68 
1872 came to the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute as head of the 
Department of Natural Science. He at first taught only physiology and 
geography. The woman who had been teaching geography had spent four- 
teen weeks on the Great Western Plains using them as an instrument for 
teaching pedegcgy, ‘‘the lew in the mind” being illustrated by ‘“‘the fact 
in the thing.”’ Scovell had actually seen the Great Plains and was able to 
arouse greater interest in the facts in the thing. The use he made of pictures 
and specimens was an innovation and they had to be shown outside the regu- 
lar class period. With the permission of the President, he introduced some 
instruction in physics, chiefly in meteorology. using home made apparatus. 
He also tsed the Wabash in field lessons on rivers, and his advent at Terre 
Hau‘e markcd one of the early inoculations of the Indiana schools with the 
scientific virus. 
In 1873 he joined Todd at Portland, Me., as a volunteer assistant with 
the U. S. Fish Commission and visited Nova Scotia to study the tides. 
In 1880 he visited Cuba and Mexico to familiarize himself aith tropical 
nature, corals and Aztec civilization. 
He was married in 1876 to Joanna Jameson of Lafayette, who survives 
him. In 1881 he res’gacd from the Normal School and during the next ten 
years was engaged ‘n the business of abstractor of titles at Terre Haute. 
During this period he acted as friend, companion and guide to a suecession 
of younger men who came to teach and study science in the schools of the 
city. Among these Jenkins, Evermann, Rettger, Blatchley, Cox and 
Dryer are well known members of this Academy. Dr. Scovell’s buekboard 
and horse, “‘Jim’’ were always ready for a Saturday and Sunday excursion 
anywhere within fifty miles. Every one of his proteges can testify to the 
genial, enthusiastic and scientific spirit with which he was thus introduced 
to the features and problems of the Terre Haute field. 
In the summer of 1891 Scovell organized a party for the ascent and scien- 
tifie study of the voleano, Orizaba, in Mexico. It consisted of H. M. Seaton, 
hotanist, U. O. Cox, ormthologist. A. J. Woodman, ichthyologist, and W. 8. 
Blatchley. entomologist, while Scovell acted as director, topographer, geolo- 
gist and geographer. The general expenses were paid from his own pocket, 
but railroad transportation in the United States was otherwise secured. 
He was abetted and perhaps financially assisted by Dr. F. C. Mendenhall, 
then Superintendent of the U. S. Coast and Geodetie Survey. On Orizaba 
spirit levels were extended from the railroad up to 14,000 feet, whence 
