he contributed to the transactions of the National Academy, the American 

 Academy, and other learned societies ; and he was of value wheresoever he 

 chose to mingle with his fellow-citizens. For as was his science, true and 

 pure, so was the man." 



In the news department of the same paper appeared an obituary 

 sketch of Professor Peirce. The following extracts are taken from it, 

 a few slight corrections having been made : 



BENJAMIN PEIRCE was the third of the four children of Benjamin Peirce 

 and his wife, a sister of the Rev. Dr. Nichols of Portland. The elder 

 Mr. Peirce graduated at Harvard in 1801, receiving the highest honors of his 

 class, and from 1826 to 1831 he was the college librarian: he wrote also the 

 history of the College from 1639 to the beginning of the American Revolution. 

 Mr. Benjamin Peirce the younger graduated from Harvard with George T. 

 Bigelow, W. H. Channing, B. R. Curtis, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and James 

 Freeman Clarke, in the class of 1829. While an undergraduate he was a 

 pupil of Dr. Nathaniel Bowditch, who made the prediction that young Peirce 

 would become one of the leading mathematicians of this century. After 

 having taught two years at Round Hill, Northampton, he was appointed in 

 1831, at the same time with Dr. A. P. Peabody, tutor in mathematics at Har- 

 vard, and ever since has been actively connected with the College. He be- 

 came University professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in 1833, 

 and was appointed to his present position, Perkins professor of mathematics 

 and astronomy, in 1842. From 1833 to 1846 he issued a series of school- 

 books on geometry, algebra, and "Curves, Functions, and Forces," which have 

 had a lasting effect upon the methods of teaching in this country. The 

 author acted independently in the introduction of infinitesimals into element- 

 ary books, and supplanted many traditional methods in mathematics by 

 concise and axiomatic definitions and demonstrations of his own invention. 

 He surpassed other mathematicians particularly in the choice of notation, 

 which enabled his mind to carry its power of abstract reasoning to a higher 

 degree by reducing mental lab'or. All his writings contain novelties which 

 bear the stamp of a powerful individuality. A curious instance of this is 

 his discovery of a lurking preference in the mind for particular fractions that 

 occur in computation, and his adoption of a means of avoiding the error 

 naturally resulting from such preference. Another remarkable, instance of 



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