WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 47 



Loyalty was part of his creed, whether to his friends or to what 

 he believed to be the fundamental principles of life, while his devotion 

 to the development of scientific knowledge was unsurpassed. 



He brought to all of his problems intensity of concentration, unu- 

 sual industry, and very clear perception, while his exceptional powers 

 of expression enabled him to present his conclusions in the most 

 orderly and convincing manner. 



When the Geological Society of American was organized, some 

 twenty-seven years ago, the determination of the form of publication 

 of the Proceedings of the Society was intrusted to McGee. It was a 

 most laborious and difficult task. As to these Proceedings, I made 

 the following statement on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anni- 

 versary of the founding of the Society: 



As Minerva sprung, full grown and completely armored from the brain 

 of Jupiter, so was the Society's publication created a model of form and 

 efficiency by the sole effort and peculiar genius of one of the most compe- 

 tent and brilliant scientific minds the West has produced. In its essential 

 features the Bulletin stands today as it did at the time of its creation. 



The calm courage of this philosopher was revealed to me a few 

 months before his death. In one of my infrequent visits to Washing- 

 ton I met him at the Cosmos Club, and as always we sat down to- 

 gether to get "caught up." He then told me of the malignant dis- 

 ease which had attacked him, and of his recent hospital experience 

 in connection therewith. He spoke of the future, and with a sim- 

 plicity and serenity I have never seen equaled said, "Well! I find since 

 my resumption of my active work that my productiveness equals 

 that of former days, and if the operation proves a success all will be 

 well. If not, I fear it will be a short story." There were no hero- 

 ics, just the words, spoken with dignity and courage, of a brave man 

 who knew the trick fate might play him. It proved a short story, 

 and soon there crossed the "Great Divide" one who was a real ex- 

 ponent in his life and in his death of the true scientific spirit. Indif- 

 ferent to the trivialities of life, earnest in the pursuit of Nature's 

 truths, sincere in his collection and presentation of them to the world, 

 when the call came he met it in that calm confidence which comes 

 from a realization that he had done his best, and that all was well. 



