Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-16

1t was announced at the White House
today that President Taft would instruct
the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint
DIR. Carl Alsberg of the Department of
Agriculture as chief of the bureau of
chemistry. the position vacated last spring
by DR.. II. W. Wiley the result Of a
long standing difference between him and
the other officials of the department and
of the administration.
When Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
was told of the announcement, he said:
IF the instruction comes to me you
can depend OF it the appointment will be
promptly made. Up to date. however
have heard nothing from the White
House"
Dr. Alsberg said: Il have heard nothing
at all of the subject: in the absence of
official information. there is, of course
nothing for me to say"
Doolittle in Charge.
The vacancy i'm the bureau of chem
istry made by the resignation of DR.
Wiley has been filled since March Is
last by Dr. r.. r. Doolittle, formerly
in charge Of the New York food Iabora-
tory of the department. 1t had been
thought in many quarters that the ap-
pointment of DIR. DoOlittle as perma-
nent chief of the bureau would be
made 1t was also reported and cur
rently accepted as true that there
would he no appointment of a perma-
nent chief during the present ad-
mnistratiOn
1t is understood that DR.. DoolittIe. on
finishing his term as acting chief. will
return to the charge of the New York
laboratory.
Son of a Chemist.
DIR. Alsberg is the son of chemist and
grew UP in an atmosphere of chemistry.
His early education was obtained in pri-
vate schools in New York city, and In
1872 he entered Columbi;. University, re-
ceiving the A. b. degree in 1896. He then
entered the College of Physicians and Sur
geons of Columbia University, receiving
his NJ. ID. degree in 1900, and the degree
of A. NJ. from the university during the
same year. He then went to GERMANY
and during the period from 1850 to 1903 he
took graduate work in the University of
Strassburg along tn lines of pharma-
cOlOgy. physiological chemistry and in
ternal medicine.
was research worker at the German
Imperial Institute for Experimental
Therapeutics at Frankford-am-Main and
also at the Senckenbergisches Institut.
He took graduate work at the Uni
versity Summer School in Berlin dur
ing the summer recess of 1901, and
from June. 1903. to January. 1904. he
was a graduate student in chemistry
at the University of Berlin. While
in Germany DIR. Alsberg worked under
Schmeidburg, who is recognized as the
leading chemical pharmacologist in the
world.
His Work at Harvard.
In September. 1902. DR. Alsberg was
chemistry at Harvard Medical School.
with leave of absence until January.
1903. He was granted leave from June
1903 to January. 1904, to go abroad
for purposes of study. In June. 1905,
he was advanced to instructor IN bio
logical chemistry at the Harvard Medi-
cal School, and jointly with col
league of the same rank. put in charge
of the department of biological chem
istry. The next year he was advanced
to faculty instructor and made sole
head of the department. which posi-
ton he retained until his resignation
in October 1905, to accept a position
in the bureau of plant industry Of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture He was appointed in that bu-
reau after a long search for man
who could combine the sciences OF
pathology. physiology and chemistry
| in such a way as to conduct a number
! of special Investigations. upon which
work he has been engaged up to the
| present time.
Reputation International.
| DR. Alsberg has acquired an interna
| tional reputation as an authority on the
| biological phases of chemistry. He ha.
| been chairman of the new biochemica
section OF the American Chemical So
| ciety-the largest and most Influential
scientific society in America-since it.
| formation.
| At the ST. Louis exposition he was til,
secretary of the section OF physiological
| chemistry OF the International Congress,
| of Arts and Sciences. His publications
| I'm the field of biochemistry have beer
numerous.
Since being in the serv1ce of the De
partment of Agriculture DIR. Alsberg hai
! received Il number of fiattering offers I,
| take up work along the lines OF pharma
cology and chemistry. from colleges anl
| other Institutions.