The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
SCIENTISTS EULOGIzE
DR.. THEODORE N. Gill
Friends and Associates Adopt Resolu-
ton as Tribute to Fifty Years Serv-
ice With Smithsonian Institution.
HIS DEATH A BLOW TO SCIENCE

Friends and scientific associates Of DR..
Theodore Nicholas Gill. one of Americas
foremost scientists, who died in this city
Friday, held a memorial meeting yester-
day in the National Museum. tribute
expressing their sorrow and the loss to
science caused by his death was adopted
DR.. Hugh NJ. Smith. Richard Rathbun,
DIR. l.. o. Howard. DR.. Paul Bartsch. DR.
Frank Baker. Paul Brockett. and DIR.
Leonhard StejneEer delivered touching
eulogies to their deceased friend.
DR. Gill was born in New York City
March q, 1851. When very young his
parents entreated him to enter re-
Iigious life. accordingly he spent his
early youth in ecclesiastical study. but
soon discovered that II was not his vo-
cation Young GIL took a great interest
in the fish he saw In the markets Of New
York. and when only sixteen years old
he wrote a book. which was so original
that II was published by the Smithsonian
Institution.
He came to Washington in 1851 and was
made adjunct professor of physics and
natural history at the COlumbian-now
George Observation-Disclosures Two
years later he was appointed assistant
librarian Of the Smithsonian. and in 1861
was made Assistant Librarian of Con-
gress. which position he held until 1874
He had been associated with the Smith
sonian institution for fifty years, and
lately had been associate In zoology in
the National Museum.
Although il has been said that no
monumental work is left from the pen Of
DR.. Gill. all biologists will affirm that
on nearly every page of geological books
there appears his name IN connection with
the descriptions. nomenclature. or classi-
ficatIon of the specimens under discussion.
IL was a scheme that made order out OF
chaos in the classification Of fishes An
other feature Of his works on science was
that they were written In a way that
interest the laymen as well as the
scientist.
II has been said that literature and
science are not two things. but different
aspects Of the same thinE-they both deal
with knowledge-the literary man only
puts into fitting language the discoveries
Of the scientist In this respect DR.. Gill
possessed the remarkable dual ability of
being able TO put his findings into book
form himself.
He is one OF the ten founders Of The
Cosmos, a unique club established in
this city in 1873. to promote and bring to-
Gether those who have a common inter
est in science, literature and the fine
arts Friends say that his mind was
like an encyclopedia a fact which made
his presence Of infinite value where
science was discussed. II is said that he
could recall any bit of information he
had ever inbibed at a moments notice.
From his twofold interests and abili-
ties II NAV be seen that DR.. Gill. unlike
many Of our prominent savants, was not
narrowed by a sole point of view, but
possessed an exceptionally broad and
generous mind which he readily lent to
divers purposes. for the advancement and
diffusion Of scientific learning.
Dr. Gill will he buried from the resi-
dence of his brother. 1907 Mckinley street,
northwest Burial will be in Oak Hill
Cemetery Monday afternoon. Services
will Be held in the chapel at the ceme-
terry.