080 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
sity, where he labored for fourteen years. During this time he 
became an active member of this association. The institution, 
when he became president, demanded a man of great resources, 
for he had to act as financial agent, administrator, and teacher. 
Dr. Steele bore these burdens with remarkable self sacrifice 
and great efficiency. He developed the finances of the institu¬ 
tion and impressed upon it the loftiest moral and intellectual 
ideals. He took an active part in the public life of the com¬ 
monwealth, and it is doubtful if any Wisconsin educator, dur¬ 
ing the same number of years, has exerted a more potent influ¬ 
ence for good. 
When he resigned at Lawrence, he became president of Wil- 
berham Academy, one of the most historic seminaries of the 
country. Here he became a veritable Arnold of Rugby in his 
sympathy with growing life and his ability to inspire and direct 
it. After thirteen years of service in this institution, he re¬ 
signed to spend the evening of his life in less arduous labors. 
He took up his residence at Auburndale, Massachusetts, where 
he was again pressed into service and for five years acted as vice^ 
president and professor of philosophy at La Salle Seminary. 
Here disease laid its heavy hand upon him and having lost his 
wife, whom he loved as few men know how to' love, he moved to 
Chicago to spend his remaining days in the home of his only 
son, who did all that affection and wealth could do to bless his 
failing years. The last few months of his life were spent in 
severest suffering, but the gladness and vigor of his imperial 
spirit rose above the pains of the flesh and made him an example 
and a blessing to all who 1 came within the sphere of his influence. 
At last the end came quietly and his visions of faith became 
realities. 
“Dead he lay among his books 
The peace of God in all his looks.” 
In concluding this sketch I wish to say a few words about 
Dr. Steele as a teacher, an author, and a man. Dr. Charles 
Little has said the intellectual problem of every age is not to 
found schools, but to find the school master. Dr. Steele was a 
great school master. To establish this I wish to quote testi¬ 
mony from two of his pupils. Dr. Olin A. Curtis, professor 
of Systematic Theology in Drew Theological Seminary, him¬ 
self one of the most brilliant scholars and inspiring teachers 
in our country, speaks as follows: a In twelve years of stu- 
