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Worcester (DEAN CONANT an American)

DEAN CONANT, an American educator; born in Thetford, Vt., Oct. 1, 1866; was graduated at the University of Michigan in 1889; traveled in 15 of the Philippine Islands in 1887- 1889; was instructor of animal morphology at the University of Michigan in 1893-1894, and became assistant professor in the latter year. In 1890-1892 he again traveled in the Philippines with Dr. F. S. Bourns, in a tour known as "the Menage Scientific Expedition." In January,

1899, he was appointed one of the United States commissioners to the islands to investigate and report on conditions there. Under the work of this commission civil government for the Philippines was inaugurated at Manila, July 4, 1901, with Judge Taft as the first civil governor. Until 1913 he was secretary of the Interior for the Philippines. Dr. Worcester was the author of "Preliminary Notes on the Birds and Mammals collected by the Menage Scientific Expedition to the Philippine Islands" 1894); "Contributions to Philippine Ornithology" (1898); "The Philippine Islands and their People" (1898); "The Philippines, Past and Present" (1913); Cyc shortly began his life work as a dictionary maker. His first publication was: "A Geographical Dictionary, or Universal Gazetteer" (1817, revised 1823); followed by "Gazetteer of the United States" (1818); "Elements of Geography" (1819); "Sketches of the Earth and its Inhabitants" (1823); "Elements of History" (1826). In 1830 he published the "Comprehensive Pronouncing and Explanatory English Dictionary" (enlarged editions appeared 1847-1849- 1855). In 1860 he published the great quarto, "Dictionary of the English Language" (illustrated), a standard authority wherever the English tongue is spoken. In 1820 he settled in Cambridge, Mass., and died there, Oct. 27, 1865.