Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-19

PROF. p. W. PUTNAM. archaeology and ethnology
in Cambridge, Mass. He was born in Salem,
April 16. 1899. of the best stock in New Eng
land From early youth he has been enthu-
siastically devoted to natural history and had
distinguished himself in 1856, IN his seven
teenth year. as to be elected member of the
Boston Society of Natural History. In the
same year he entered the Lawrence Scientific
School as a special student under Prof ASassiz,
studying also under Jeffries Wyman and Asa
Gray with the plan of entering the medical
school. That year he joined the American as
ISOLATION, of which body he has been per-
manent secretary since 1913, 1ollowlng
Prof. Baird and Prof Lowering III this
office. The growth of the association from a
membership OF 800 to 1000 In the past sixteen
years is largely attributable to Prof. PutnaJns
zeal ami executive ability. In 1857 he became
an assistant with Prot. Agassiz and until 1864
had charge of the fishes at the Harvard Museum
OF Comparative Zoology. In 1864 he returned
TO Salem to take charge of the museum of the
Essex Institute; in 1861 he was made superln-
tendent of the East India Societys museum.
When these two institutions were incorporated
the Peabody Academy of Sciences Prof.
Putnam was made director. On the death OF
Prof Jeffries Wyman. in 1874, he was called to
assume the curatorshIp of the Peabody Museum
at Cambridge, and III 1886 he was appointed to
the new chair of American archaeology and
etnnoIOgy at Harvard. He aided in founding
the american Naturalist in 1867 and was one of
partment OF the United States army appointed
him to take charge of and report upon the
archaeological collections made by the attaches
OF the geographical and geological survey west
of the IC0.h meridian, under Lieut. u. VI.
Wheeler. The report was finished in 1879 and
is volume VII of the publications of that survey.
Prof. Putnams interest In archaeology was
awakened early. and he has made many i'm
portant contributions to this branch Of science.
1t Is said that he has done more field work than
any other American Archaeological. In 1882 he
WAS appointed a commissioner OF the inland
fisheries of Massachusetts for five years BY
special act of the state legislature he WAS made
commissioner of fish and game and continued
In the Office for seven years. The professor
contributions to scientific observation-disclosures
and Observation-Disclosures over 800 up to the
present date. For three years Prof. Putnam
was president of the Boston Society of Natural
History and for many years he has been vice
president of the Essex Institute. He is a mem
Der of the American Academy of Arts and
Sciences of the National Academy of Science,
of the anthropological societies of Washington,
Paris, London and Brussels, of the American
Antiquarian Society, of the historical societies
of Massachusetts,, Maine and Ohio of the acad-
emies of science of Philadelphia. New York,
San Francisco, and of various other scien-
tific. historical and literary societies.
In 1889 the Boston Association Of the American
Folklore Society was organized and Prof. Put
nam was made president. In February, 1891,
he was officially appointed by Director General
George Il. Davis chief of the department of
ethnology, &c, of the worlds Columbian ex-
position to be held in Chicago in 1893. He has
entered into this work with great enthusiasm
and is experimenting expeditions in all parts
of America for the purpose of obtaining ma
terial for thorough an exhibition of the
native people of America as time will permit
Prof Putnam seems to have been designed on
purpose to be secretary to the American Asso-
citation His scientific sympathies are of the
widest, his working power is extraordinary, his
patience knows no limit.
THE GENERAL SECRETARY.
The general secretary Of the association,
Harvey w. Wiley, is well-known in Washington,
having filed the Office which he now holds,