2 John June Davis 



school at the age of eight and in 1883, at the age of eighteen, he 

 entered the preparatory school of the University of Nebraska, but 

 owing to ill health he was obliged to discontinue his university 

 work after two years' study. That summer he worked on his 

 father's farm and the following winter he taught district school. 

 His health having greatly improved, he returned to the university 

 the next year, graduating in 1889. After graduation he taught 

 school for a year near Ashland, Nebraska, and then became prin- 

 cipal of the Ashland high school, from which position he resigned 

 after a half year's work to resume his postgraduate work and to 

 finish his thesis for the master's degree. During his university 

 course he showed a special aptitude and love for the natural 

 sciences, and although entomology, and particularly the Aphidi- 

 dae, was a favorite study, he spent much of his time in botanical 

 investigations, and in later years most of his work pertained to 

 botany. 



It was in 1891 that Mr. Williams published his first entomo- 

 logical paper, " Host-Plant List of North American Aphididae," 

 issued as Special Bulletin No. i of the Department of Entomol- 

 ogy, University of Nebraska. About this time he also prepared 

 in manuscript his "Aphididae of Nebraska " as a thesis to fulfill part 

 of the requirements of a minor in entomology for the degree of 

 master of arts. This paper, containing the descriptions of thirty- 

 nine new species and varieties, as well as redescriptions of many 

 other species, was published posthumously in 191 1, more than 

 ten years after his death. It is a most valuable contribution to 

 American aphidology and might be considered a masterpiece for 

 the period in which it was written — twenty years ago. 



Mr. Williams was married in February, 1891. The same 

 month he was appointed assistant botanist in the Agricultural 

 College of South Dakota, but was soon promoted to the head of 

 the botanical department, which position he held six years. He 

 was appointed an assistant in the Division of Agrostology, U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, in August, 1896, which position he 

 held at the time of his death. Besides his departmental work 

 Mr. Williams had charge of the classes in botany in Columbian 



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