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 LAWRENCE J. GUTTER 
 
 Collection of Chicogoono 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 AT CHICAGO 
 
 The University Library 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive 
 
 in 2010 witli funding from 
 
 CARLI: Consortium of Academic and Researcli Libraries in Illinois 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/inmemoriamjohnweOOchic 
 
Chicago literary Club 
 
 IN MEMORIAM 
 
 JOHN Wellborn root 
 
 DIED JANUARY 15, 1891 
 
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AT the regular meeting of the C'hicago 
 Literary Club, held February 16, 1891, 
 the accompanying report of a Committee 
 appointed to prepare a tribute of respect 
 to the memory of our late fellow-member, 
 John Welluorn Root, was read and 
 adopted. 
 
 Frederick W. Gookin, 
 
 Recording Secretary. 
 
T N the death of John Wellborn Root the 
 ■^ Literary Club has lost a valued member 
 and Chicago has lost a gifted man. 
 
 Everybody knew him as an architect and 
 artist. Our city is full of his work; his great 
 buildings tower above our business streets, 
 monuments of the strength and breadth of 
 his genius; and quiet homes along our resi- 
 dence streets bear witness to his grace and 
 refinement. All of us and all of the members 
 of his chosen profession knew his ability as a 
 writer. But the full scope and range of his 
 versatile nature were less well known. Only 
 a few knew him as a musician, and yet he had 
 rare musical gifts. Many surpassed him in 
 mere brilliance of execution; but he had few 
 equals in interpreting the spirit of the great 
 composers. To hear him play from memory 
 Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words" was 
 a revelation. It stirred the deepest emotions. 
 
 He died at the age of 41, young even for 
 his years, doing the best work of his life, and 
 giving promise of still greater development; 
 5 
 
like all true artists, dissatisfied with what he 
 had accomplished, and hoping yet to do 
 something great. 
 
 As our fellow member and our friend has 
 gone from us, and we shall never see another 
 design from his hand, it is a pleasure to 
 remember that this home of our club is all 
 his work, the building, which was perhaps 
 his most artistic creation, and the decoration 
 and arrangement of these rooms, to which 
 he gave much loving thought and much of 
 his precious time. 
 
 We shall remember him not only as a great 
 architect and a versatile genius; but as a 
 modest gentleman, a delightful companion, 
 and a faithful friend. 
 
 Bryan Lathrop. 
 
 William L. B. Jenney, 
 
 Irving K. Pond. 
 
 Committee. 
 
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