GEORGE ENGELMANN, M.D. 13 



duty and the policy of the government to protect science, and sup- 

 port, or at least greatly encourage its disciples, with pecuniary 

 means, his earliest experiences during his travels in the western 

 country had taught him that the principal care of the American 

 government consisted in the development of the great natural 

 resources of the country and all its agricultural and mineral 

 wealth, and prepare means for its transportation, to enhance the 

 value of the products from forest and prairie, before it could con- 

 sider the providing of means for the development of science. But 

 he also early recognized the strong influence which is exercised 

 upon the individual eflbrt when persons of similar purposes form 

 an association for the encouragement of scientific research and 

 development, and that this was the proper evolution for art and 

 science in this country. 



During the early years of his settlement at St. Louis, when the 

 available material for such a purpose consisted of only a small 

 number of well-educated young men, he succeeded in founding 

 the " Western Academy of Natural Science," whose members 

 were as zealous as could be desired ; as they visited the meetings 

 regularly, read papers and discussed them, and even collected a 

 small library. But in such j^iimitive communities, as St. Louis 

 was yet in 1836, the inhabitants are usually compelled, first, to 

 consult their material interests, under the compulsion of neces- 

 sity, even if higher aims had to suffer. The young Academy 

 never flourished ; it gradually ceased to exist, and no subsequent 

 eflbrts for its revival became successful until twenty years later, 

 when the present "Academy of Science of St. Louis" was organ- 

 ized by the election of Dr. Geo. Engelmann as its first President, 

 on the loth of March, 1S56. Fifteen times more was he elected 

 to the same office, while he held that of Vice-President, also, a 

 number of times. 



At his last election in 1SS4, about four weeks before his death, 

 he felt too indisposed to be present and deliver his annual ad- 



