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-
