On the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the Board of 

 Trustees of The American Museum of Natural History, held 

 February 8, 1904, the President reported the decease, on the 

 2d instant, of Mr. William C. Whitney. 



In speaking of Mr. Whitney, the President paid a warm 

 tribute to his friend and colleague. No other Trustee, he 

 said, evinced a deeper interest in the activities of the Museum; 

 he was a frequent visitor to its halls, enthusiastic in his praise 

 of its collections and its work of research in the field, and 

 disclosed an intimate knowledge of the history and aims of 

 the Museum. 



The following Minute was unanimously adopted, and the 

 Secretary was directed to enter it in full on the record of the 

 meeting and to present an engrossed copy of the same to 

 the family of the deceased : 



The Trustees of The American Museum of Natural History record with 

 great regret the death of their associate, 



WILLIAM COLLINS WHITNEY. 



The Museum loses one of its warmest and most intelligent friends. Mr. 

 Whitney was a true lover of nature, greatly delighting in scenery, and 

 showing a keenness of interest in animals and an extent of knowledge very 

 unusual in American men of affairs. He took pleasure in supporting the 

 work of the Museum, because it extended to the people of this city oppor- 

 tunities of education and enjoyment otherwise beyond their reach. 



Elected in November, 1891, he served for more than twelve years as a 

 Trustee. Up to the time of his death, he generously furthered the progress 

 of the Museum in many diverse lines. In the year 1900, in connection with 

 his personal interest in the breeding of horses, he became specially interested 

 in and maintained on a large scale for the past three years, the special explora- 

 tions, researches and artistic work connected with the evolution of the horse 

 in America. The undertaking has been successful beyond expectation. In a 

 few weeks more the preliminary results of these expeditions would have been 

 on exhibition, and it is a keen regret to us that Mr. Whitney could not have 

 lived to see their completion. His name will always be associated with the 

 continuation of any investigations of this important subject. 



We shall ever cherish the memory of his kindly and generous heart and 

 his many manly and noble qualities. 



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