614 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 746 



In the Nebraska legislature the joint reso- 

 lution accepting the Carnegie pensions for the 

 State University was defeated, although it was 

 passed in the senate by a vote of 25 to 8. In 

 the house it was opposed by Mr. W. J. Bryan, 

 and was lost by a vote of 47 to 51. The mat- 

 ter now goes over to the next legislature. 



The University of Colorado Mountain Lab- 

 oratory, a department of the university's snm- 

 mer school, opens a six-week session on June 

 14, under the direction of Dr. Francis Rama- 

 ley. It is situated at Tolland, Colo., at an 

 altitude of 8,889 feet. Courses are offered in 

 general biology, nature study, plant ecology, 

 anatomy and taxonomy and special lectures 

 will be given on forestry, ornithology, physi- 

 ology, climatology, glacial geology, photog- 

 raphy and map-making. 



The Eev. Dr. Marion Leroy Burton, pastor 

 of the Church of the Pilgrims, Brooklyn, has 

 been offered the presidency of Smith College, 

 to succeed the Eev. Dr. L. Clarke Seelye. 



At the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 

 Columbia University, Dr. R. Burton-Opitz, 

 adjunct professor of physiology, has, on the 

 retirement of Professor John G. Curtis, been 

 appointed head of the department of physiol- 

 ogy. In the department of the practise of 

 Medicine, Dr. Walter B. James has, at his 

 request, been transferred from the Bard pro- 

 fessorship, which involved the administration 

 of the department, to a professorship of clin- 

 ical medicine, and Dr. Theodore C. Janeway 

 and Dr. Evan M. Evans, now associates in 

 medicine, have been promoted — Dr. Janeway 

 to the Bard professorship and Dr. Evans to 

 a newly created professorship of clinical med- 

 icine. 



Dr. George H. Ling, of the department of 

 mathematics, Columbia University, has been 

 advanced to the rank of adjunct professor. 



At Cornell University, Professor H. H. 

 Norris has been appointed professor of elec- 

 trical engineering in charge of the department. 



The professorship of physics at Lafayette 

 College, made vacant by the death of Pro- 

 fessor James W. Moore, M.D., has been filled 

 by the appointment of Professor Clarence 

 McCheyne Gordon, Ph.D., now professor of 



physics at Center College of Central Univer- 

 sity, at Danville, Ky. 



Dr. Hermann Durck, of Munich, has been 

 appointed professor of pathological anatomy 

 at Jena. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 

 WILLIAM KEITH BROOKS 



To THE Editor of Science: Professor An- 

 drews's tribute in your issue of December 4, 

 1908, gave the first sad intimation to western 

 readers of the death of Dr. Wm. K. Brooks, 

 and very acceptable information concerning 

 his later years, much of which was news to 

 the present writer by reason of enforced sepa- 

 ration in work and experience. Knowing 

 thoroughly the innate worth of the man, from 

 intimate relations as a companion of early 

 youth, neighbor, schoolmate and associate in 

 early scientific work, I am minded to record 

 a few facts which have direct bearing upon 

 the cost to himself of Brooks's contributions 

 to biology. 



In all his training at home, in school and 

 at college, he was rigidly surrounded with 

 influences adverse to original research or to 

 scientific study. His mother died before his 

 bent had become sufficiently pronounced to 

 arouse opposition, and it is doubtful if she 

 would have essayed to thwart him, for she was 

 a lady of rare qualities and keenly sympathetic 

 with her children's dispositions. His father 

 and his stepmother were strong adherents to 

 the unyielding utilitarian ideas of the times, 

 and could not then recognize the full meaning 

 of the struggle of the youthful mind. 



In 1875, near the period of culmination of 

 the strife engendered by Darwin's work, it 

 was no light thing to withstand the well- 

 meant resistance of good friends who could 

 see naught but wickedness in the new ideas. 

 Then Brooks's character shone brightly to those 

 who knew him best. It was, perhaps, a very 

 little result which came from the session of 

 the Kirtland Summer School of Natural His- 

 tory, in Cleveland, in that year. But it signi- 

 fied much more than was apparent. It was 

 the outcome of many earnest discussions by 

 Brooks and the writer, after some consultation 



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