Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Persifor FRAZER
FRAZER, Persifor, geologist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 24, 1844; son of John Pries and Charlotte Jeffers (Cave) Frazer. He was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1862 and became an aide on the U.S. coast and geodetic survey in the corps assigned to the South Atlantic squadron, under Admiral S. F. Dupont. Upon the invasion of Pennsylvania in 1863, he served as a private in the first troop of Philadelphia city cavalry. Subsequently he was appointed acting ensign of the U.S. navy, serving in the Mississippi squadron until the end of the civil war in 1865, when he was honorably discharged. He studied at the Saxon mining academy, Freiberg, 1866-69, passing with distinction the examination in mineralogy. He was instructor in chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania, 1870-71; assistant [p.184] professor of natural philosophy and chemistry, 1871-72, and professor of chemistry, 1872-74. In 1874-81, he was assistant on the 2d geological survey of Pennsylvania, and in 1882 went to France, where after an accepted thesis and public examination, he was the first foreigner to be awarded the degree of Docteur ès Sciences Naturelles. He was professor of chemistry in the Franklin institute, 1881-93, and in the Pennsylvania horticultural society from 1889. In July, 1890, he received the decoration of the Golden Palms of the academy from the French government and was made officier de l' instruction publique. He was one of the editors of the Franklin institute Journal, 1891-92, and one of the founders, editors and proprietors of the American Geologist. He was elected to membership in numerous societies including the American philosophical society, 1871; the American institute of mining engineers, 1871; the British association for the advancement of science, 1884; correspondent der Reichsanstalt, Vienna, 1886, and the Sociedad Cientifica "Antonio Alzate," Mexico, 1891, and an honorary member of the Société géologlque de Belgique, 1897. He was made a fellow of the American association for the advancement of science in 1879; was a fellow of the Geological society of America, of which he was one of the founders; was secretary of the American commission to the International congress of geologists at Berlin; 1885, and vice-president of the International congresses of geologists at London (1888), and at St. Petersburg (1897). He also became a member of the Cincinnati society of New Jersey, of the Military order of the Loyal Legion of the United States; Pennsylvania Sons of the Revolution; Society of Colonial wars, Pennsylvania society of the war of 1812, Naval veterans, and others. He published: Tables for the Determination of Minerals after Weisbach's Method (1874); four volumes of the Pennsylvania state geological reports of the second geological survey; Matriculate Catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania (1894); Bibliotics, or a Manual of the Study of Documents; and many papers, memoirs and articles in scientific journals and other periodical literature. He was married in 1871, to Isabella Nevins, daughter of Edward Siddons and Isabella (Nevins) Whelen of Philadelphia, by whom he had three children: Charlotte (1872); Persifor (1874) who married Mary, daughter of John Lowber and Maria (Newbold) Welsh; and John (1882).
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