May, 1905.] 
Memorial — Prof. A. A. Wright. 
351 
MEMORIAL OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE ON THE 
DEATH OF PROF. A. A. WRIGHT. 
The Executive Committee of the Ohio Academy of Science 
adopted the following memorial, prepared at its request by Prof. 
Lynds Jones, in respect to the death of Prof. A. A. Wright, of 
Oberlin, a member and former president of the Academy. 
Herbert Osborx, Pres. 
L. B. Walton, Sec. 
Albert Allen Wright died at his home in Oberlin on April 2d, 
1905, of acute peritonitis after an illness of scarcely twenty-four 
hours. Prof. Wright was graduated from Oberlin College, in 
1865, received the degree of A. M. from Oberlin in 1868, the 
degree of Ph. B. from the School of Mines, Columbia College, 
1875, was Prof, of Mathematics and Natural Science, Berea 
College, Kentucky, 1870-1873, and was called to the chair of 
Geology and Natural History of Oberlin College in 1874. With 
the change of title to Professor of Geology and Zoology his 
service at Oberlin has been continuous since his first appointment. 
Prof. Wright was born in Oberlin in 1846. He served as 100 
day man during the closing days of the Rebellion, and received 
his baccalaureate degree the following year at the age of nine- 
teen. He began early to develop his natural taste for science, 
and soon became recognized as a safe scientific thinker and 
investigator. He was one who never rushed to conclusions how- 
ever enticing the facts discovered appeared, but took time to 
look into every possible avenue of approach to the subject, being 
satisfied only when his conclusions rested upon a foundation that 
could not be shaken. Consequently he was not a prolific writer. 
Indeed, he gave himself so unreservedly to his teaching and his 
students that research work was possible onh’ during his brief 
vacations and at odd hours. 
Prof. Wright was a modest, retiring man, always shrinking 
from publicity, yet his service to the community and the state 
becomes conspicuous in his absence. Oberlin’s unrivalled water 
and sewer systems are largely due to his hard study and keen 
insight. To him is almost wholly due the inception of the topo- 
graphical survey of Ohio. In this he was at first defeated, but 
by untiring efforts and dogged determination saw the issue to a 
successful finish. He was also among the charter members of 
the Ohio State Academy of Science, which he served as President. 
Probably among his most conspicuous contributions to sci- 
ence was his correction of Dr. Newberrv’s error in the true 
arrangement of the ventral armor of Dinicthys. While the pub- 
lications over his own name were relatively few, his inspiration 
