380 LEADING AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE 



the two to receive the first award of the Sylvester prize. This prize 

 is a handsome bronze medallion of the late Professor Sylvester 

 framed in oak. In making the award President Oilman said: 

 "The second copy of this tablet is now offered to Professor Simon 

 Newcomb, a distinguished astronomer, who has been a friend of 

 the University from its inception, and who guided the mathemati- 

 cal department for many years." 



When it was decided to hold a World's Fair in St. Louis in 

 commemoration of the purchase of Louisiana, an International 

 Congress of Arts and Science was advocated by a distinguished 

 group of educators and scientists, who on the acceptance of their 

 plan at once recommended "that Simon Newcomb be named for 

 President." In his history of the congress, Doctor Rogers says: 

 "The choice for president of the Congress fell without debate to 

 the dean of American scientific circles, whose eminent services 

 to the government of the United States and whose recognized 

 position in foreign and domestic scientific circles made him par- 

 ticularly fitted to preside over such an international gathering of 

 the leading scientists of the world." 



Of his remarkable success in securing the presence of the great- 

 est men in the world in every domain of science there is abundant 

 testimony. Nor is there need to discuss the work of the congress 

 here, for the eight octavo volumes published after the event tell 

 the story with exactness. Space, however, may be given to the 

 opening words with which on the theme of "The Evolution of 

 the Scientific Investigator," Newcomb at the very culmination 

 of his splendid career opened the congress in the presence of per- 

 haps the most distinguished audience ever gathered in the new 

 world, an audience which indeed testified by their presence to 

 the homage which they proudly rendered to him whom they recog- 

 nized as the world's first scientist. He said: 



"As we look at the assemblage gathered in this hall, com- 

 prising so many names of widest renown in every branch of learn- 

 ing, we might almost say in every field of human endeavor, the 

 first inquiry suggested must be after the object of our meeting. 

 The answer is, that our purpose corresponds to the eminence of 



