EDWARD ORTON, LL. D. 1829-99 



The distinguished author of this bulletin, Edward Orton, 

 LL.D., died at his home, Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 16, 1899 after a 

 brief illness. He had completed the reading of the proofs of this 

 paper but a few days before this sad event. 



Dr Orton was an eminent son of the state of New York and 

 i here is not a little appropriateness in the fact that this, the last 

 of his scientific papers, is devoted to the interests of the state 

 which saw his birth and the beginning of his scientific activities. 

 He was born in the village of Deposit, Broome county in 1829, 

 his father, Rev. S. G. Orton, being the minister of the presby- 

 terian church in that place. In 1848 he graduated from Hamilton 

 college and thereafter entered the Lane and Andover theological 

 schools. Between these latter courses he studied at the Law- 

 rence scientific school at Cambridge and here caught the inspira- 

 tion of his future career. 



In 1858 he became teacher of natural sciences in the state 

 normal school at Albany and afterward served till 1865 as prin- 

 cipal of the academy at Chester, Orange county. Hereafter his 

 active interest and influence in education was transferred to the 

 state of Ohio where he became successively president of Antioch 

 college, president of the Ohio agricultural and mechanical college 

 and first president of the Ohio state university. From the last 

 named position he retired in 1881, retaining the chair of geology 

 in that institution which he held till his death. In 1882 he was 

 appointed state geologist of Ohio, having already served as assis- 

 tant to the previous state geologist, Dr Newberry. He had been 

 president of the Geological society of America and at the time 

 of his death was president of the American association for the 

 advancement of science. 



Dr Orton was a man of many accomplishments and a wide 

 diversity of interests. Though his life was one of great achieve- 

 ment and ended only after its full fruition, his loss is a grievous 

 one to all students of American geology. Along the lines to 

 which this bulletin specially pertains he had become the highest 

 authority and most competent adviser. 



