THE CLEVELAND MEETING. 3 



1883, the consideration of the magazine and the society was resumed ; but 

 little was accomplished beyond the appointment of a committee to confer 

 with the Mineralogical and Geological Section of the Philadelphia Academy 

 of Natural S3iences. For various reasous the subject was not discussed at 

 the Philadelphia Meeting of the Association in 1884, at the Ann Arbor Meet- 

 ing in 1885, or at the Buffalo Meeting in 1886. Meantime the necessity of a 

 separate geological organization became more apparent, and some who were 

 at first indifferent began to express a desire that further steps be taken. At 

 the New York Meeting, in 1887, no action was taken by Section E, but the 

 American Committee of the International Congress, which existed under the 

 sanction of the American Association, adopted the following resolution : 

 " That the American Committee of the International Congress will approve 

 of a call for the meeting of an American Geological Congress, whose object 

 shall be the discussion of important geological questions." 



In accordance with the judgment of American geologists present at the 

 Montreal Meeting, that it was " expedient to establish a geological maga- 

 zine," an association of seven geologists, representing different portions of 

 the country, began, on the first of January, 1888, the publication of the 

 " American Geologist," a monthly periodical, with editorial management 

 fixed provisionally at Minneapolis. In the June number of this periodical 

 appeared, from the chairman and secretary of the committee which had been 

 constituted at Cincinnati in 1881, a call "upon all geologists" to assemble 

 at Cleveland, on the day preceding the opening of the Meeting of the Ameri- 

 can Association, for the purpose of organizing, if deemed expedient, a national 

 geological society. The basis of organization suggested in this circular 

 restricted membership in the contemplated society to the members and 

 fellows of the American Association, and devolved on the Association the 

 election of the president and secretary of the new society. It was also con- 

 templated that the permission of the Association should be asked for Section 

 E "to hold meetings at such time and place as they may desire." 



Promptly on August 14, 1888, in pursuance of the published call, the 

 geologists in attendance at Cleveland assembled for the purpose of discussing 

 the organization of a national society. Alexander Winchell was chosen 

 chairman and Julius Pohlman secretary. It was at once apparent that 

 interest in the proposed organization amounted to zeal. It was unanimously 

 resolved that an American Geological Society was now desirable. As to the 

 relation which it should sustain to Section E of the American Association, 

 different views were expressed; but they were speedily harmonized. I( had 

 often been urged as an objection to the projected Society, that it might 

 impair attendance at the meetings of the Americau Association. With a 

 view to avoiding all conflict, it was suggested, on one hand, that, the mem- 

 bership of the society should be coextensive with that of Section E, and on 



