Evening star., 1927-02-09
DR.. C. D. WALC0TT,
SMITHSONIAN HEAD,
CLAIMED BY DEATH

| GENIWED . UEA IT
Continued from First Page)
charge of the Smithsonian institution
since 1907 and president of the Amer
! lean Philosophical Society since 1925.
| He was president of the National
Academy of Sciences from 1917 to
1928 of the Washington Academy of
Sciences from 1899 to 1910, of the
National Association for the Advance
ment of Science in 1923 and of the
Washington Society of the Archaeology
ical Institute of America from 1915
to 1918 and was secretary and one
of the founders of the Carnegie In
stitution of Washington.
Since 1907, when he was chosen by
the board of regents as secretary of
the Smithsonian, DR. Walcott has
directed notable research investiga-
tions in various parts of the world
and has personally studied large areas
in the Rocky Mountains of British
Columbia and Alberta, Canada.
Directed Roosevelt Expedition.
DIR. Walcott was at the head of the
Smithsonian in 1909 when the institu.
ton directed the memorable African
expedition of Col. Theodore Roosevelt.
and he sent with the expedition a
number of official representatives of
the institution.
He was particularly distinguished
as a student of the lower palaeozoic,
or Cambrian, and pre-palaeonzoic, or
Algonkian, sedimentary formations,
including organic remains of prehiS-
toIic animals. He worked up and cor
related the Cambrian formations and
faunas of the North American CONT
no GiCnnUoJ~o6 In
unique additions to the previously
known CambTian faunas, studied and
developed the history and sedimenta-
ton of 10000 feet of Algonkian sedi-
ments in northwestern America and
discovered and published an account
Of the organic remains in the Algon-
khan formations.
Developed Interest Early.
DR. Walcott also was the discoverer
of the richest and largest deposit of
Middle Cambrian fossils in the
world-near Field in British Co.
lumbia, Canada.
AS a schoolboy interested in
natural history, DR.. Walcott acquired
taste for geology while very young.
Descended from New England
settlers who emigrated from Shrop
shire, he was born in New York
Mills, Oneida County, n. Y. March
81, 1850. His early education was
in the public schools of Utica, which
he entered in 1858, and in the Utica
Academy. which he left in 1868. He
then entered a hardware store as
a clerk and, continuing in such occu-
patton for two years, acquired a
practical business training which
proved of value to him in later
years.
His scientific tastes were develop
ed at the age of IS, when he became
interested in the systematic collec-
ton of fossils and minerals. The fol.
lowing Winter he met Col. E. Jewett,
geologist and paleontologist, from
whom he borrowed books and re-
ceived many suggestions. Geological
reading and collecting were continued.
and for two Winters he devoted much
time to optics and astronomy, and
incidentally made a large collection of
insects and birds eggs in the Spring
and Summer months.
In 1871 Or. Walcott went to In
on business, and there his
scientific tendencies were further
by Prof. f. T. Cox, who
was then making geological survey of
the Indiana coal fields.
First Appointment i'm 1876.
He returned to New York and in
1876 received his first official appoint
ment, becoming assistant to Prof
James Hall, State geologist of New
York.
Three years later he was appointed
an assistant geologist in the United
States Geological Survey, where.
specializing in the study of the oldest
rocks and the many mysterious fossils
therein, he became paleontologist in
charge of the invertebrate fossils in
1888. His rise was rapid and in 1894
he succeeded Maj. j. w Powell as
director of the survey, holding the
position until he resigned in 1907 to
become Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution, following Samuel Pier
pont Langley.
While director of the Geological Sur
vey, DIR. Walcott reorganized it on
both scientific and business principles.
and developed the Reclamation Serv-
ice. 1t was he who took the initia N
steps toward the organization of the
Forest Service, in 1898, when he Sc.
cured the passage of the first compre-
hensiVe law organizing the forest sur
veys of the United States.
Friend of Aviation.
DR.. Walcott interested the Govern
ment In DIR. LangleyS man-carrying
aeronautical experiments. To him
also belongs the credit of starting the
National Advisory Committee on Aero
nautics, a body which advises the
Government, and of which he was
chairman at the time of his death.
He was director of the Carnegie In.
stitution for three years, and was vice
chairman of the executive committee.
AS secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution, DR.. Walcott has carried
on vigorously the development of the
institution along lines followed by
his three distinguished predecessors.
Joseph Henry, Spencer Fullerton
Baird and Mr.. Langley During DR..
Walcott's administration the great
National History Building of the
National Museum was brought to
completion and the collections in
stalled; the beautiful building to
house teh unrivaled Freer collec.
ton of American and Oriental art
was completed, and the National Gal
lery of Art was made an independent
unit under the direction of the Smith
sonian Institution, assuring it's future
development.
Good Many Honors.
He was fellow of nearly all of
Aa