THOMAS TRACY BOUVE: MEMORIAL MEETING. 
233 
present date, his position as President of one institution and as a 
member of the governing board of the other being of essential 
assistance in this connection. 
He was also a member of the committee that arranged, in 1876, a 
similar agreement with the Boston University, and three classes 
from this institution still come here for instruction. 
Such services as these were in time highly appreciated and they 
commanded the respect even of members who did not believe that 
the policy pursued by him as President was the best. 
This was shown in the meeting of March 15,1876, when he offered 
his resignation. Speaking of himself but rarely in the history so 
often quoted, he has, however, given an account of this meeting and 
of his great surprise at the demonstrations of respect and even affec¬ 
tion made by prominent members of the Society, some of whom had 
not been present in the Society’s rooms for years previous to this 
event. In fact, it always seemed to him quite remarkable, that any 
one should have a high estimate of services which he himself held 
to be of comparatively small importance. The simplicity and genuine 
goodness of the man were never more apparent than in his naive 
astonishment at the remarks made at this meeting, and his own 
words give a clear demonstration of his inborn modesty and under¬ 
estimation of the value of his own services. They conclude also, 
with a sentence which shows so fully the brotherly love and good 
fellowship, which were two of his most attractive traits that I quote 
them here. He writes as follows:— 
“ What was read as a valedictory was listened to with great atten¬ 
tion, after which a call to proceed to the business of the meeting 
was made. Instead of responding to this call, one after another of 
those whom the writer most respected, addressed him in such terms 
of affectionate remonstrance against his resignation, as to induce 
him not only to withdraw it, but to feel that henceforth what had 
been regarded as a burden would be a joy, that the performance of 
the duties of his office would be sweetened as never before by the 
recognition that the respect and regard which he felt towards all 
the members were fully reciprocated by them.” 
Finally, in May, 1880, the Society did accept Mr. Bouve’s resig¬ 
nation. Although regretting this step no less earnestly than before, 
the members felt his personal sacrifices for the welfare of the Society 
had been far greater than was beneficial to his own interests and 
that his duties were beginning to become a burden greater than his 
