RICKER: botanical activity in district of COLUMBIA 497 



eluding; 9 ladies, among whom were Vernon Bailey, J. W. Chick- 

 ering, F. V. Coville, L. H. Dewey, D. G. Fairchild, B. T. Gallo- 

 way, J. M. Holzinger, L. 0. Howard, F. H. Knowlton, C. L. 

 Marlatt, J. N. Rose, W. H. Seaman, E. F. Smith, Theobald 

 Smith, Effie A. Southworth, C. W. Stiles, }V. F. Swingle, W. A. 

 Taylor, George Vasey, wife and daughter, M. B. Waite, L. F. 

 Ward, and T. A. Williams. 



The Botanical Seminar, an informal society without regular 

 officers, was organized early in 1893 by Messrs. Waite and Fair- 

 child, including as charters members Frederick V. Coville, D. G. 

 Fairchild, B. T. Galloway, Theodore Holm, E. F. Smith, and 

 M. B. Waite. This society grew rapidly, meeting at the homes 

 of the members, until a limit of 25 was reached. Then, as the 

 members were mostly interested in plant pathology and physi- 

 ology, those interested in systematic botany met at the home of 

 C. L. Pollard on November 11, 1898, and formed the Washington 

 Botanical Club, with Dr. E. L. Greene as President and Mr. 

 Pollard as Secretary. These meetings also were held at the 

 members' homes, and the rapid growth in the next three years 

 again brought the society to the point of necessity of restricting 

 its membership, if the meetings were to be continued at private 

 residences. As a result a committee consisting of 0. F. Cook, 

 M. B. Waite, and H. J. Webber for the Botanical Seminar and 

 W. R. Maxon, C. L. Pollard, and David White for the Botanical 

 Club were appointed to consider a combination of the two or- 

 ganizations and the securing of adequate quarters for caring for 

 the constantly increasing number of botanists in Washington, 

 with the result that the present Botanical Society of Washing- 

 ton was formed in November, 1901, with A. F. Woods, President; 

 Frederick V. Coville, Vice-president; C. L. Pollard, Recording 

 Secretary; H. J. Webber, Corresponding Secretary; and W. H. 

 Evans, Treasurer. At the end of six months the membership 

 was 57, and has constantly increased since, until at the present 

 time it has reached 175. The society is probably the largest 

 local organization composed entirely of professional botanists. 



But little known and yet unique was the National Science 

 Club for Women, although national in character, yet most of 



