452 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1167 



ditions on dairy farms and the numbers and 

 species of bacteria found in milk. The exam- 

 ination of municipal milk supplies for bacteria 

 was directly stimulated by bis work in show- 

 ing the relationship of bacteria to the sanitary 

 character of milk. 



He was the founder and first president of 

 the American Society of Bacteriologists. He 

 was for many years a very active member of 

 the American Public Health Association. 

 During his latter years be became closely 

 identified with the work of the New York llDlk 

 Committee as a member of the commission on 

 milk standards appointed by that committee. 

 While this commission was composed of twenty 

 of the men most prominently identified with 

 the improvement of municipal milk supplies 

 in the United States and Canada, no member 

 of the commission was more interested in its 

 work or devoted more time to the same than 

 Professor Conn. Through the work of this 

 commission he recognized that many of the 

 principles which for years he had been advo- 

 cating could be put into practical operation. 

 Among these he was most interested in the 

 establishment of uniform laws and regula- 

 tions for the control of public milk supplies 

 through state and municipal authorities. 



While Professor Conn's name will always be 

 more closely identified with milk sanitation than 

 with any other single subject, his work covered 

 a much broader field. He was the author of 

 numerous pamphlets and books on subjects 

 related to biology and bacteriology. His text- 

 books on elementary bacteriology, hygiene and 

 physiology are widely used by the public 

 schools throughout the United States. His 

 books on evolution were the first to put in 

 clear and popular language the more impor- 

 tant features of the philosophy of Spencer 

 and Darwin and the modern theories on this 

 same subject. His position as director of the 

 laboratories of the State Board of Health of 

 Connecticut, which he occupied during his 

 latter years, brought him into contact with 

 every phase of public-health work. He be- 

 came identified in this way with the improve- 

 ment of the sanitary condition of water 

 supplies in the state of Connecticut, and with 



the supervision of oyster beds. His knowledge 

 and experience in the bacteriology not only of 

 milk but of these other subjects led to his 

 appointment as a member of the committees 

 appointed to establish standard methods for 

 the laboratory examinations and sanitary 

 standards for their control. 



As a man, he was always genial and easy to 

 approach, and ready to give freely of his time 

 for the discussion of public-health work. His 

 many scientific associates recognized in him 

 one who could be always relied upon to carry 

 out more than his share of any work assigned 

 to him. This activity he preserved to the last. 

 His high personal standards of integrity and 

 conscientiousness led him to be an ardent 

 advocate of higher professional standards in 

 public-health work, and to take an active part 

 in the movement recently organized to secure 

 fuller recognition of public-health service aa a 

 profession. The last work in which he took 

 part before his death was as a member of the 

 council of the newly organized American Acad- 

 emy of Public Health. His death was sudden 

 and entirely unexpected not only by his asso- 

 ciates, but by his immediate family. His per- 

 sonality and his numerous activities will make 

 his loss deeply felt by the many organizations 

 and scientific men with whom he has been 

 associated. While carried away with his work 

 still incomplete, he leaves behind him work 

 already accomplished of such great importance 

 not only to science, but to humanity, that it is 

 a contribution that will endure. 



C. E. ]sr. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR 



THE ADVANCEMENT OF 



SCIENCE 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GRANTS 

 FOR RESEARCH 



By the settlement of the Colburn estate in 

 1916 the American A^ssociation for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science received cash and secu- 

 rities valued at about $76,000, bequeathed by 

 Eichard T. Colbtu-n, a fellow of the associa- 

 tion, the income of which is to be devoted " to 

 original research in the physical and psychic 



