866 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIV. No. 886 



such as being ordered to duty in Newport, 

 where he resided after his retirement, to keep 

 in contact with him- quite up to the time of 

 his death. I recall most vividly my first 

 meeting with him, for he embodied in the 

 flesh all that I had ever imagined of man, and 

 though my relations with him were afterward 

 quite close this feeling and belief persisted 

 and remains. He was above the average man 

 in height, and his body was symmetrically 

 developed with his stature so that he walked 

 and moved with natural gracefulness. His 

 head was admirably proportioned and was 

 covered with a splendid mass of curling black 

 hair which matched the beard that covered 

 his face. In clothing and person he was 

 always decently fastidious, but ever the at- 

 tracting features were his eyes, which were 

 deep brown in color, lustrous and luminous; 

 and his voice, which was full and rich, with a 

 deliciously attractive and convincing overtone. 



He gave the impression of mildness and 

 fairness and continued association confirmed 

 this first impression. Never have I met one 

 who so avoided definitely judging his fellow- 

 man or who when forced to do so judged him 

 more fairly and without prejudice, for his 

 mind was filled with the contemplation- of 

 nature in a large way and of its processes, 

 and he was endeavoring constantly to compre- 

 hend them and to record the results of his 

 observations and tests for the benefit and use 

 of mankind. He regarded his fellow man in 

 the same broad and tolerant manner. In fact 

 the definite impression of him which one re- 

 ceived by close contact with him was large- 

 ness of vision; breadth of view; tolerance of 

 difFerences in opinions, methods or manners; 

 and sympathy, in a broad way, for mankind; 

 and that he approached every issue, scientific 

 or social, without prejudice, and with an en- 

 tirely open mind. 



If, in my attempt to portray Dr. Woleott 

 Gibbs from the image that abides with me, I 

 have conveyed to you the impression that, 

 through timidity or indolence he sought to 

 avoid strife, let me hasten to immediately cor- 

 rect this erroneous impression, for on the con- 



trary he was intensely human and he met his 

 troubles in a thoroughly human way, but even 

 then on a high plane. 



Permit me to illustrate by an anecdote or 

 two. Self-government by students is regarded 

 in this country as a very modern and novel 

 development. Dr. Gibbs introduced it at the 

 outset of his coming to Cambridge. I do not 

 know that he had not previously done so in 

 the College of the City of New York. Even- 

 tually in my career as a student in his labora- 

 tory I succeeded to the first place in the gov- 

 erning body and I wore the resounding title 

 of chief of police. During my administration 

 a rebellion arose. The orders I gave were not 

 obeyed and the fines I assessed were not paid. 

 Having exhausted all the resources of author- 

 ity at my command and the disorder having 

 become a menace to all earnest students, after 

 due warning, I resorted to the unheard-of 

 expedient of reporting the recalcitrants to 

 Dr. Gibbs. They were much amused when 

 they were directed to report to this mild-man- 

 nered, sweet-tempered gentleman. I was not 

 present at the interview. I never knew what 

 occurred at that interview. The students 

 never told me and Dr. Gibbs never referred 

 to it. But what I do know is that when these 

 students returned they said, " Munroe, you 

 may order us to do what you wish; you may 

 assess such fines as you please; but never 

 again direct us to report to Dr. Gibbs," and 

 from that day until I left the laboratory 

 discipline was complete. 



Strange as it may seem Dr. Gibbs became, 

 on coming to Harvard, a storm center. Presi- 

 dent Hill called him because he had a vacant 

 chair in chemistry to fill and he found in 

 Gibbs the most eminent chemist in America. 

 Gibbs accepted the position at Harvard be- 

 cause it seemed to offer the largest oppor- 

 tunity for usefulness in the field for which he 

 was especially equipped. But his appoint- 

 ment thwarted the realization of the ambi- 

 tions of others; it became a cause of dissen- 

 sion and the arraying of groups of men 

 against each other. The situation had become 

 acute as I entered upon the scene. In the 



