6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOSTON-CAMBRIDGE MEETING 



the Navy during the Civil War. He was also devoted to athletics and 

 was noted for his prowess in fencing and sparring. 



Persifor Frazer's early training was in Saint Lnkes Parish School, and 

 later in the schools of Samnel Arthur and of Eev. John W. Faires, all in 

 Philadelphia. In 1858 he entered the University of Pennsylvania, from 

 which he graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1862. He received the 

 degree of A. M. from the same institution in 1865. Immediately after 

 leaving college in 1862 he joined the United States Coast Survey, and 

 was connected with the South Atlantic squadron in 1862 to 1863. The 

 Civil War was then at its height, and Frazer returned North, enlisted 

 with the First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry, and fought through 

 the Gettysburg campaign in 1863. Later he joined the United States 

 Navy as acting ensign, and served in the Mississippi squadron until the 

 end of the war, when he received an honorable discharge and an expres- 

 sion from the Navy Department of its high appreciation of his services. 



After the close of the war, Frazer studied chemistry for a few months 

 with the firm of Messrs. Booth and Garrett, in Philadelphia. In 1866 

 he went to Germany to continue his scientific studies, and attended the 

 Eoyal Saxon School of Mines at Freiberg from 1866 to 1869. On his 

 return to America in the latter year he became mineralogist and metallur- 

 gist to the United States Geological Survey under Hayden, in which posi- 

 tion he carried on explorations in Colorado and New Mexico and wrote 

 reports on the results of his work. He remained on the U. S. Geological 

 Survey until 1870, when he was appointed instructor in "natural philos- 

 ophy and chemistry" at the University of Pennsylvania, a department in 

 which his father was then head professor. In 1871 he was elected assist- 

 ant professor in the same department, and on the death of his father, in 

 1872, he succeeded him as head of the department. In 1873 the chair of 

 natural philosophy and chemistry was divided into two professorships, 

 one of chemistry and one of physics, and Frazer was appointed professor 

 of chemistry. 



Though a most efficient and able chemist, Frazer's inclinations seem 

 to have been more strongly in the direction of geology. His educa- 

 tion in this subject at Freiberg and on the U. S. Geological Survey 

 under Hayden led him to seek for the reestablishment of a geological 

 survey in Pennsylvania. The previous geological survey of Pennsylvania 

 had long since been discontinued for lack of an appropriation from the 

 legislature, but as the result of the persistent efforts of a number of sci- 

 entific men in Pennsylvania, among whom was Frazer, the legislature, in 

 1874, made an appropriation for a new geological survey of the State. 

 Prof. J. P. Lesley was appointed head of the survey, and Frazer resigned 



