The San Francisco call., 1909-10-06

DEAN OF BERKELEY
FACULTY SUCCUMbS
Professor Irving Stringham Dies
After Illness of More
Than Year

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BERKELEY, Oct. 5.-Prof. Irving
Stringham, aged 81 years, for 27
years the head of the department of
mathematics at the University of
California and who for the last three
weeks, since the departure of Pres-
dent Wheeler, has been acting as ex-
ecutive head of the institution, died
early this morning after an illness of
a year.
Few men in the university faculty
held the respect of his colleagues and
friends as did Irving Stringham. He
was foremost In his work as a teacher
and was an authority on the several
branches of mathematics as well as
an author, his revision of Smiths al
zebra being common school book
for the preparatory schools. He was
among the Oldest members of the fac
ulty.
WAS DEAN OF FACULTIES
AS dean of the faculties of the uni
versity, under the new scheme put into
operation shortly before the departure
of Doctor Wheeler as Roosevelt ex-
change professor to deliver lectures
at the University of Berlin, Professor
During the last two weeks Pro-
fessor Stringham had been confined to
his bed at his home a 1850 Prospect
street and Sunday afternoon was re-
moved to the Alpha Bates local sana-
torium for an operation. Doctors Mof-
fit, Burnham and Terry were called in.
An incfsfon was made, but the pa
tient grew so weak that the operation
was postponed, but the scholar rap
idly sank and last night lost conscious
ness and died at daybreak this morn
ing. Uraemic poisoning was pro-
nounced the direct cause.
Professor Stringham is survived by
a widow, Mrs. Martha Day Stringham,
and three children, Harriet Day, a stu
dent of the university; Martha and Ro-
land Irving Stringham. A sister, Mrs.
A (. Sexton of Topeka, Kan. is the
only survivor of the family of nine
children of which Professor Stringham
was the youngest. Frank D. String
ham, city attorney of this city, is a
nephew.
Professor Stringham was born in
Yorkshire, n. Y, December 10, 1S47.
He removed to Topeka, Kans., when a
young man and attended Washburn
college in that city from 1866 to 1873
and was graduated from Harvard at
the age of 80 years with a degree of
bachelor of arts in 1877.
He took a post graduate course in
mathematics at Johns Hopkins for
three years. the last two of which he
was a fellow in the institution. In 1880
he went to Leipsig as a Parker fellow
from Harvard and remained abroad
for two years, winning his degree of
doctor of philosophy. He also studied
in Spain in 1887 and in Paris from
1889 to 1900.
In 1882 under the presidency of Doc
tor Reid he was chosen as head of the
department of mathematics of the uni
versity, filing a post which had been
vacant for over year. He has con-
tinued a head of this department since
that time.
AUTHORITY ON MATHEMATICS
Aside from his executive work in
connection with his position as head of
the faculties of the university and his
classroom work Professor Stringham
found time to devote to writing and
his contributions to mathematics have
been notable. He was author of the
Uniplanar algebra published in 1893
and was editor of the American edi-
tion of Smiths algebra, common
school book.
He was a member of the Phi Beta
Kappa scholarship society and the
Sigma XII, the scientific organization,
besides being a member of the Ameri-
can Society for the Advancement of
Science and of the American mathe-
matieai society and a score of kindred
associations. He was also a member
of the University and Schoolmasters'
clubs of San Francisco.
Although Prof. George C. Edwards
is in the direct line of promotion, on
account of I'll health it is unlikely that
he will be appointed head of the de-
partment of mathematics to fill the va
cancy caused by the death of Professor
Stringham.
Prof NJ. H. Haskell who has won a
reputation for being a thorough
scholar, is looked upon here as the
logical successor to the venerable dean.
The vacancy in any case will not be
filed until the return of Doctor Wheel
er next April.
BY order of succession Prof Alexis
z. Lange, dean of the colleges of So
cial science and letters and of the
raduate division, will fill Professor
Stringham's place as acting president
until the actual head of the university
returns. Prof Bernard Moses, how
ever. represented the university for
the Taft celebration.
The part that the university will
take In the funeral of the late acting
president will be announced tomorrow.
The services will be held from the
Stringham residence Thursday after
noon at o'clock, Rev. Edward Lamb
Parsons, rector of the ST. Marks Epis-
copal church of this city, officiating
Internent will be private.