Howard Stidham Brode


Howard attained his height of 6 ft. 1 in. in early life and for some years was noticeably tall and slender. His weight later was about 185 lbs. but never reaching 200. His hair was dark-brown and his deep-set eyes were brown. Like many of the Brode family his head was large with a medium cephalic index. A quotation from one of his teachers will give a good idea of his temperament. "Mr. Brode is very self-reliant and independent in his work. He is very systematic, careful and thorough in whatever he undertakes to do. He is conscientious and well -balanced in judgement. He is quiet and reserve3d, but energetic and capable of doing an enormous amount of work." His health was good. Sight and hearing were excellent. He was right handed but had good use of his left hand also. As to special abilities, he was rather poor in music and calculating, medium in some lines of literary composition but good in others. He was good in mechanical work, inventing and remembering. He wav very good in scientific work, especially in the biological sciences and their applications.

He was brought up on a farm and attended ungraded country schools until he was sixteen years old, when he decided to prepare for teaching. He went with his brother Francis to Normal, Ill. and attended the State Normal U niversity. Owing to lack of funds his attendance here was irregular and he did not graduate until 1888. Howevr, during this time he taught his first school at 'Bunker Hill', two miles south of Buda, Ill. At the normal school he showed a marked interest and proficiency in science work and began to assist in the science laboratory. An arrangment was made to take half-time classroom work for two years and to spend the remaining time in the Museum and laboratories. This plan not only solved the financial problem but proved of great educational value and gave him a good start as a teacher in science subjects.

After graduation he taught natural science one year at the Ottawa, Ill. Township High School and then for four years he was assistant in zoology at the University of Illinois, under Dr. S. A. Forbes. During this time he spent one summer at the Woods HOle Biological Laboratory and made the acquaintance of Dr. C. O. Whitman. From 1893-1896 he took graduate work at the University of Chicago with Dr. Whitman in Zoology and Dr. Jacques Loeb in Physiology. At the end of this time he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He taught three years at Beloit College Academy and was then called to Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash. as its first Professor of Biology. He was in continuous service here for 36 years, when he retired and was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus. During these years and for four years following he was Curator of the Museum and brought together and placed on display large collections of material in Natural History, Anthropology and HIstory.

In various summers he was instructor at the Puget Sound Marine Biological Laboratory and for one summer was Professor of Zoology at the University fo MIssouri. He was also engaged in field work with the U.S. Fish Commission, the U.S. Biological Survey and as Naturalist in boys' camps. One summer was spent in Europe studying Prehistroic Archaelogy in France and marine life at the Zoological Station at Naples, Italy.

He was interested in many lines of Scientific and Social work and help membership in the following associations: Am. Asso. for Advancement of Science, Am. Soc. Mammalogists, Am. Micros. Soc., Ecological Soc. Am., Am. Genetics Assoc., Am. Nature Study Soc., Northwest Sci. Asso., Am. Public Health Asso., Am. Social Hygiene Asso., Nat. Tuberculosis Asso., Am. Asso. Museums, Archaeological Institute of Am., Am. Asso. Univ. Professors. He was elected an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa by the Washington Beta and was made an Honorary Life Member of the Oregon Trail Memorial Asso. in consideration of the exhibit in connection with the Whitman Centennial celebration in 1936 in Walla Walla.

He was much in demand as a speaker before various organizations interested in scientific and social matters. He was a lecture member of the Archaelogical Society and was active in public health work in the city and the state, having been a Director of the State Tuberculosis Association from 1924 to 1939 and President from 1924 to 1929.

He was an active member of the Methodist Church for about 30 years and of the Congregational Church for 15 years and served in various capacities in their spiritual, social, educational and business affaris. He was a Sunday School superintendent for 25 years. In later life he ceased active work in religious organizations but continued his interest in the field of religious ideals and practices which he considered in accord with modern thought and the needs of humanity in our time.

[In the last twenty years of his life Howard Brode wrote or recorded several reminiscences about his early life in Illinois. I will put these on this website at some point, together with some of the pictures he took from the late 1880s on.]