JAMES HOWARD GORE
GORE, JAMES HOWARD, born on a farm in Frederick county, Virginia, on the eighteenth of September, 1856, is the son of Mahlon and Sidney S. (Gather) Gore. His father, a merchant and a county surveyor, died when he was four years of age, leaving him to the care of his devoted mother, who exercised upon him the strongest influence for good. A healthy boy, he passed his youthful life under the invigorating influences of the country, his early predilection for science shown in an earnest perusal of scientific books, his most declared boyish interest. During his college life, he shared with his two brothers in work on the farm, being kept at home every third year — a health-giving working vacation. Educated in Hamilton academy, Richmond college and Columbian university, he was graduated from the latter in 1877, remaining there as tutor. In later years he pursued post-graduate courses of mathematical study; at Berlin in 1894, Leyden in 1895, and Brussels in 1897. To his graduating degree of B.S., Columbian added in 1888 the honorary degree of Ph.D.
Appointed adjunct professor of mathematics in Columbian university in 1880, he has been full professor in that branch since 1884. He was professor of mathematics and geodesy at the Corcoran scientific school, 1884-87; and since that date he has been professor of geodesy in that institution.
Professor Gore has also served as astronomer in the United States Geological Survey and as acting assistant in the United States Coast Survey, and has been officially connected with various international expositions. He served as commissioner-general at the expositions of Antwerp in 1894, Amsterdam in 1895, Brussels in 1897, St. Louis in 1904, and at Liege in 1905; and he was juror-in-chief at the Paris exposition of 1900. In recognition of his efficiency in these positions he has been honored with decorations by Belgium, France, Holland, Sweden, Bulgaria, and Siam, and is a Commander of the Order of Leopold, an officer of the Legion of Honor, the Order of the Crown, the Order of Wasa, and the French Academy, and a