The Chicago Academy of Sciences. 29 



had received from it the important contributions to 

 knowledge which it had issued, came to its aid with 

 cordial and spontaneous assistance. These societies 

 not only continued to send their exchanges, but in 

 many cases gave complete files of their earlier issues, 

 which under ordinary circumstances are obtained with 

 exceeding difficulty. Thus the lost library was in a 

 great measure restored. The museum also was simi- 

 larly fortunate through the contributions of societies 

 and individuals. 



The kindness of societies and individual friends was 

 constant and demonstrated that the Academy had not, 

 after all, lost everything. The members were becoming 

 reassured and the future again looked bright, when on 

 May 26, 1872, its director and secretary, William Stimp- 

 son, was removed from these offices by death. In the 

 great fire, 'Dr. Stimpson lost all the results of an earnest 

 and prolific life. His extensive and unique collections 

 had perished. The manuscripts in which they were 

 described' and illustrated, and which represented the 

 patient and accurate research of years, were gone. 

 Always feeble, this blow was too much, and his health 

 was still further undermined. After he had made his 

 report regarding the losses sustained by the Academy, 

 he was granted an indefinite leave of absence. He 

 went to Florida hoping that a milder climate would, as 

 it had done before, restore him to reasonably good 

 health. From this trip he never returned, and passed 

 away at the home of his friends in Ilchester, Maryland. 



The death of the Academy's chief executive officer 

 was indeed a great affliction. . He had done more than 

 any one else, with the exception of Robert Kennicott, 

 to build up its scientific interests. It is seldom that a 

 person is honored with three high offices at the same 

 time in such an organization, but Dr. Stimpson was 

 both director of the museum, a trustee for life and 

 secretary of the Academy. 



In the administration of its affairs during the few 



