﻿CHARLES 
  DOOLITTLE 
  WALCOTT 
  SMITH 
  559 
  

  

  His 
  last 
  service 
  for 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  before 
  his 
  deatli 
  on 
  February 
  

   9, 
  1927, 
  was 
  liis' 
  planning 
  of 
  an 
  effort 
  to 
  win 
  wider 
  and 
  more 
  gen- 
  

   erous 
  support. 
  Chief 
  Justice 
  Taft, 
  in 
  speaking 
  to 
  the 
  Board 
  of 
  

   Kegents 
  at 
  the 
  launching 
  of 
  this 
  project, 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  late 
  Secre- 
  

   tary 
  as 
  one 
  " 
  who 
  most 
  nearly 
  personified 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institu- 
  

   tion 
  for 
  the 
  past 
  20 
  years 
  " 
  and 
  as 
  " 
  a 
  great 
  figure 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  of 
  

   progressive 
  science 
  in 
  this 
  country." 
  

  

  Doctor 
  Walcott's 
  activities 
  overflowed 
  the 
  confines 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  

   public 
  offices 
  he 
  held, 
  wide 
  though 
  these 
  might 
  be. 
  He 
  was 
  the 
  

   first 
  president 
  of 
  the 
  Geological 
  Society 
  of 
  Washington 
  and 
  also 
  

   served 
  as 
  president 
  of 
  the 
  Geological 
  Society 
  of 
  America, 
  Washing- 
  

   ton 
  Academy 
  of 
  Sciences, 
  and 
  American 
  Philosophical 
  Society. 
  His 
  

   connection 
  with 
  the 
  Carnegie 
  Institution 
  of 
  Washington 
  was 
  typical 
  

   of 
  his 
  constructive 
  leadership; 
  as 
  its 
  secretary 
  and 
  administrative 
  

   officer 
  from 
  1902 
  to 
  1905 
  and 
  an 
  active 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  executive 
  com- 
  

   mittee 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  he 
  contributed 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  wise 
  planning 
  

   of 
  its 
  research 
  program. 
  In 
  the 
  organization 
  of 
  the 
  National 
  Re- 
  

   search 
  Council 
  he 
  was 
  also 
  active, 
  serving 
  as 
  its 
  vice 
  chairman, 
  

   member 
  of 
  the 
  executive 
  committee, 
  and 
  chairman 
  of 
  the 
  division 
  of 
  

   Federal 
  relations. 
  

  

  Preparedness 
  had 
  been 
  a 
  first 
  principle 
  in 
  Doctor 
  Walcott's 
  career, 
  

   so 
  he 
  was 
  prompt 
  in 
  meeting 
  the 
  call 
  which 
  the 
  World 
  War 
  brought 
  

   to 
  science. 
  No 
  less 
  prompt 
  was 
  the 
  response 
  of 
  his 
  two 
  sons 
  and 
  

   daughter, 
  who 
  served 
  overseas. 
  His 
  son 
  Benjamin 
  Stuart 
  Walcott, 
  

   who 
  bore 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  a 
  Revolutionary 
  soldier 
  ancestor, 
  proved 
  his 
  

   patriotic 
  spirit 
  by 
  early 
  becoming 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Lafayette 
  Esca- 
  

   drille 
  and 
  was 
  shot 
  down, 
  December 
  12, 
  1917, 
  while 
  on 
  patrol 
  duty 
  

   behind 
  the 
  German 
  lines. 
  

  

  Secretary 
  Walcott's 
  quiet 
  assumption 
  of 
  responsibility 
  in 
  the 
  

   organization 
  of 
  the 
  National 
  Advisory 
  Committee 
  for 
  Aeronautics, 
  

   of 
  which 
  he 
  became 
  chairman, 
  continued 
  the 
  Smithsonian's 
  support 
  

   of 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  aviation, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  " 
  rescued 
  from 
  ridicule 
  " 
  

   by 
  his 
  predecessor, 
  Langley. 
  In 
  the 
  words 
  of 
  a 
  memorial 
  resolution 
  

   by 
  his 
  associates: 
  

  

  His 
  was 
  the 
  vision 
  that 
  saw 
  the 
  need 
  of 
  organized 
  scientific 
  research 
  on 
  the 
  

   fundamental 
  problems 
  of 
  flight. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  

  

  If 
  he 
  had 
  done 
  no 
  more 
  for 
  his 
  country 
  than 
  he 
  did 
  in 
  advancing 
  the 
  science 
  

   of 
  aeronautics 
  alone, 
  his 
  fame 
  would 
  rest 
  secure. 
  

  

  Another 
  notable 
  service 
  during 
  the 
  war 
  period 
  was 
  rendered 
  as 
  

   chairman 
  of 
  the 
  Military 
  Committee, 
  a 
  coordinating 
  bod}'' 
  composed 
  

   of 
  eight 
  Army 
  and 
  Navy 
  bureau 
  chiefs, 
  whose 
  responsibilities 
  in- 
  

   volved 
  scientific 
  assistance, 
  and 
  seven 
  chiefs 
  of 
  scientific 
  bureaus 
  in 
  

   the 
  civil 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Government. 
  Even 
  earlier 
  he 
  had 
  served 
  as 
  

   a 
  diplomatic 
  catalyzer 
  in 
  effecting 
  productive 
  cooperation 
  between 
  

   the 
  Army 
  and 
  Navy 
  officers 
  and 
  others 
  equally 
  interested 
  in 
  aviation. 
  

  

  