The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-04-06
Deaih Of profe.sor william smyth.


There are few sons of Bowdoin who will not
hear of the sudden death of Professor Smyth
with, pang of regret. A brief dispatch, re-
celved Saturday afternoon, contained the SIM
pie announcement of his death IN Brunswick
1t is only a few days since he was in Portland,
engaged in the investigation of the problem
which last occupied his attention-how to COM
bine in the Memorial Hall the qualities of a
picture gallery and an auditorium. After ex-
aiming the halls here he proceeded to Lewis
ton 10 study the public rooms there, and twas
reported in the Lewiston Journal that he was
rapidly approaching satisfactory and highly
interesting conclusions. For the last two
years Professor Smyth has devoted nearly all
his time to this last service to the college, and
the Hall when completed will be monument
to his indefatgable exertions as well as to the
sacred memory of the sons of Bowdoin VINO
persisted in the great war. He was not per-
nitted to witness its completion, but ne HVeu
to see the means secured, the plans accepted,
and the foundation laid. eat
For nearly fifty years Professor Smyths
connection with the college has been unbrok-
en-or interrupted only by the interval of
single wear between his graduation in 1922 and
his appointment as tutor in 1928. His asso-
cates in the class of 1922 were Chief Justice
Appleton of the Supreme Court of Maine
Richard Hampton Vose, formerly President
of the State Senate, our fellow citizen J. G.
Woodman, the venerable Professor D. 81.
Storer of Cambridge, and Senator James Bell
OF New Hampshire. Appleton. Woodman and
Storer survive their classmate. Bell died in
1857, before the expiration of his Senatorial
term, and Vose, in 1864 at the age of 60. ~
MIR. Smyth served as tutor for two years. In
1925 he was elected adjunct professor of math-
ematics and natural philosophy, under Profess
sor Cleaveland, and in 1928 an independent
professorship of the same title was bestowed
upon him, Professor cleveland turning his
attention more especially to chemistry and
mineralogy. His associates in the college fac
ulty at that time were Packard, Newman, Up
ham, and in 1929 Longfellow-viri Mustres &C
re0erendi. DR.. Allen was President, followed
in 1889 by Dr. Woods. 1t was a hard-working
faculty, and book -making faculty. The lead
ing names are unquestionably Cleaveland IS
and Longfellow's, but among them all there
was not harder or more conscientious worker
than Professor Smyth, and his books, though
only school books, are models of brevity and
clearness. The one which is, from the nature
of its subject, most widely used and best
known, is the treatise ON algebra. The most
remarkable is perhaps the little book on the
Calculus, in which the principles of this diff
cult branch of mathematical science are pre-
sented with extraordinary simplicity, Many
anecdotes are told of the zeal and singleness
Of purpose with which Professor Smyth pur-
sued his studies during the period while he
was composing his text books, and many Bow.
dom boys will remember his arrest by the Wig
liant night Waterman at the railroad depot, on
one occasion when he wss examining at an
unreasonable hour, by the aid of rather dim
lantern, the arrangement of the brakes under
the cars, stimulated to this investigation by the
exigencies of his work on mechanics, and as
usual proceeding at once to do the thing which
needed to be done.
The chief events in his life were the publica-
ton of his books and the reception in 1868 of
the well merited degree of doctor of divinity
from his alma mater. Yet he had life outside
of the college walls. He was interested in all
that concerned the community in which he
lived, in the schools naturally enough, but in
others matters as well. In the political move
ments of the time he was profoundly interest
ed, not as partisan, but as an intelligent and
patriotic observer. He was early identified
with the movement for the abolition of slave
ry, and the last labor of his life was the en-
deavor to secure suitable monument for the
sons of Bowdoin whose voluntary sacrifice
had fastened that grand result. 1t was a
worthy contamination of worthy life-a con-
tented, patient, industrious life in which much
good service was rendered to this and coming
generations, and in which if there was little
that was heroic there was nothing that was
mean. lae -y-f r-.s aer ..