Evening star., 1941-02-02

An Arctic institute" Is being
established at Catholic University
for the study of the Arctic area and
its inhabitants and for the collec-
ton of native artifacts, the fora
and fauna of the country. and the
minerals, soils and other geological
features
The Rev. DR.. Hugh ONeill, as
sistant professor of biology and
curator of the Langlois Museum, and
the Rev. Artheme Dutilly, research
assistant in botany, are the prime
movers of the institute. They have
several seasons of Arctic explora-
ton to their credit. Much progress
has been made among small local
group interested in the Northern
part of this continent. Although no
formal organization has yet been
effected it Is hoped that such a
step may be taken in the near fu-
ture.
Father Dutilly has spent 10 sum-
mers in the Arctic and has returned
to the university each of the last
three autumns with a large collec-
ton of plants, minerals. soils. native
handwork and other objects. Last
summer he travelled 10000 miles by
plane, the Santa Maria of the
Arctic Oblate Missions, and 5000
miles by rail- covering much OF the
territory between the Alaskan bor-
der and the Hudson Bay in the
Canadian Arctic.
Large Collection Brought Back.
In the summer of 1899 Father Du-
tilly was accompanied by Father
ONeill and by the Rev. Macmillan
Duman. o. S. B., of the faculty of
st. Vincent's College at Latrobe, Pa,
and a student in the department of
biology at the university, on a boat
trip along the Labrador coast and
into Hudson Bay. A large collec-
ton was brought back to the univer-
sity for inclusion in the Arctic In
stitute exhibit.
Several years ago, during the
pontiflcate of the late Pope Plus X1,
systematic search of the Arctic
area for everything that would cast
light on the beginnings OF life on
the surface of the earth after the
recession of the icecap, was begun
at the express request of the Pope.
The results of these annual trips,
which were undertaken by Father
Dutilly, were studied during the sub
seouent winters and the collections
identified and classified for the
Lateran Museum in Rome and Cath
olic University. A number of these
objects found their way also into
the Smithsonian Institution.
An expansion of this survey was
undertaken last summer When
Father Dutilly returned to WASH
irgton with 80 grammars or lexlcons
in nine different languages, which
have since been studied and photo-
graphed at the university. These
we're mace bv the Oblate mission
aries in rhe North and are said to
represent the only record of the
fast disappearing native languages.
Grants from the American Philo-
sophical Society and the university
made this work possible.
Gift From DIR. Holm.
What is described as the largest
and most extensive private collec-
tion of plants from the Arctic, as
well as books covering the same field,
were presented to Catholic Univer-
sity a few years ago by the late DR..
Theodor Holm. These formed the
nucleus of the present collection, to
which large and significant annual
increments are being made through
the travels and studies of Father
Dutillv. Father ONeill and their as
sociates. DR.. Holm is believed to be
one of the first laymen to receive a
Phi. D. from Catholic University, but
it is definitely known that he was