City for such an institution as this, but light soon dawned upon us, and 

 gradually year by year the City Officials and the people of the City began 

 to find that this was a great educational institution maintained for the 

 benefit of the people. But it was hard struggling in those early days. 

 Despair followed anxiety, and our Trustees knew not which way to 

 turn. But when Mr. Jesup, twenty-six years ago, took the presidency 

 of this body, he found that certain fossils still lingered in the Board of 

 Trustees, and actually breathed into us the breath of life. He has 

 kept us alive ever since, and every year this Museum has exhibited new 

 energy and success, and more than three fourths of it is due to his gener- 

 ous gifts and his inspiring presence. 



" He has given us something far better and grander than material 

 assistance, liberal as he has been with that. He has given us twenty- 

 six of the best years of his life, devoted with untiring generosity to the 

 success of this enterprise. It is also to be remembered to the great 

 credit of Mr. Jesup that it was during his administration that the Museun 

 took one significant step forward, which we had long been hesitating 

 to do — I mean the opening of the Museum to the public on Sundays. 

 It was the best advance we ever made. We found that we could do 

 our duty to the church in the morning and come here with equally 

 reverent minds in the afternoon to study these collections and look 

 through Nature up to Nature's God, and the people found that out too. 



" And so with grateful hearts the Trustees accept this last and noble 

 offering, and I am sure you will all with one voice join with me in saying 

 — God bless the noble donor." 



After Mr. Choate's address brief memorials of the men of science 

 whose portraits have been selected for the foyer, were delivered in accord- 

 ance with the following program: 



Benjamin Franklin, by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell of Philadelphia; 



Alexander von Humboldt, by His Excellency, Baron Speck von Stern- 

 burg, German Ambassador. (Read by Major T. von Korner, Military 

 Attache of the Embassy); 



John James Audubon, by Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Chief, U. S. Biological 

 Survey, Washington, D. C; 



John Torrey, by Dr. Nathaniel L. Britton, Director in chief, New York 

 Botanical Garden, New York City; 



Joseph Henry, by Dr. Robert S. Woodward, President, Carnegie Institu- 

 tion, Washington, D. C; 



Louis Agassiz. Letters were read from the Rev. Edward Everett Hale, an 



