Armstrong – Table of Contents

presented a cheerful demeanor, and he had a healthy sense of humor, but he was a keen
judge of character and did not suffer fools, slackers or deception gladly. He found great
pleasure and satisfaction in his work. In 1941, when the American Public Health
Association recognized his accomplishments in research by the awarding of its
prestigious Sedgwick Gold Medal, he summarized succinctly a personal attitude toward
his career by the remark, “I have only been doing my day’s work.”
In October 1952 the Editors of Science (7) asked Armstrong to write a eulogy for
Dr. George W. McCoy, 1876 – 1952, former Director of the Hygienic Laboratory and
first Director of the newly created National Institute of Health. In the eulogy, Armstrong,
describing attributes that he admired in Dr. McCoy, and which he shared himself, wrote
as follows, “In scientific matters, Dr. McCoy was an austere critic yet always kind, fair,
self-effacing and loyal. As Director of the Laboratory he considered himself to be a
servant rather than the master of the bench workers. In the atmosphere of his laboratories
it was easier for the investigator to become absorbed in his problems; and when he was
once interested, he was allowed free rein to follow his own ideas, leads, or hunches
without restraint or questioning. The Director never pressed an investigator for early
publication; in fact he was likely to advise ‘more study before going on record.’ Yet, he
considered the investigators’ time as almost sacred and was resentful whenever
administrative or other matters distracted them from their problems.
“Perhaps the personal quality that best characterized Dr. McCoy was his downright
honesty. He was ever ready to acknowledge when he did not know, or to admit an error,
or to change his opinion in the face of evidence; but otherwise he could not be coaxed or
cajoled to do so. It was quite natural for him in a research institution to place research