Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/59

ADLER.AGASSIZ. on biblical archaeology in the Jewish theological seminary in New York; president of the American Jewish historical society; U.S. delegate to a conference on an international catalogue of scientific literature in 1898, and honorary assistant curator of historic archæology and custodian of historic religions in the U.S. national museum. He was an editor of the "Jewish Encyclopedia" and wrote in collaboration with Allen Ramsay "Tales Told in a Coffee House" (1898); besides contributions to the Journal of the American Oriental Society; the Proceedings of the American Philological Association; the Andover Review; Hebraica; Johns Hopkins University Circular and numerous reviews. ADLER, Felix, author, was born in Alzey, Germany, Aug. 13, 1851, son of Samuel Adler, a prominent Hebrew rabbi. After his graduation from Columbia college, New York, in 1879 he studied at Berlin and later at the university of Heidelberg, which in 1873 conferred upon him the degree of Ph. D. Returning to America he entered Cornell university as professor of Hebrew and Oriental literature, occupying the chair from 1874 to 1876. In May of the latter year he founded the society for ethical culture in New York, which at once instituted a free kindergarten,—the first of its kind in America. He became professor of ethics in Columbia University in 1903, and was an editor of the National Journal of Ethics. Dr. Adler is the author of "Creed and Deed Discourses" (1877); "The Ethics of the Political Situation" (1884); and "The Moral Instruction of Children" (1892). ADLER, George J., philologist, was born in Germany in 1821. In 1833 he came to America with his parents, who settled in New York city, where the boy attended the public schools and entered the university of the city of New York, from which he was graduated with honors at the age of twenty-three. Two years later he was made professor of German in that institution, which position he filled for eight years. He prepared a German-English dictionary, which was published in 1848, and a German grammar and other German text-books which followed, and which are acknowledged to be the best books yet published in America. He published in 1868 "Poetry of the Arabs in Spain," which he had delivered as a popular lecture; and the same year, "Wilhelm von Humboldt's Linguistic Studies," and a translation of Fauriel's "History of Provençal Poetry." His mind became impaired during the last years of his life, and he died at Bloomingdale asylum, New York city, Aug. 24, 1868. ADLER, Samuel, clergyman, was born in Worms, Germany, Dec. 3, 1809, son of a Hebrew rabbi, and was trained by his father to follow in his footsteps. From his early childhood he was taught rabbinic literature, and when old enough he was sent to the rabbinic high school at Frankfort. After finishing his studies there he went to Bonn and Giessen, where he studied Oriental languages and philosophy for five years, leaving in 1836 to become a minister in Worms. In 1842 he removed to Alzey, as town and circuit rabbi. In the years 1844-'46 he attended the rabbi conventions held in Brunswick, Frankfort, and Breslau, and in 1856 removed to New York city, where, in 1857, his installation as rabbi of the Temple Emanu-El occurred. He was a highly-respected citizen of New York, keeping in touch with modern thought and progress, and accomplishing a vast amount of good. His son, Prof. Felix Adler, founded the society of ethical culture. Dr. Adler died in New York city, June 9, 1891. AGASSIZ, Alexander Emmanuel Rudolph, zoölogist, was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland, Dec. 17, 1835, son of Louis and Cecile (Braun) Agassiz. He came to the United States with his father when he was eleven years of age, and, completing his academical course, entered Harvard and was graduated in 1855. He studied engineering in the Lawrence scientific school, and after taking his degree pursued a post-graduate course in chemistry, at the same time teaching that science in a young ladies' seminary conducted by his father. In 1859 he was appointed assistant to the United States coast survey in California, and was engaged on the northwest boundary, where he collected and afterwards enriched the Harvard museum of comparative zoölogy by specimens that he had collected and studied. Upon his return in 1860 he was made assistant in zoölogy at the Peabody museum, taking full charge during his father's visit to Brazil in 1865. The same year he became interested in coal mining in Pennsylvania, and in 1866 made some investigations in the copper mines of Lake Superior, and became president of the Calumet and Hecla mining company, which corporation paid to its stockholders over $50,000,000 in dividends prior to 1895. This brought Agassiz a very large fortune, which he used in munificent gifts to the Harvard museum, of which he became assistant curator, and, after the death of his father, curator. These gifts aggregated over $500,000, and were mostly spontaneous responses to needs that presented