ANNALS OF THE ACADEMY 81 
societies. The object of the organization, as expressed in this 
letter, was to be “ to support scientific undertakings which have 
been begun or recommended either by the assemblage of the 
united scientific bodies, or by a group of them, or by a single one 
of them, and to render mutually intelligible arrangements to 
facilitate scientific intercourse.” 
Such an invitation could scarcely be declined, and the Presi- 
dent of the Academy, after consultation with the members of 
the Council, appointed as delegates to the Wiesbaden conference 
Messrs. Billings, Bowditch, Newcomb, Remsen and Bell. Only 
Messrs. Bowditch, Newcomb and Remsen were, however, able 
to attend the meeting. 
At the November meeting of the Academy (1899) resolutions 
were adopted ratifying the action of the President in appointing 
delegates to the Wiesbaden conference, and authorizing him 
to appoint delegates to the International Association from time 
to time as might be desirable; also, approving the plan of organi- 
zation adopted at Wiesbaden, accepting membership in the 
International Association, and recommending the appointment 
by the Association of special international committees.“ The 
general committee of the Association met in Paris on July 31, 
1900, the delegates from the National Academy on that occasion 
being Messrs. H. L. Abbot, J. M. Crafts and A. Graham Bell. 
The first meeting of the Association was held in Paris in 1901, 
the Academy being represented by Professor George L. 
Goodale.** 
Two medals within the gift of the Academy were awarded 
again in 1899, the Henry Draper Medal to Professor James E. 
Keeler, Director of the Lick Observatory, for his researches in 
=The letters from the Royal Society of London and the Royal Prussian Academy of 
Sciences, together with plans of organization and a list of academies and delegates are 
given in the Annual Report of the National Academy of Sciences for 1899, pp. 14-18. 
© A report of this meeting and a brief notice of the earlier proceedings, by J. M. Crafts, 
are printed in the Annual Report of the Academy for 1900, pp. 14-16. 
“On account of illness, Professor Goodale was unable to attend this meeting. All the 
other academies forming the Association, seventeen in number, were represented. Some of 
the more important matters discussed are mentioned in the Annual Report of the Academy 
for 1901, p. 17. 
