Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-06-30
DIR. R. S. WOODWARD
D|ESAT HOME HERE
Was Former Carnegie Insti-
tuition Head and One of
Worlds Leading Scientists.

DR.. Robert Simpson Woodward fo,.
sixteen years president of the Car
negie Institution of Washington, and
one OF the leading scientists of the
| world, died at his home in the Ores
zen. connecticut avenue and Kalo-
rama road, yesterday at the age of
| seventy-fve years. His death was
due to complication of disorders
following influenza beginning in the
early winter of 1923, and continuin:.
| with transient periods of apparent
Improvement for nineteen months.
with his death those who knew
him say that science loses one of the
soundest constructive minds which
this generation has known. A man
OF great fertility OF resource cf
well balanced executive judgment.
or confident. uniformly optimistic
temperament, he was always leader
in the world Of cotemporary research.
| DR.. Woodward was born in Rochcs-
ter, Mich, in 1s49. His father, :,
farmer. took deep interest in publ
affairs, and at one time was candidat-
| Tor Governor of Michigan. When =
BOY DR.. Woodward sold produce iu
the then small CITY of Detroit. H
| eventually entered the University o.
| Michigan, and received from that in
| stitut1on the degree of civil engineer
| In 1872, Whereupon he Immediately
entered upon an appointment g as
sfstant engineer on the United States
| lake survey commission, a position
| which he held for ten years. During
this period he married, in 1875, Mar
| tina Gretton Bond of Detroit.
Work as Astronomer.
| Upon completion of this servicr
| DIR. Woodward received an appoint
ment as assistant astronomer on tn.
| United States Transit of Venus Com
mission, which was not only a tribut
| to his quality as a mathematician
and engineer, but to his love of as
Economical and astrophysical prob
| lens. as subsequently shown bs
numerous contributions to astronom-
| fcal journals. After concluding his
| duties with this body he was mad
astronomer of the United States ge-
| illogical survey in 1884 and remained
with the survey for six years, hold
| ing successfully the positions of as
! tronomer, geographer and chief &c
ographer.
Still pursuing a clear preferencc
| for mathematical and physical wor.
of high precision, he went from tn"
geological survey to the coast ano
there received in 1893 appointment
as professor Of mechanics and mathc-
| NAUTICAL physics in Columbia UniyeT-
sity, New York City. In 1885 he be-
science dear II IF he the S sehG Of ho ding
! this position until 1905, when he was
chosen to succeed DIR. Daniel Colt
Gilman, the first president of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Work In Three Epochs.
| DR.. Woodward's work thus falls
very naturally into three distinct
IF iPh in 10
| was devoted heart and soul. and to
each of the last two of which his
career in engineering and exact sci
| ence contributed much. His scientific
| papers include a number of contri-
buttons to higher mathematics, to
physics and particularly geophysics
one of his best known papers treat
ing of the figure, distribution of
density and the cooling rate of the
earth. These publications appear for
the most part in the journals of the
learned societies.
With his habits of precise think
| ing. DIR. Woodward grasped the edu-
| cational problems of the day with
firm and vigorous hand. The ideals
which he presented to his students
were both high and practical
Took Firm stand.
Neither did he hesitate to take Il
strong stand upon questions of the
| DRY such as have been recently much
| unUef discussion Ill PUBIC pldceS, DGl
/ Notwithstanding his firm belief in the
| method and vitality of evolution in
| science, he realized the human limI-
| tations in that direction.
The third epoch of DR.. Woodward's
| career placed him at the head of the
| largest endowment in aid of scien-
| tific research which had ever been
| given. The early plan of administra-
ton of the institution had necessa-
rily been tentative and at the time of
~ dtxTo RI ~ he
| presidency the question was whether
| it would prove more effective to hand
sums of money to experienced inves
| tigators who should expend it as
| by the central Institution, or whether
Departments of research should BE-
| established within the institution il
which the expenditure of funds should
remain directly under the control Of
| the trustees. After some Improbable
| trials the latter policy was in gen
eral adopted early in DR.. Woodward
administration and has remained the
| dominant policy of the institution
| since that time.
During the period of his presidency
of the Carnegie Institution of Washing
| ton its available resources were in
| creased from ten to twenty-five millions
| of dollars, mainly by additional gifts
| from the founder, and more than S12.-
| 100000 was expended in the support
of research. He was held in great affec-
ton by his colleagues, and was given
| loyal support in working out his plans
for accomplishment of results and at
tainment of maximum scientific achieve
ment. The fabric which he has woven
| will remain as perpetual monument to
his unselfish. vigorous and far-sighted
| administration.
| Retired in 1920.
He retired at the close Of 1920. at the
age of seventy-two, still in the full tide
| of his success and that of the institution
to which he had given his greatest ef-
| fort. He had been honored during his
| lifetime by many institutions and learned
| bodies both American and foreign. He
| was member Of the National Academy
| Of Sciences, president Of the American
| Association for the Advancement of
| Science (1900-01) and it's treasurer
from 1894 until his death, He was also
| president of the New York Academy of
| Sciences 1900-02 president of the Amer
| lean Mathematical Society 1S9S-1900, and
| can Mathematical Society 1S9S-190O, and
served throughout the war as a member
| Of the naval consulting board. The de-
| gree of doctor of laws was also be.
slowed upon him by the University of
Wisconsin. the University Of Michigan
and Johns Hopkins University: the doc
torate in science by the University of
Pennsylvania and by Columbia Univer-
sity.
His wife and constant companion
through long life and three sons, Rob
ert S. Woodward, jr., of Haverford, Pa :
Karl w. Woodward of Durham, N H.
and William s. Woodward of Three
Rivers, Mich, survive him.
|
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