Selections for an American ValhallaSource: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Jan., 1921), pp. 92-95Published by: American Association for the Advancement of ScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/6756 .

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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 93

THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE

SELECTIONS FOR AN AMERI-

CAN VALHALLA

The Senate of New York Uni- versity has announced the report of the official canvas of ballots re- ceived fronm the electors of the Hall of Fame in the fifth quinquennial election. The electorate consists of 96 men and 6 women. Ballots were received from 95 men and 6 women as follows: University and college presidents, 27; professors of history and historians, i8; scientists, ii;

authors and editors, I4; high public officials and men and women of af- fairs, i9; actual or former justices,

national or state, I2. It was possible this year to elect

to the Hall of Fame for Great AmericanS 20 men, and to the Hall of Fame for Great American Wom- en, IO women, sixty-eight votes or two-thirds of the IOI votes cast were required to elect a name unless that name bore the marking M. J. F. (more justly famous, but we are not informed in whose opinion), in which case 5I votes, or a majority of the votes cast, were required to elect. The result of the canvass showed that of the I77 names of men voted for, the following six were chosen:

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MEMORIAL BUST OF HORACE MANN IN THE HALL OF FAME

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94 THE SCIENTIFIC -MO N7HLY

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T HE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 95

Name Class Votes Received Samuel Langhorn-e Clemens ......... - 1Autlhors ............ 72 James Buchanan Eads ......... ..... VI-Engiileers ............ ;I

Patrick Henry .....................X II-Statesmen ............ 57 'William Thlomas Greeln I\/Iorton ..... Vtl-Physicians ............ 72 Augustus Saint-Gaudens ....... ..... XIV-Artists ...... ...... 67 Roger WAiilliams .................. I-.. 11Preachers ........... . 66

Of the 27 names of women voted for, the name of one woman was chosen for the Hall of Fame for Great American Women, that name bearing the M. J. F. marking and, therefore, requiring only 51 votes; the successful candidate being Alice Freeman Palmer, Edtucator, with 53 votes.

Prior to this election fifty men and six women had been elected to the Hall of Fame, the total now being fifty-six men and seven women. The sixth quinquennial election will take place in I925. In the interim the Hall of Fame idea will be developed in various ways along educational lines to the endl of stimulating in- terest in American history and incul- cating reverence for our great dead. In May, 1921, there will he a public unveiling at the Hall of Fame on University Heights of twenty-six bronze tablets bearing the names of men and women who have been elected in this and previous elections, thirty-seven tablets having already been unveiled.

The votes for men of science in the recent election were as follows: Class V-Scientists Samuel Pierpont Langley ........ 20

Matthew Fontaine Maury ........ 20

Samuel NTewcomb ............... 44 Benjamin Thompson ............. 38 Scattering ..................... 18

Total ..................... 140

Class VI-Engilneers, Architects James Buchanan Eads ........... 51

Henry Hobson Richardson .......T II

Scatterin1g .......... ............ I2

Total .......................... 74

Class VII-Physicians, Surgeons Charles T. Jackson ..............o I0

William T. G. Morton ........... 72 Walter Reed .................... 14 B1enjamiln Rush ..........4........ 14 Scattering ...................... 14

TFotal ........................1 24

Class VIII-Inventors John Ericsson ................... IO Charles Goodyear ............... i6 Cyrus 1-ltall cCormic.......... 43 Scattering ...................... 22

Trotal ........................ 9I

The selection of Dr. M4orton as one of the sixty-two greatest Americans illustrate the inadequacy of the meth- od of selection used by the Senate of New York University. Davy discover- ed the anaesthetic properties of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) in J8oo, and Faraday showed that the inhalation of the vapor of ether produced anaesthetic effects in I8IS. Which American physician or dentist from Dr. Godmnan in I822 to Dr. WVarren in 1846 deserves most credit for the introdcuction of anaesthetics is a qucstion that cven twenty-seven uni- versity presiden-ts woould find it diffi- cult to decide by a majority vote.

THE THOM/IPSON MEDAL FOR GEOLOGY AND PALENO-

TOLOGY We give lhere obverse and reverse

views of the meldal to he awarded by the National Academy of Sciences for distinguished aclhievement in the scienlces of Geology or Paleontology or both. The meldal is established on1 a foulndation provided by Mrs. MWary Clark Tlhompson of New York,

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