PROFESSOR CHARLES H. HITCHCOCK DIES IN HONOLULU

This sketch of Professor Hitchcock’s life, and appreciation of his long period of service in Dartmouth college, was contributed by Professor Charles F. Emerson.

Charles Henry Hitchcock, professor emeritus of Geology and Mineralogy at Dartmouth college, died at Honolulu, T. H., on November 5. He had lived in Hawaii most of the time since his retirement from active college work in 1908, and had devoted himself to the study of volcanoes.

Professor Hitchcock was born in Amherst, Mass., August 23, 1836, and graduated from Amherst College in 1856; his father was Ed- ward Hitchcock, President of Amherst Col- lege from 1845 to 1854, noted as one of the most prominent geologists in America. Pro- fessor Charles Hitchcock came naturally by his love for the study of the earth’s forma- tion and life upon its surface, and after a season at the Royal School of Mines in Lon- don, be became Lecturer in Zoology at Am- herst for several years and also for four years was non-resident Professor of Miner- alogy and Geology at Lafayette College. Dur- ing this period he was appointed Hall Pro- fessor of Mineralogy and Geology at Dart- mouth and began this work in the winter of 1868-9. For forty years he was the head of that department in College.

At this time much interest was aroused in the study of the earth’s formation and he was appointed by the state authorities Geolo- gist of New Hampshire, a position similar to that held previously by his father in Mass- achusetts. This work necessitated much travel and research, and he became very familiar with the contour and topography of the State, especially with the northern, mountainous re- gion. He often took his classes in College on trips to the neighboring hills and nearby mountains; on these trips the students often remarked that the Professor was a great climber, and even when nearing the age of sev- enty years, he would return to Hanover in bet- ter physical condition than most of his class. He loved to demonstrate in the open the traces of glacial formation and exhibit to the stu- dents the facts on which his theories were based.

Soon after coming to Dartmouth he con- ceived the desirability of forming a scientific club where the workers in the various branches of science could compare notes and be of mutual help. He became one of the original seven members to form the Dart- mouth Scientific Association, which was or- ganized Feb. 12, 1870, and he read the first paper before the Association on the 22nd of that month on “The Formation of Mountains”. In September following, while exploring the earth’s crust in Littleton, he made a discovery which marked an epoch in New Hampshire geology, and telegraphed the facts to the As- sociation in the following words, “No longer call New Hampshire Azoic; Silurian fossils just discovered”. This created a great stir among geologists, and it took several years for all the scientists of that day to accept the fact and the inferences to be drawn from it. The records of the Scientific Association show more reports and papers presented by him during its first twenty years of existence than by any other member.

Professor Hitchcock gave lectures at- many colleges and associations and became a mem- ber of several scientific associations in Amer- ica and abroad. He published many pamph- lets and several books. His most elaborate and possibly most noted publication is on the Geology of New Hampshire, in three large volumes. With this would be mentioned the work of producing the raised map of the state, which still attracts much attention in the State House at Concord. It was largely through his influence that the first high moun- tain observatory was established in the Unit- ed States, on Mount Washington.

Retiring from Dartmouth on account of the age limit fixed by the Trustees, after forty years of service, he made his home in Hono- lulu, where he carried on research work in the particular field of volcanic eruptions, in which he was deeply interested.

Professor Hitchcock was an indefatigable worker, not only in term time, but during the College vacations he was busy exploring the country for new facts bearing on his subject.

Even during his retirement, when advanc- ing years give most men a warning that they must slacken their pace, he was busy studying the famous craters in the Hawaiian Islands, and he put in print his theory of their forma- tion and action.

Professor Hitchcock leaves a wife and two daughters. Thousands of Dartmouth grad- uates will recall the many pleasant hours spent with him in investigating various topics of the earth’s formation, and will be saddened to learn of his decease.