Biographical Notice

Dr. Arthur H. Elliott has been connected with the gas industry for upward of thirty-eight years and was a chemist to whom the industry is deeply indebted for the application of the science of chemistry to its problems and processes. He was born in London, England, in 1851, and was the son-of a physician. While a child he was taken to France, where he received his early education, learning to speak the French language before his native English. His father having destined him for the medical profession, he commenced his studies on his return to England, but his attention being attracted to chemistry, he gave up the study of medicine to pursue that of chemistry. While still a student, he obtained a reputation as an iron and steel analyst, publishing two methods of analysis, one for the determination of sulphur .and the other for the determination of carbon in cast iron. On his graduation from the School of Mines at South Kensington, he left England intending to go to Australia, where an uncle resided, having in mind also the possibility of a trip to China. On his arrival in New York, he met Professor Charles F. Chandler, to whom he had a letter of introduction, and who induced young Elliott to remain. He graduated from Columbia College with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1883. He became demonstrator in chemistry at the College of Pharmacy and afterward professor of chemistry and physics at the same college. He became connected with the Municipal Gas Lighting Co. in May, 1880. In. November, 1.884, when consolidation took place, he became engineer-chemist of the Consolidated Gas Co., which position he held until May, 1910, when he resigned, but was retained as consulting chemist until his death. Recently Columbia University conferred on him the honorary degree of Master of Science.