32 
IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE 
Prof. Norris writes that Professor Parker was naturalist of the old school, 
a collector and classifier. Of anatomy and morphology he knew but little. 
During his service for Iowa College he built up three museums; the first 
destroyed by fire in 1870, the second destroyed by the tornado of 1882, the third 
remains. He was an enthusiast. He gave freely and largely of time and 
strength that most teachers claim for their own private right. 
He was a poet by nature, as one of his colleagues said of him in derision. 
1 find that at the opening of the Iowa State Agricultural College on March 17, 
1869, he read a poem, “The Ideal Farmer and His Wife.” 
His scientific writings were net of great importance, being mostly short, 
paragraph-like articles for the papers. Prof. Macy writes that he contributed 
to me iNorth American Review a series of articles on natural and ethical 
philosophy, which were highly commended by men of authority on such sub- 
jects. In 1888 he published a volume of essays, scientific and aesthetic, en- 
titled “The Spirit of Beauty.” He. was on the editorial staff of the Standard 
Dictionary. He made a defence to Prof. Bourne’s attack upon Marcus Whitman, 
entitled “Plow Oregon was Saved to the United States” (Homiletic Review, 
July, 1901 j.- Professor Norris says: 
“He was an inspiring teacher, I can personally testify, to those who were 
willing to be inspired, but for the average student he had little of practical 
value. He was too ideal and poetical for the common herd to appreciate. 
Measured by present standards he was not much of a scientist, but in the time 
of the height of his physical powers he was an up-to-date naturalist.” He 
taught by the textbook method rather than lectures. 
“I have so far found nothing of his antecedents or early life, but he was of 
choice New England stock.” 
He was born in Yonkers, New York, in 1822, and died in 1904; he was the 
son of Samuel Parker who became a missionary to Oregon in 1833, and who 
is said to have persuaded Whitman to go to Oregon in 1835; he was graduated 
from Amherst College. 
DR. CHARLES WACHSMUTH. 
For some reason unknown to me Dr. Charles Wachsmuth though appearing 
on the first list of charter members of the Iowa Academy of Science, did not 
qualify, though in 1875 he was Vice President of the Old Iowa Academy. Eater 
he was associated with the Iowa Academy. I believe, however, that the dis- 
tinguished geological work of this prince of collectors and student of crinoids 
should be mentioned at this anniversary programme. A memorial prepared 
in his honor by Prof. Calvin and Dr. Keyes (Proc. la. Acad. Sci. 4:18, and 
Annals of Iowa 2:349-359) will give the details of a life rich in its achievements 
for geology and science of Iowa. 
He was born in Hanover, Germany, Sept. 13, 1829; came to America in 1852, 
settled in Burlington in 1855; always frail in health; spent a lifetime studying 
fossils of Burlington and other deposits rich in crinoids. Honored by various 
scientific institutions of Europe and North America. It is fitting and appro- 
priate that we should speak of him today. 
It is interesting to chronicle that one of the greatest authorities on Crinoids 
in America attended school up to the age of sixteen only, and then because 
of failing health entered a mercantile career. He settled in Burlington in 1855. 
