well as a precise tech- 

 nician. 



On graduating from high school, Mr. Grimes was forced to tem- 

 porarily lay aside his ambition to go to college because of failing eye- 

 sight. Therefore, he entered the employment of the Department of 

 Geology of the State of Indiana. Here, for two years, he was engaged 

 in soil surveys conducted by that Department in co-operation with the 

 Federal Bureau of Soils. In 1914, having accumulated sufficient fvmds 

 by frugal living, and with his eyes improved, he entered Purdue Univer- 

 sity. Intermittently during the period from 1914 to February, 1916, he 

 worked for the Federal Bureau of Soils and then entered the University 

 of Illinois. Here, with the exception of the summer of 1917, he worked 

 continuously until his graduation in 1918. For the excellence of his 

 work at Illinois, Mr. Grimes was awarded "Final Honors", "Special 

 Honors in Agriculture" and was elected to Sigma Xi. 



May 28, 1918, a few days before graduation. Grimes enlisted in the 

 army, going to Camp Taylor, Kentucky, two weeks later. He was com- 

 missioned second lieutenant of infantry August 26, and was selected for 

 immediate foreign service. In September he sailed for France with 

 the 84th Division. On the way across he contracted influenza which 

 prevented his being sent to the front. 



After the Armistice was signed he was made instructor in agricul- 

 ture in the United States Army School at Le Mans. Later he went to 



"Proc. 38th Meeting, 1922 (1928)." 



