Henry Andrews Bumstead. 475 



of inestimable value as a clearing house for scientific infor- 

 mation. War today is dependent on science in a degree 

 never known before, and innumerable researches have to 

 be carried on with expedition and without unnecessary 

 duplication. Hence the vital importance to each country 

 of prompt and accurate information regarding the work 

 already completed by its allies. 



On his return to New Haven a few months after the 

 Armistice, Bumstead found the Hniversity in the midst 

 of reorganization. His remarkable power of coordi- 

 nating the divergent view-points of others and his 

 excellent judgment made him much in demand as a 

 member of the committees which were moulding the 

 future Yale. He gave freely of his time and his strength, 

 in spite of his desire for the opportunity to devote himself 

 to a life of quiet study and research. Finally came the 

 call to succeed Dr. Angell — Yale's president-elect — as 

 chairman of the National Research Council. The occu- 

 pant of this position is changed annually, so his accept- 

 ance would necessitate only a single year's leave of 

 absence from Yale, and he did not feel justified in refusing 

 the opportunity of a wider service. His executive ability 

 and power of drawing the best out of others made his 

 success in his new position a certainty. 



He was not, however, destined to live out his term of 

 office. The day after Christmas, 1920, he took train for 

 Chicago to attend the annual meeting of the American 

 Physical Society. To his many friends who talked with 

 him there, he appeared to be at the height of mental and 

 bodily vigor. On Wednesday evening of this week he 

 attended a meeting of a committee of which the writer 

 happens to be a member, and contributed his keen analysis 

 to the discussion until almost midnight. Friday he 

 started on the return trip to Washington. Saturday 

 morning he was found lifeless in his berth. 



Professor Bumstead 's power as a teacher was even 

 greater than his ability as a scientist. Since the death 

 of Professor Gibbs, his courses in Electrodynamics and 

 Electromagnetic Theory of Light have been the inspira- 

 tion of the graduate work in physics at Yale. He has 

 never been too busy or too hurried to . spend an hour 

 discussing a knotty problem with a member of his class. 

 Xot only has he given freely of his time, but on occasion 

 he has even extended financial aid to needy graduate 

 students. His illuminating discussions at the meetings 



