88 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
organizations for the purpose of securing their codperation in 
the undertaking. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, an expo- 
sition of universal scope, was held in St. Louis that year, and 
in connection therewith was assembled an International Con- 
gress of Arts and Sciences. As a large number of prominent 
men of science from all parts of the world were likely to attend 
the Congress, it was deemed an auspicious occasion on which to 
hold a conference on solar research. Accordingly, invitations to 
such a conference were sent to scientific organizations in Europe 
and America that were likely to be interested in the proposed 
undertaking. The conference was attended by delegates from 
12 academies and astronomical, astrophysical, and physical 
societies. The International Meteorological Committee was 
also represented. ‘The conference was opened by Professor 
George E. Hale, chairman of the committee of the National 
Academy of Sciences, who explained the purpose of the pro- 
posed organization, “emphasized the importance of encour- 
aging individual initiative, and urged that no less attention be 
paid to such encouragement than to the accomplishment of 
large pieces of routine work through cooperative effort.” 
In the form of resolutions, the conference expressed its views 
regarding the form of codperative research which was desirable, 
the desirability of obtaining the approval and patronage of the 
International Association of Academies, and the codperation of 
the International Meteorological Committee and the Hungarian 
Academy of Sciences, and the formation of an international 
committee and a committee on program. After discussing 
various aspects of the work of the solar research, the conference 
adjourned to meet at Oxford in 1905. The Oxford meeting, at 
which the organization was denominated the International 
Union for Coéperation in Solar Research, was largely attended 
and was followed by a meeting at Meudon, near Paris in May, 
1907. The Union commenced the publication of a series of 
Transactions, a copy of the first volume of which was pre- 
sented to the Academy at the April meeting, 1907, by the chair- 
man of the committee of the Academy. The fourth meeting 
