8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOSTON-CAMBRIDGE MEETING 



sylvania, another evidence of his diversified talents and interests. In 

 1896-1898 he was secretary of the American Philosophical Society. 



Some of the most active and efficient work of Doctor Frazer's life was 

 done in connection with the Franklin Institnte of Philadelphia. In 

 1882 he was appointed professor of chemistry there, a position that had 

 been held by his father before him. For many years he was one of the 

 editors of the Journal of the Franklin Institnte, and was a prolific 

 writer for it on many subjects. He was also one of the board of mana- 

 gers of the institute, and did much to add to its welfare, as well as to the 

 general regard and respect in which it was held by the community. Prob- 

 ably in none of the many fields of his activities did Doctor Frazer do 

 more good than in the Franklin Institute, and his labors in its behalf 

 continued almost up to the day of his death. 



Frazer^s remarkable facility for letter writing in his own and other 

 languages, and the ease and grace with which he could express himself, 

 made him valuable as a corresponding member of many scientific socie- 

 ties, both in his own country and abroad. He was elected corresponding 

 member of the New York Academy of Sciences in 1885, of the k. k. 

 Geologische Eeichanstalt in 1886, of the Sociedad Cientifica ^^ Antonio 

 Alzate'^ of Mexico in 1891, and honorary member of the Societe Geolo- 

 gique de Belgique in 1897. 



Doctor Frazer belonged to many scientific and patriotic societies, the 

 diversity of which show his varied interests. He was a fellow of the 

 Geological Society of America, and of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, a member of the American Philosophical 

 Society, Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, Franklin Institute, 

 Pennsylvania Historical Society, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 

 American Institute of Mining Engineers, British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, Societe Geologique du Ford (France), Societe 

 Geologique de Belgique (Belgium), k. k. Eeichsanstalt (xA.ustria), Socie- 

 dad Cientifica ''Antonio Alzate" (Mexico), Society of American Authors, 

 Military Order of the Loyal Legion, Society of the Cincinnati, Naval 

 Veteran Association, Society of the War of 1812, Society, of Colonial 

 Wars in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Society, Sons 

 of the Eevolution, etcetera. 



Though geology and chemistry were the branches of science to which 

 Doctor Frazer devoted most of his time, yet in the later years of his life 

 he became noted in his researches in the characteristics of handwriting 

 and the study of manuscript documents, and some of the discoveries he 

 made were original and unique. In 1894 he published a book on "Bib- 

 liotics; or, the study of documents," which excited much favorable com- 



