James M. Safford 49 



ciation. One by one they have dropped out of the life of the Uni- 

 versity, and now with my withdrawal no one of the band is left." 



fVom the above synopsis it may be seen that Dr. Safford was a 

 teacher for more than fifty years in colleges and universities — a re- 

 markable record. While geology was his chief subject, he also 

 gave instruction at times in general biology, botany, zoology, min- 

 eralogy, and chemistry. His teaching was characterized by sim- 

 plicity, clearness and thoroughness. It was also eminently prac- 

 tical, doubtful hypotheses and speculations being discarded. Unes- 

 sential technicalities were avoided. His lectures were complete and 

 logical, and his descriptions of specimens, models, and drawings 

 were so clear, accurate, and complete that when he finished the de- 

 scription there was no excuse for any one to say he did not under- 

 stand. Of course, a student of exceptionally quick perception, or 

 one satisfied with superficiality or in haste to cover much ground 

 might sometimes become impatient, but not the average student nor 

 the plodder. The students all liked him, most of them became in- 

 terested in the subjects he taught, and every one felt that he was 

 acquiring useful knowledge in a delightfully easy way. The 

 influence of the teacher in training the mind, in inspiring the love 

 and acquisition of knowledge, in moulding character, is something 

 that can not be measured nor valued. But it is one of the great 

 forces in- the world for good ; and this kind of influence was exerted 

 in no weak or uncertain way by Dr. Safford for fifty years. 



One of the most interesting and instructive features of his teaching 

 consisted in excursions to the country for the practical study of bot- 

 any and geology and the collection of specimens. Sometimes ex- 

 tensive trips were made at the close of the session, equipment for 

 camping out being provided by the University. The class of 1879 

 tramped from Nashville to the eastern boundary of the State. Sec- 

 tions were made of all the geological strata represented, and the 

 coal mines of Tracy City and the copper mines of Ducktown were 

 explored. 



Dr. Safford's life work was dual. He was an educator and a ge- 

 ologist. He took the geology of Tennessee as his subject, and he 

 began to investigate it as soon as he arrived in Lebanon in 1848. 

 His first paper on "The Silurian Basin of Middle Tennessee, with 

 notices of the strata surrounding it," was published in the American 

 Journal of Science in 1851. The investigations for this paper were 

 limited to a portion of Middle Tennessee, but on his appointment 



