20 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Academy of Sciences, was not the least in the long list of acts the Thirty-seventh 
Congress gave to the country, which will leave their impress upon the nation for 
ages yet to come. It was my fortune to take a humble part in these great measures 
of legislation. It is a source of profound gratification to me, that, amid the pres- 
sure of public affairs, I have been enabled to contribute something to found this 
Academy for the advancement of the physical sciences in America. It will ever 
be among my most cherished recollections, that I have been permitted through 
your courtesy to unite with you in organizing this National Academy, which, we 
fondly hope, will gather around it, in the centuries yet to come, the illustrious sons 
of genius and of learning, whose researches will enrich the sciences, and reflect 
unfading lustre upon the republic.” 
The official records of the Academy do not contain an account 
of this first meeting or a list of the members who attended it. 
The New York Commercial Advertiser of April 23, 1863, how- 
ever, contains a list of the names and states that Professor Henry 
was elected President pro tem., and Professor Caswell, temporary 
secretary. The notice is as follows: 
“THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
“The last Congress incorporated a National Academy of Science, in pursuance 
of which the following thirty-one corporators of the institution assembled in the 
chapel of the New York University for the purpose of organizing :—Prof. Agassiz, 
Stephen Alexander, A. D. Bache, F. [A.] P. Barnard, J. T. [G.] Barnard, 
U.S. A.; W. H. C. Bartlett, U. S. M. C.; Profs. Caswell, Coffin, Dana, C. H. 
Davis, U. S. N.; Profs. Wazer [Frazer], Wolcott Gibbs, J. W. [M.] Gilless 
[Gilliss], U. S. A. [U. 8. N.]; B. A. Gould, Prof. Guyot, James Hall, Joseph 
Henry, Hilyard [J. E. Hilgard], Hubbard, U. S. N. O.; Profs. Leidy, Lesley, 
Newberry, Newton, Peirce, Vauman Rogers [F airman Rogers], R. E. Rogers, W. 
B. Rogers, L. M. Rutherford [Rutherfurd], Joseph Saxton, B. Silliman, Jr., 
Joseph Winlock, U. S. Nautical Almanac Office. The number of corporators is 
restricted to fifty. The meeting was called to order by Senator Wilson. Pro- 
fessor Henry of the Smithsonian Institute [sic] was chosen president pro tem., 
and Professor Caswell, temporary secretary. “The proceedings were conducted 
with closed doors.” 
This account is probably correct, except for slight errors 
in the spelling of names, etc. We know that the number of 
incorporators was 50. Senator Wilson stated that more than 
three-fifths responded to his letter regarding the meeting, and 
the number 31 in the newspaper article is therefore, quite prob- 
