WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 81 



thetic manner and of deep human sympathies. It is related of him 

 that once, when in attendance on a meeting of the American Associa- 

 tion, he was asked by a local divine to fill his pulpit at the Sunday 

 evening service. Although not affiliated with any church, McGee 

 accepted at once, and, selecting as his text the words "Love ye one 

 another, " delivered an address replete with human sympathy and 

 understanding. He was kindly and considerate to those who worked 

 with him, and generous to a degree, it being rare indeed too rarely 

 for his own best interest that an appeal was without substantial re- 

 ward. He was a good conversationalist and a ready public speaker, 

 having at command a splendid memory and a really wonderful 

 vocabulary; in fact, in the use of the latter he sometimes seemed to 

 border on the pedantic, yet when a new or unfamiliar word was used 

 it was usually found in last analysis that it was a fitting word for the 

 shade of meaning desired to be conveyed. 



McGee was a helpful man, every ready with counsel and information 

 to assist whomsoever might come to him. To the younger men he was 

 especially considerate and helpful, drawing freely upon his vast store- 

 house of information without thought or regard for personal credit. 

 When the so-called conservation movement was launched a few years 

 ago, the exigencies of public life made it impossible for full credit to be 

 given to all who had a guiding hand in the work, but from one in posi- 

 tion to know it appears that the success of this movement was in a large 

 measure due to the far-sighted comprehensive policy and sterling ad- 

 vice of Doctor McGee. Many of the activities of the Inland Water- 

 ways Commission, of which, as already mentioned, he was the Vice- 

 Chairman and Secretary, were due to his energy and initiative. La- 

 borious statistical tables were compiled, and scattered information 

 brought together in usable form. During all these later years, al- 

 though not engaged in active geological investigation, he was always 

 willing and anxious to discuss the newer results in the several fields 

 and to accept without question or resentment those which offered a 

 surer solution than any he had himself proposed. 



Although it is said of Doctor McGee that in early life he was dis- 

 tinctly averse to manual labor, in later life he certainly developed un- 

 tiring energy, as a glance at his many and varied accomplishments will 

 show. He was also a good organizer and was systematic and pains- 



