Page Eighteen 



Dr. Skiff was horn in (JhicojK'o, Massachusetts. He was educated 

 in the j)ui)hc schools of Springfield, Massachusetts and Brooklyn. At 

 first a journalist, he did newsi)aper work in Kansas and Chicago, and 

 became manager of the Chicago T'ribuKc. Later he held several pul)lic 

 ofTices in Colorado. 



Developing an interest in exposition work, he came to have wide and 

 varied experience in that held. At the Chicago Exposition of 1889 and 

 the St. Louis Exposition of 1890, he prepared exhibits of the resources of 

 Colorado. He was a member of the national commission to the World 

 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893, was chairman of its 

 commission on mines and mining, and was a member of the Colorado 

 State board of managers, but resigned these positions to accept the more 

 responsible office of chief of the department of mines and mining. He 

 served throughout the Exi)osition, being ai)pointed director general ad 

 interini soon after its opening. 



At the close of the Columbian Exposition, he was chosen to organize, 

 equip and install the Field Columbian Museum of Chicago. This insti- 

 tution, endowed by Marshall Field, was opened in 1894 with Dr. Skiff 

 as director. His experience in exposition work contained to grow. He 

 was in charge of the American exhiV)its at the Paris Exposition in 1898, 

 was director of exhibits at the St. Louis Exposition and a commissioner 

 to the Turin Exposition in 1901, was appointed L'nited States commis- 

 sioner to the Japanese Exposition (which was never held) in 1908, and 

 was chief of exhibits at the Panama-Pacific Exposition at Seattle in 1911 

 and at San Francisco in 1915. For his services at the Paris Exposition 

 he was awarded the decoration of Commander of the Legion of Honor 

 of France. He held many other foreign decorations. 



Handicapj)ed by ill health during his entire connection with the 

 Field Museum, he was none the less the dominant power in the develop- 

 ment of the institution, in which his strongest interest was centered. 

 Dr. Skiff was not a man of science, but he was keenly in sympathy with 

 science, and was a great organizer and administrator. He worked 

 untiringly for an adequate building which was so badly needed to carry 

 on the work of the Museum, and happily lived to see completed and 

 to occupy an office in the beautiful building on the very shore of Lake 

 Michigan, which gives promise of developing into a fine and active 

 natural history center for Chicago. 



Dr. Townsend visited the Museum on Februarv 2oth. 



