Evening star., 1940-05-24
EVENING WASHINGTON D. G, FRIDAY MAY a. 1s4o
Scientist,
Incurab|y III, Kills
Himself in Zoo
DR.. Hoven Metcolf, Head
Of Forest Pathology, Left
Note About Suffering

Note ABOUT SUfferin9
DR.. Haven Metcalf, 64-year-old
head of the Agriculture Depart
ment's Division of Forest Pathology,
was found dead early today in a
wooded section of the Zoo near Ad-
ans Mill and Klingle roads NV. A
.38-caliber revolver lay near his right
hand and there was a bullet wound
in the right temple, police said.
The body was discovered under a
towering poplar tree by two Zoo po-
licemen, Robert Ewell and George D.
Mcleod, about 6 am. Policemen
and friends of DR.. Metcalf, who lived
at 184l Summit place NV, had been
searching Zoo and nearby Rock
Creek area since late yesterday aft
ernoon.
DR.. Metcalf disappeared from his
residence yesterday. leaving a pen
ciled note: Unless my plans go
amiss, my body will be found in the
Zoo near Adams Mill road or in
Rock Greek near Bluff Bridge"
"Suffering" Too Much.
In DR.. Metcalf's pocket police
found another note addressed to ID.
G. Coroner or whom it concern"
II am absolutely responsible" this
signed note read. II cannot stand
this pain and suffering any longer"
DR.. Christopher Murphy, deputy
coroner, issued certificate Of
suicide.
At his home, friends of DR.. Metcalf
said that he suffered from an in
durable disease and had been de-
spondent recently.
DR.. N. F. v. Barkett of the Emer-
gency Hospital staff, pronouncing
DR.. Metcalf dead at 6:32 am, stated
that death apparently occurred
about II hours before.
DR.. Metcalf's wife, the former Miss
Flora May Holt of Lowell. Mass,
died in 1885. They had no children.
Born in Winthrop, Me-, August 6,
1875, DR.. Metcalf received a B. A.
degree from Brown University in
1896 and an M. A. degree from the
same institution in 1897 He took
postgraduate work at Harvard
University and at the University of
Nebraska, from which he was grad
uated with q Phi. D. degree in 1902.
Organized Division.
He joined the Agriculture Depart
ment as pathologist in 1906 after
teaching botany and biology at
Brown University, Tabor College and
Clemson Agricultural College.
Mr.. Metcalf was the organizer of
the division of forest pathology, and
under his leadership the division
expanded from two scientific assist
ants in an office here in 1907 to
more than 40 scientific workers in
branch Offices throughout the Ma
ton.
Recognized as an international
authority in his field, DR.. Metcalf at
tracted scientific attention early in
lAS SOtCl Il1AlCAltol Sdl CC1 Wy CNONAllS
a cure for soft rot in sugar beets.
He received high commendation also
for tracing a disastrous chestnut
tree blight to fungus transmitted
to this country from China.
While he directed all research
work in his division up to the time
Of his death, i'll health had forced
him to assume less active part In
recent years, it was said.
Some Of His Works.
Author of a number of publications
on botany, plant pathology and bac-
teriology, DR.. Metcalf was a former
president of the Botanical Society
of Washington and Of the American
Shade Tree Association. He was a
member OF the Cosmos Club, the
Washington Country Club. Sigma
XII, Delta Upsilon, the American
Phytopathological Society and the
Washington Academy of Science.
In 1908, he introduced Colusa rice
from Italy, it is now extensively
grown in California In 1923, DR..
Metcalf was delegate of the United
States to the International Confer
ence on Phytopathology. He had
been for many years fellow in the
American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science.