XVIII PROCEEDINGS 



ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 

 Prof. C. B. Nickerson, M. A. 



(12 Nov., 1924) 

 Fellow AI embers of the Institute, Ladies and Gentlemen: — 



The item of business on the agenda card which calls for 

 "Opening Remarks by the President," should properly mark, 

 I think, the close of the Institute year for 1923-2-1:. Before en- 

 tering upon our new session, with its new officers, new plans, 

 etc., I can perhaps best utili/.e the very few minutes which I 

 have allotted to myself in briefly reviewing the work of the 

 past year. 



That review must unfortunately, include the mention of 

 the loss by death of three of our members. 



Mr. Donald MacEachern Fergusson, F. C. S., was 

 born in the island of Colonsay, Scotland, \^ 1869, but spent the 

 greater part of his childhood and youth in Greenock, receiving 

 his training as a chemist in the laboratory cf A'^essrs. MacGowan 

 & Biggart, public analysts. He came to Halifax, Nova Scotia, 

 in Alarch, 1890, as chief chemist for the Acadia Sugar Refining 

 Co., which position he held until October, 1920. He resigned 

 then as he was not in good health and took the easier position 

 as assistant in the Government laboratory in Halifax, where 

 he stayed for five months, after which he and his family went 

 to Vancouver, British Columbia. He was elected a member 

 of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science on the 5th of January, 

 1909. Later he became a life member and was president from 

 November, 1912 to October, 1915. During 1903 and 1904 he 

 was a special student in biology at Dalhousie and was for some 

 years an enthusiastic member of the Journal Club formed by 

 the late Professor Eben. MacKay among chemists in Halifax 

 and Dartmouth. He was well known in musical circles in 

 Halifax and Dartmouth, where he played the double-bass in 

 the Philharmonic Orchestra and was for about fifteen years choir- 

 master of St. James's Presbyterian Church, Dartmouth. It 

 was hoped the change to Vancouver would improve his health, 

 but he gradually failed and died, April 15, 1924. 



