13 



clouds which darken reason and to see clearly in paths where his 

 contemporaries darkly grope. 



The record of his life reads: 



Born at Brighton, New York, July 24, 1821. Died at Spring- 

 field, Illinois April 27, 1909. Graduated at Washington University 

 (Missouri Dental College) 1867. Married Sarah T. Foster 

 1851. iHis four daughters grace the communities in which they 

 reside. Member of Board of Trustees and of Building Committee 

 of Springfield City Library; Secretary of the Capitol Building 

 Co., which built the first street car line in city. Interested in 

 building the Leland Hotel and Watch Factory. One of six 

 founders of the Bettie Stuart Institute and till the time of his 

 death, President of Board of Trustees. Active in meetings of 

 dentists, in a Springfield scientific society, in the State Historical 

 Society, and in college gatherings. A public spirited citizen, a 

 fine gentleman, a man whose loss even the most recent of his 

 acquaintances sadly deplore. With sorrow we record his death. 



W. A. Noyes moved that the paper be filed with the Secretary 

 and a copy sent to the relatives of Dr. French. 



T. W. Galloway then presented the following paper: 

 A WORK NEEDING TO BE DONE BY THIS ACADEMY. 



I presume we are agreed that the chief function of a mis- 

 cellaneous association of scientists such as this lies in the synthe- 

 sis of our work and in the suggestion of cooperation among 

 us. The academy offers the machinery for a kind of state con- 

 sciousness in respect to scientific matters. Another function, 

 partly incidental to this and partly new, has been suggested from 

 time to time: — viz., the encouragement and increased efficiency 

 of the amateur, or independent isolated worker, who lacks the 

 guidance both as to method and matter which is possible to 

 students of experience on the one hand or to those immediately 

 guided in the university on the other. 



