Page:Men of Mark in America vol 1.djvu/175

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HENRY ELIJAH ALVORD
105

charge of the collective exhibit of agricultural colleges and experiment stations at the Columbian exposition, Chicago, 1893; was president of the Agricultural and Mechanical college of Oklahoma, 1894; professor of agriculture in New Hampshire college, 1895; and in the same year he organized the dairy division of the United States department of agriculture, of which he was appointed chief—a position which he retained until his death.

In boyhood most of his time was spent in a small town, but he made frequent excursions to the country and occasionally "camped out." His health was good. With the exception of English, he was fond of study, especially in the line of natural history. He had to perform light but regular tasks about the house and garden and in caring for domestic animals. For this service he received a moderate payment. He was required to keep an accurate account of all receipts and expenditures, and the habit thus formed of keeping cash accounts was continued for more than fifty years, and proved of great advantage in his later life. He was obliged to borrow money with which to meet the entire cost of his college course; but it was all repaid, with compound interest, before he was twenty-two years of age.

Mr. Alvord was married to Martha Scott Swink, September 6, 1866. He received the degree of LL.D. from Norwich university. He was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; a member of the American Statistical Association; of the American Free Trade League; of the Anti-imperialistic League; of the National Geographic Society; of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States; and of the Cosmos club of Washington. He was vice-president (for the United States) of the International Agricultural Congress at Paris, 1900; a member of the International Agricultural Commission, 1889-1905; and of the International Federation, 1903-05. He was honorary member of the Royal Agricultural Society of England and of the British Dairy Farmers' Association; Officer de l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole de la France; was a member of the jury of award in the Dairy department of the Columbian exposition, 1893; at the Atlanta exposition, 1896; and at the Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1900. Among the public services which he has rendered are the introduction of the associated system of butter making and the establishment of creameries, in New England, 1878-87, the promotion of the legislation to