Evening star., 1941-05-04

DIR. ARTHUR L. DAY.
reproduced at will and competently
interpreted. Thus in the very early
days of his long scientific career he
started the intensive studies in rock
relationships which eventually led
to his being the recipient of the
Wollaston Medal.
Won Holland Medal.
Two years later Q902) the Car
'negie Institution of Washington was
established, with DR.. Walcott as its
executive officer, and soon after DR..
Day was commissioned by DR.. Wal
colt to visit Europe to interview cer-
tain of its most distinguished scien-
fists in both physical and geological
fields regarding the establishment of
an independent geophysical labora-
tory, not controlled by government
appropriations and their restrictions
and limitations. This was to see
whether more light might be thrown
upon the hitherto unsolved problem
which DR.. Day had accepted as a
challenge and to which he was de-
voting his tremendous energies.
Among the great scientific minds
DR.. Day consulted were Teall in
London, Roozeboom in Holland,
Want Hoff in Berlin, Vogt in Norway
and Arrhenius in Stockholm. With
the exception of Roozeboom, most of
them were frankly skeptical of the
success of the proposed undertaking.
The latter, however, told DR.. Day he
believed the difficulties in his way
were chiefly technical and capable OF
being overcome by patient effort.
Thirty-seven years later, in 1899,
after Roozeboom's death, the Royal
Netherlands Academy of Sciences at
Amsterdam, Holland, bestowed upon
DR.. Day its highest award, the
Roozeboom Medal. Thus an Ameri-
can scientist, who had now become
one of the worlds leading authorities
in his chosen field of research, justi-
fled the faith placed in him by the
learned Dutch leader whose own at
tainments were memorialized in this
award.
Directed Laboratory.
The development of the geophysi-
cal laboratory which the Carnegie
Institution of Washington organized
in 1906. with DR.. Day as its first and
only director until his retirement in
1886, is best told in its own publica-
tions upon the subject, which num-
Der more than one thousand. 1t is
also shown by the growth OF the
laboratory, which now provides COM
plete facilities for about 25 research
men and has Its own instrument
shop.
Many eminent scientific workers
from other countries have also been
trained in this famous geophysical
laboratory of the Carnegie Institu-
ton of Washington under DR.. Days
direction. In turn, they have gone
forth from it to the Laboratories
and research fields of their own
lands to make its skills and scientific
procedures a part Of the sum OF
human knowledge. In fact, such was
the almost immediate success OF the
eeophysical laboratory and so rapid
was the swing of the pendulum In
scientific thinking from pessimism to
optimism as to what it might achieve
that one of its strongest American
supporters once said to DR.. Day:
AFTER all. there are only seven or
eight major ingredients in the rocks,
and the relations between these Will
be cleared by your methods in III
years. What will the geophyslcal
laboratory do then?" Needless to
say, according to expert opinion, "the
geophysical laboratory has laid open
far more problems for study than 1t
has succeeded in solving during Its
existence. but, thanks to its sclen-
tific procedures, they can be defined
now in rather definite terms and
attacked with confidence"
Valuable Studies Made.
The researches of the geophysical
laboratory under DR.. Days direc-
ton have included the investigation
of a wide variety of mineral systems
of one to five components. In brief,
valuable studies have also been
made of the effects of volatile con-
stituents; of the gases and gas re-
actions of active volcanoes; OF the
nature and origin of hot springs
and geysers; of the radioactlvity OF
rocks; of many natural assemblages
of rocks and their geochemistry,
and of many important economic
problems such as those connected
with the manufacture OF cement
and optical glass. Indeed, DR.. Day
was placed in charge OF the de-
velopment of the first optical glass
to be manufactured in this country
during the first World War.
The results of DR.. Days work
upon the hot-spring problem were
embodied in his presidential ad-
dress before the Geological Society
of America in 1888. His adventurous
study of volcanic phenomena has
received worldwide recognition.
In many other fields of investiga-
ton DR.. Day has taken the active
leadership and by his own dynamic
personality, as we'll as deep passion
for exact research, established a
tradition for high scientific accuracy
in America which his colleagues have
been proud to maintain and carry
on as characteristic of the geophysi-
cal laboratory of the Carnegie In
stitution of Washington.
Lives in Bethesda.
DR.. Day, who is native of Brook
field, Mass, has made his home al
1865 Old Georgetown road, Bethesda
Md, for the past 20 years. His
collection of azaleas and rhododen-
drons is famous.
Unlike many scientists DR.. Day /:
factor in the business as well as
the professional world. He has been
vice president of the Corning
Glass Works since 1919, and direc-
tor of the Hamilton National Bank
of this city since its organization
in 1888, as well as a member Of its
Trust Investment Committee.
A member of many learned soci-
cites both here and abroad, the