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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 755 



ers last November. It is a suggestion well 

 worth considering. 



Has not the time now eome when we 

 physics teachers of America should begin 

 experimenting with a purpose of trying to 

 discover the live way of teaching our sub- 

 ject ? Are we not now ready to right-about- 

 face, and, instead of trying to make our 

 concrete material abstract and mathemat- 

 ical—instead of trying to teach Newton's 

 absolute time and space and motion— to try 

 to make mathematics and the absolute con- 

 crete and real through physics? Shall we 

 not take up the movement now being 

 pushed so successfully by Perry and Arm- 

 strong in England, by Klein and Poske in 

 Germany and by the brothers Poincare in 

 France, and push it along in free and 

 progressive America as well? Surely the 

 time is at hand when the work will be done. 

 Let us therefore all lay hold and help, for 

 better times are coming. C. R. Mann 



The Univebsity of Chicago 



ALBERT B. PORTER 



Albert Brown Porter was born at Indian- 

 apolis on March 16, 1864, and died at Chicago 

 on April 16, 1909. He was a man of rare en- 

 dowment, well known to many of the readers 

 of this journal. Since, however, his pub- 

 lished researches are comparatively few in 

 number, he was by no means so widely known 

 as his native abilities would ordinarily have 

 made him. 



His preparation for college, obtained at the 

 Indianapolis High School, enabled him to 

 enter Stevens Institute at the early age of fif- 

 teen. Most of the best training of this pre- 

 cocious lad was, however, obtained in his own 

 home and at the hands of his own father, 

 Albert G. Porter, who was governor of Indi- 

 ana during the early eighties. From this 

 period dates his acquisition of an almost fault- 

 less English style and the beginning of his 

 acquaintance with tools and with the proper- 

 ties of matter. In 1882 he migrated to Pur- 

 due University, where be graduated B.S. in 

 1884. 



The Richmond, Ind., High School was for- 

 tunate in securing the services of this modest, 

 scholarly and skillful young man during the 

 seven years immediately following his gradu- 

 ation. More than one of his students have 

 testified to his inspiring infiuence and to the 

 manner in which he helped rapidly to upbuild 

 this institution. 



In 1891 he went to Baltimore to pursue, 

 under Rowland, Franklin and Newcomb, the 

 subject of physics to which from earliest boy- 

 hood he had been devoted. His fellow stu- 

 dents still recall that judicial, alert and inde- 

 pendent attitude of mind displayed by him 

 regarding all subjects. Pure science being his 

 ruling passion, the atmosphere of Johns Hop- 

 kins University was more congenial to him 

 than any other which he subsequently found. 



It was during this period that he was mar- 

 ried to Miss Tberese Study, whom he had first 

 learned to know as a student in the Richmond 

 High School. 



In 1894 he accepted appointment to the 

 chair of physics in the then recently founded 

 Armour Institute. It seems almost needless 

 to add that the department was at once placed 

 upon a high plane. His lectures were 

 beautifully illustrated with many novel ex- 

 periments and were always set forth in that 

 clear English which can result only from 

 clear thinking. Characteristic of the man is 

 a summer spent with Mr. 0. L. Petitdidier in 

 learning the technique of lens grinding, figur- 

 ing and polishing. After eight years' experi- 

 ence in teaching technical students he re- 

 signed in order to take up the manufacture 

 and importation of high-grade physical appa- 

 ratus, operating under .the name of " The 

 Scientific Shop." But we must not imagine 

 that Professor Porter ceased to teach when he 

 entered upon the commercial side of his work. 

 On the contrary, his clientele became larger 

 and more advanced, being composed mainly of 

 instructors in physics from all parts of the 

 country; for, being a man of cultivated curi- 

 osity and lucid expression, he had satisfaction 

 not only in gathering information, but also in 

 freely imparting knowledge. 



His published papers relate chiefly to the 

 diffraction theory of microscopic vision and 



