68 



1872 came to the [ndiana State Norma] School al Terre Haute as head of t be 

 Departmenl of Natural Science. He al firsl taughl only physiologj and 

 geography. The woman who had been teaching geography had spenl four- 

 teen weeks on the Greal Western Plains using them as an instrument for 

 teaching pedagogy, "lie law in the mind" bemg illustrated by "the facl 

 in the thing." Scovell had actually seen the Greal Plains and was able to 

 arouse greater interesl in the fads in the thing. The use he made of pictures 

 and specimens was an innovation and I hey had to be shown outside t he regu- 

 lar class period. With the pel-mission of the President, he introduced some 

 instruction in physics, chiefly in meteorology, using home made apparatus. 

 He also rs(d the Wabash in field lessons on rivers, and his advent at Terre 

 Hau'e marked one of the early inoculations of the Indiana schools with the 

 scientific virus. 



In 1873 he joined Todd at Portland, Me., as a volunteer assistant with 

 the U. S. Fish Commission and visited Nova Scotia to study the tides. 

 In 1880 he visited Cuba and Mexico to familiarize himself with tropical 

 natme, corals and .Aztec civilization. 



He was married in 1876 to Joanna Jameson of Lafayette, who survives 

 him. In 1881 he res'gicd from the Normal School and during the next ten 

 years was engaged in the business of abstractor of titles at Terre Haute. 

 During this period he acted as friend, companion and guide to a succession 

 of younger men who came to teach and study science in the schools of the 

 city. Among these Jenkins, Evermann, Rettger. Blatehley, Cox and 

 Dryer are well knoAvn members of this Academy. Dr. Scovell's buckboard 

 and horse, "Jim" were always ready for a Saturday and Sunday excursion 

 anywhere within fifty miles. Every one of his proteges can testify to the 

 genial, enthusiastic and scientific spirit with which he was thus introduced 

 to the features and problems of the Terre Haute field. 



In the summer of 1891 Scovell organized a party for the ascent and scien- 

 tific study of the volcano, Orizaba, in Mexico. It consisted of H. M. Seat on. 

 botanist, U. O. Cox, ornithologist. A. J. Woodman, ichthyologist, and W. S. 

 Blatehley, entomologist, while Scovell acted as director, topographer, geolo- 

 gist and geographer. The general expenses were paid from his own pocket, 

 but railroad transportation in the United States was otherwise secured. 

 He was abetted and perhaps financially assisted by Dr. F. C. Mendenhall, 

 then Superintendent cf the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. On Orizaba 

 spirit levels were extended from the railroad up to 14.000 feet, whence 



