354 Samuel Lewis Penfield. 



fine inheritance and thorough training in high principles and 

 ideals. He was one of several children ; his father's roof shel- 

 tered other members of the family, all united by strong ties of 

 affection, and he thus grew up in an atmosphere which made 

 him feel keenly all his life the ties of kindred and gave him a 

 humanitarianism which strongly marked him. 



His early education was received in his home and in the 

 school at Catskill. Ideals of learning and culture were tradi- 

 tional in his family ; some of his ancestors had been college- 

 bred men, and it was early determined he should have a college 

 education. To fit himself to enter Yale he attended the 

 academy at Wilbraham, Mass., and in' the autumn of 1874 he 

 became a member of the freshman class of the Sheffield Scien- 

 tific School. Like many other graduates of that institution, 

 who have become well-known in natural science, he took the 

 course laid out in chemistry. Languages he learned with diffi- 

 culty though he retained them well, but in mathematics and 

 natural science, and especially analytical chemistry, he excelled. 

 He was graduated with honors in 1877, receiving the cus- 

 tomary degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. While devoted to 

 his studies, the social side of university life had not been neg- 

 lected and he was loved and respected in his class, and made 

 many enduring friendships. 



After his graduation he became one of the assistants in the 

 laboratory of analytical chemistry, a position held for two 

 years and which, outside of the benefits of the training which 

 its duties conferred, gave him excellent opportunities for con- 

 tinuing his chemical education. At this time Professors Brush 

 and Edward Dana were engaged in their researches on the 

 remarkable mineral locality at Branch ville, Conn., which has 

 become classic in the history of mineralogical science for the 

 great number of new mineral species, chiefly phosphates, which 

 it afforded. 



The task of ascertaining the chemical composition of these 

 minerals was confided to Penfield and his classmate and fellow 

 assistant, now Professor H. L. Wells. The importance of the 

 work, its great scientific interest, the new problems in ana- 

 lytical chemistry involved, ail combined to excite the enthu- 

 siasm of the young investigators and to stimulate their powers 



