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WILLIAM SMITH SAYER.

Mr. Sayer was born on a farm, called the "Sayer Homestead," near
Wayne, DuPage county, Illinois, January 13th, 1876. From childhood
to his "Academy days" he passed on the farm. He received no other
schooling during the first ten years of his life than that furnished by a
companionable, intelligent mother, who directed his studies. After his
tenth year, he attended the country school till he entered the "Elgin
Academy" in 1892. Three years later, he gradated from the Academy
and entered Beloit College.
His college days proved a formative stage in his career by developing
within him a taste for the association of a college, friends, study, culture-all the features which are constituents of a college atmosphere
-and a basic and intuitive love for his home. His home became the retreat for his college chums, his mother, their foster-mother. Both college and home were linked together in his mind and in his life, as inseparable supports to action. Throughout his career, these two factors
were prominent, even foremost. His graduation from Beloit occurred
in 1899. Ambition of a noble type was aroused in him, and instigated
by his parents, he undertook special work in the University of Chicago,
choosing bacteriology and chemistry for his chief lines of study. In
1901 he was placed in charge of a laboratory at Grafton, Illinois, by
Dr. E. O. Jordan; for the purpose of examining the waters of the Chicago
Drainage Canal. With the discontinuance of this work in January,
1902, he returned to the University to pursue the course of study, he
had begun, until the autumn of 1902. At this time, he quit the University, but before leaving he had completed all of his work, except the
thesis, for his doctorate degree. He entered the employ of the Kennicott
Water Softener Company as a chemist. He remained with this firm
for four years, and in the spring of 1907 he was called to the Bacteriological Laboratory of the Michigan Agricultural College to undertake
research work. His attention was at first centered upon the "Keeping
Qualities of Butter," and, conjointly with Dr. Otto Rahn and Miss Bell
Farrand, issued the results of the first year's investigations in bulletin
form from the Experiment Station.
All of his training directed his tastes into the field of soil investigations. It became possible for him to satisfy his desires with the departure of Prof. Walter G. Sackett for Fort Collins, Colorado. Mr.
Sayer picked up the thread where Mr. Sackett dropped it, and centered
all of his force in this work.
Mr. Sackett also turned over the office of Secretary-Treasurer of The
Michigan Academy of Science to him at the same time, with the consent of the council. At the annual meeting of the Academy, he was
again made Secretary-Treasurer, as a recognition of his faithful and
efficient services.
While canoeing on the Red Cedar river, a sport very fascinating to
him, on the 30th of April, 1909, he was thrown into the river and

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drowned. Two weeks later, his body was found and buried from his
home in "Little Woods Cemetery," Wayne, Illinois.
Mr. Sayer was careful to painstaking, very systematic, and patient.
No truth was too homely for him; he wished no garnishments to cloak
the facts. Therefore, what he did was honestly done and what he said
was true, so far as he could determine. Such were the strong characteristics of the man.

W. J. BEAL,
CHARLES E. MARSHALL,
Committee.