Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-01
MERRILL, MUSEUM
CURATOR, HONORED
Given Dinner at Cosmos
Club on 18th Anniversary.
Praised by Speakers.

AS a token of their admiration for
his years of service in the field Of
science, friends and colleagues of DR..
George Perkins Merrill, head curator
of the division of geology of the Ma
tional Museum, gave a dinner in his
honor at the Cosmos Club last night,
the seventy-ifth anniversary of his
birth.
DR.. Merrill was born in Auburn, Me,
on Nav 81, 1854. For half a century,
however, he has lived in Washington.
devoting his energies to the work OF
the Smithsonian Institution. His ca
reer includes work as a scholar, a
teacher, a critic, a public speaker, an
executive and a scientist. Some OF his
outstanding writings are Stones for
building and Decoration" Rock
weathering and Soils History of
American Geology" and his works on
meteorites. for which, in 1922, he was
awarded the j. Lawrence Smith medal
by the Nationa. Academy of Sciences.
Taught at George Washington.
DR.. Merrill received his B. S., NJ. s.,
and PHI. D. degrees at the University
OF Maine. In 1917 he was conferred an
honorary degree of doctor OF science oy
the George Washington University;
where he was professor OF geology n
mineralogy from 1893 to 1915. He Is
a member of the National Academy. OF
Sciences, Geological Society OF America,
Washington Academy of Sciences, Acad-
emy of Sciences of Philadelphia and
American Philosophical Society.
The committee on organization n
arrangements for the evening was com-
posed of DR.. Alexander Wetmore. DR..
Marcus Benjamin and DR.. Paul Bartscn.
DIR. c.. G. Abbot. secrtary of the Smith
sonian Institution, presided.
The speakers of the evening were as
follows:
DR.. Marcus Benjamin, editor of the
United States National Museum, VINO
gave a general report for the commit
tee. The following is an excerpt from
his speech: In a few years the Smith
sonian will celebrate its centenary n
/ cannot but believe that when that
event occurs there will be those who
will trace the history Of that great
institution and who will have much 10
saw about the work of the eminent
Henry. and they will review the valu-
able contributions made by the dis
tineuished Baird. Those who are living
in that dey will learn more OF the
researches of the able and much-loVeo
Goode and will come a little closer 10
The eminent II disappointed Langley
and somewhere there will be told some
thing of the important results achieved
by Merrill. SO that his name will II
With added glory among this galaxy OF
scientists, contributing much 10 ms
own fame and rejecting luster on
reputation of the great institution
which he has served so faithfully dur
ing the many years of his long life"
DIR. L. O. Howard Speaks.
DIR L. o. Howard, formerly chief,
Bureau of Entomology, United states
of Agriculture, now retired
as senior entomologist, spoke on DR..
Merrill and His Work as a Museum
Curator"
The next speaker in order was DR.:
Fl. S. Washington of the ~geophysicai
laboratory. who spoke on DR.. Merriil
and His Studies of MeteorlteS. Dr.
Merrill has brought forth proof mat
Meteor Orator in Arizona was actually
made bv a meteorite." said Washington.
Dr.. Harvey w. Wiley. well known in
the field of chemistry, then had a WORD
to say on DIR. Merrill and His Chem
ical Researches in Geology" DR.. Mer-
rill is the most complete authority on
soils" DR., Wiley said. He has given
much to geology, but has given much
more to agriculture-how much the
public will never know" DR.. Wiley
further stated, The greatest work In
the genesis Of soils we owe to Merrill"
Miss M w. Moodey, assistant under
DR.. Merrill in the Department OF
Geology, then presented DR.. Merrill
with a bound volume of testimonial
letters of esteem from his friends and
colleagues.
After the presentation DR.. Merrill
gave an address in response. He
stated. AT times / have felt that | must
get away from Washington, but after
talking the matter over with Mrs.
Merrill we decided to stay. Tonight 1
am happy hat we did, for in no other
place could we have found the cul-
ture and the friendship that we have
here" DR.. Merrill closed his address
with a poem from his own pen.