Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/179

Rh professor of clieinistry and natural philosophy in the University of Rochester, which was established that year. He held this office until 1860, at which time he offered his resignation, feeling unable to perform active service, but consented to retain a nominal connection with the university, and to give instruction when it suited his convenience. After the age of eighty he lived in retirement, and aided many religious and benevolent objects. His entire life was given to scientific pursuits, and he held a high position among American naturalists. He made the study of grasses a specialty, and dis- covered and described several new species. The degree of M. D. was conferred upon him by Yale in 1825, D. D. by Union in 1838, and LL." D. by Williams in 1850. He was a careful and accurate observer of the weather, and his notes were pub- lished in regular monthly reports. His papers on some of the " F'amilies and Natural Orders of Plants," published in the " American Journal of Science," attracted the attention of some of the leading European botanists, and led to a corre- spondence with them. In the class of " carices " he was a recognized authority, and his writings on that stibject make an elaborate monograph, upon which he labored for more than forty j^ears. His '• History of the Herbaceous Plants of Massachu- setts " was published by that state. His latest writings were review articles on " The True Place of Man in Zoology" and "An Examination of some Reasonings against the Unity of Mankind."

DEWEY, Frederic Perkins, chemist, b. in Hartford, Conn., 4 Oct., 1855. He was graduated at the Sheffield scientific school in 1876, and in the autumn of that year became assistant in analytical chemistry in Lafayette college. This office he held until July, 1877, when he took charge of the chemi- cal work of the North Jersey iron company, and continued as such until the spring of 1878, after which he worked in the laboratory of the Sheffield scientific school as a post-graduate. In April. 1879, he became chemist of the Roane iron and steel company, and in 1881 was associated with Dr. George W. Hawes in investigating the build- ing-stones of the United States for the Tenth Census. He was appointed in December, 1882, curator of metallurgy in the U. S. national mu- seum in Washington. His literary work includes articles on tiie chemical examination of iron and iron ores, contributed to various scientific journals; also, " The Chemical Examination of Building- Stones," for the Tenth Census report, a " Biographi- cal Sketch of Dr. Hawes," for the Smithsonian re- port, lie prepared a " Plan to Illustrate the Min- eral Resources of the United States and their Utilization " at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exhibition of 1884-'5 in New Orleans.

DEWEY, Melvil, librarian, b. in Adams Centre, Jeflei-son co., N. Y., 10 Dec, 1851. He was gradu- ated at Amherst in 1874, and was acting librarian there from 1873 till 1876, when he removed to Boston and devoted himself to popular education through the simplifying and systematizing of libra- ries and library work, the introduction of the in- ternational or metric system of weights and meas- ures, and the simplification of English spelling. He has been a contributor to ]:)eriodical literature in the advancement of his ideas, has prepared vari- ous catalogues, and edited the " Library Journal " from 1876 till 1881, " Library Notes," the " Metric Bulletin," " Metric Advocate," and " Spelling-Re- form Bulletin." He became manager of the Li- brary Bureau in 1876, chief librarian of Columbia college in 1888, and professor of library economy and director of the Columbia college library school in 1887. He is the author of a "Classification and Subject-Index for Cataloguing and Arranging the Books and Pamphlets of a Library" (Amherst, 1876) ; and " Decimal Classification and Relativ Index " (Boston, 1885).

DEAVEY, Orville, theologian, b. in Sheffield, Mass., 28 March, 1794 ; d. there, 21 March, 1882. His ancestors were among the first settlers of Shef- field, where he spent his early life, alternately work- ing upon his father's farm and attending Ihe vil- lage school. He was naturally thoughtful, and was encouraged in his love of reading l)y his father. His mother's piety had great influence in the forma- tion of his character. The strict Calvinism that colored the religious life around him was greatly tempered by his intercourse with his cousin, Paul Dewey, who was an able mathematician and a skeptic with regard to the prevailing theology. His parents had him so thoroughly prepared for college that he entered the sophomore class in Will- iams, where he was graduated in 1814. He then returned to Sheffield, where he engaged in teach- ing, and afterward went to New York, becoming a clerk in a dry-goods house. He was graduated at Andover theological seminary in 1819, and for eight months was agent for the American education so- ciety, having declined an immediate and permanent pastorate on account of his unsettled views regaixl- ing theology. Notwithstanding a very candid ex- pression of his opinions, he was offered a pulpit in Gloucester, which he accepted temporarily. He soon became a LTnitarian, and was appointed to be the assistant of Dr. Channing, in Boston, with whom he formed a lasting friendship, and whose church he supplied during its pastor's travels in Europe. In 1823 he became pastor of the Unitarian church in New Bedford, remaining there for ten years, tmtil he went to Europe on account of his health. He was called to the 2d Unitarian chtirch of New York in 1835, which during his ministry built the Church of the Messiah. In 1842 his health again failed, and he went a second time to Europe, re- turning in 1844. He was compelled to resign his charge in 1848, and retired to his farm in Sheffield, where he prepared a cotirse of lectures for the Low- ell institute of Boston, on the " Problem of Human Ijife and Destiny," which cotirse was repeated twice m New Y^ork, and delivered in many other cities. This was followed by a second Lowell cotirse, in 1855, on the "Education of the Human Race," which was widely repeated. Dr. Dewey M'as called to a church in Albany, where he remained one year, and to Washington, where he spent two years. In 1858 he again settled in Boston as pastor of the society called the "New South," but retired after four years of service, and once more returned to his farm in Sheffield, where he resided until his death. He lectured frequently, and appeared in public for the last time in the old Congregational church at the centennial celebration, 18 June, 1876. His controversial articles and sermons were re- printed in a cheap form by tlie Unitarian associa- tion. His first book was "Letters on Revivals. "^ His works were issued in a collected edition (3 vols.. New York, 1847)'; and again (1 vol., 8vo, London, 1844).— His daughter, Msiry E., author, b. in Shef- field, jMass., has translated George Sand's " Miller of Angibault," and edited " The Life and Letters of Catherine M. Sedgwick " (New Y'ork, 1871).

DE WINT, John Peter, b. in New York city in 1787; d. in Fishkill, N. Y., 17 Nov., 1870. At an early age he removed with his parents to Fishkill on the Hudson, where his father had purchased a large estate. He was a staunch republican and an eminent and wealthy citizen. — His wife, Caro-