PREFACE 



The Alaskan Science Conference, held in Washington, D. C, 

 in November 1950 under the auspices of the National Academy 

 of Sciences— National Research Council, had as its objectives 

 (1) to review the status of scientific research in Alaska, (2) to 

 appraise the major requirements for future research, and (3) to 

 explore ways and means of developing new facilities and co- 

 ordinating existing ones. 



The Proceedings of the Conference, published by the 

 Academy-Council in April 1951, carried in full the addresses 

 given at the opening session, the general meeting, and the clos- 

 ing session. The Proceedings also included abstracts of the 

 papers presented at the section meetings and symposia, papers 

 that for the most part followed the general pattern of an ap- 

 praisal of the past accomplishments and future needs of Alaskan 

 research in the various fields of science. As these papers repre- 

 sented the first broad survey of Alaskan science it was felt that 

 a useful purpose would be served if some of them could be 

 published in full, as a companion volume to the Proceedings of 

 the Conference. Accordingly, the Arctic Institute of North 

 America, which had participated in the work of the Conference, 

 undertook the preparation of the present volume of selected 

 papers, representative of those presented at the Conference. 



Grateful acknowledgments are due to the Chairmen of the 

 various sections who recommended papers for publication: 

 C. Earl Albrecht, Territorial Commissioner of Health, Chair- 

 man, Section of Public Health and Medicine; P. V. Cardon, 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, Chairman, Section of Agri- 

 culture and Forestry; Albert M. Day, U. S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service, Chairman, Section of Zoology; James L. Giddings, Jr., 

 University of Pennsylvania, Chairman, Section of Anthropol- 

 ogy; Henry R. Joesting, U. S. Geological Survey, Chairman, 

 Section of Geophysics; John C. Reed, U. S. Geological Survey, 



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