Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/214

 McMURTRIE

McNAIR

fessor of animal morphology at Clark university, Mass., 1889-92; professor of biology at the Uni- versity of Cincinnati, 1893-94, and was made professor of anatomy in the University of Mich- igan in 1894. He was elected a member of the American Society of Naturalists in 188C: and was an original member of the American Morpholog- ical society and its secretary, 1890-93. The de- gree of Ph.D. was conferred on him by the Johns Hopkins university in 1885. He is the author of a text- book on Invertebrate Morphology (1894), and of contributions to Gray's Anatomy and other text books and of numerous pamphlets on anatom- ical and zoological subjects.

McMURTRIE, WIHiam, chemist, was born in Belvidere, N.J., March 10, 1851; son of Abram and Almira (Smith) McMurtrie; grandson of James and Elizabeth (Smith) McMurtrie, and a descendant of Joseph McMurtrie, who was born

in Dalmellington, Scotland, about 1685, and died in Oxford township, Sussex county, N.J., in 1762. He was graduated from Lafayette with the degree of M.E., 1871, and Ph.D. by examination and

thesis in 1875. He was assistant chemist to the U.S. agricul- tural department at Washington, D.C., ^ 1872-73, and chief ^ chemist, 1873-78. He was married in 1876 to Helen M. Douglass. He was agent and representative for the U.S. agri- cultural department at the Paris exposition in 1878, and superintendent of the section assigned to the United States agricultural products at that fair. He was special agent of the agricultural department in agricultural technology, 1879-82; and represented the U.S. commissioner of agri- culture at the International exhibition of slieep, wool and wool products in Philadelphia, Septem- ber, 1880. and prepared the report made to con- gress. He was professor of chemistry. University of Illinois, 1882-88, in 1888 became chemist for the New York Tartar company, and in 1899 l)€came consulting chemist for the Royal Baking Powder company. He was chemist to the Illinois state board of agriculture. 1884-88, and to the Illinois agricultural experiment station, 1886-88; chair- man of the committee on wools in the bureau of awards at the World's Columbian exposition in 1893; vice-president of the chemistry section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1895; chairman of the New York

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section of the American Chemical society during 1896, 1897 and 1898, and president of the Ameri- can Chemical society during 1900. He was elected a member of the Philosophical society of Washington, the Academy of Sciences of Wash- ington, D.C., and a fellow of the American As- sociation for the Advancement of Science. He received the decoration of Chevalier du Merite Agricole from the French government in 1883. He is the author of the several annual reports of the division of chemistry, department of agricul- ture, including: Report on the Culture of the Beet and Manufacture of Sugar therefrom, in France and the United States (1879); Report on the Culture of Sumac in Sicily (1879); Report on the Statistics of Ch-ape Culture in the United States (1880); Report upon the Investigation of Wool and other Animal Fibres (1887); Report of the Physical Properties of the Wools of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 (1894); Som£ Records of Recent Progress in Industrial Chemistry (1897, 1898 and 1899); TJie Relation of the Industries to the Advancement of Chemical Science (1900).

McNAIR, Alexander, governor of Missouri, waa born in Derry, Lancaster county, now Dauphin county, Pa., in 1774. He was prepared for col- lege in his native town, but was prevented by th& death of his father from attending college. He served as lieutenant in command of a company from Lancaster county in suppressing the whiskey insurrection of 1794; was lieutenant of infantry,. 1799-1800; removed to St. Louis, La. Ty., 1804, where he was commissary in the U.S. army for several years, and in 1812 was made adjutant- general and also served as inspector-general. In 1813 he was made colonel of a regiment of Mis- souri militia. He was a delegate from St. Louis, county to the constitutional convention, July, 1820, and the same year was elected governor of the new state, serving, 1820-24. He took up his- residence in St. Charles, the first seat of govern- ment, in November, 1820. He was U.S. agent it* the Indian department, 1824-26. He died in St. Louis, Mo., Marcli 18,1826.

McNAIR, Frederick Vallette, naval officer, wjis born in Jenkintown (afterward Ogontz),. Pa., Jan. 13, 1839; son of the Hon. John (q. v.) and Mary (Yerkes) McNair. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval academy in 1857; served on the China and East India station, 1857-59; was promoted passed midshipman, June 25, 1860; master, Oct. 24, 1860, and was made a lieutenant for bravery, April 18, 1861. He served on the Mediterranean squadron in the West Indies and in the pursuit of the steamer Sumter on the Mis- sissippi river under Admiral Farragut; partici- pated in the engagements and passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Chalmette batteries