Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary. lix 



has been said at pleasure, and can mull on the subject until 

 its meaning is fully mastered. 



While this necessary transition from the earlier to the later 

 phase has been taking place, some of our Academies have not 

 been free from a struggle for existence. It has been difficult 

 to find an appropriate popular substitute for the early papers 

 of general interest. The solution which has been attempted 

 by the Academy which I have the honor to represent, centers 

 in the frank adoption of systematic methods for public in- 

 struction in the sciences represented by the Academy. This 

 has been carried out quite apart from the presentation of the 

 new results of research. During each of the last few j'ears a 

 series of lectures has been arranged, given by the best men 

 that could be procured, on subjects with which they were 

 especially familiar. These lectures have been attended with 

 growing numbers and by interest and enthusiasm until the 

 hall is crowded on each occasion, unless there are excep- 

 tional circumstances to prevent. The Academy has attempted 

 frankly and directly the work of popular education in science. 

 Its members less frequently than formerly gather to listen to 

 the special results of scientific research. These are published 

 and put before the scientific public directly in printed form 

 without passing through the older process of reading and 

 verbal discussion. In some measure this is the outgrowth of 

 special local conditions. 



I think there is a clear hint of the true function of an 

 Academy in the historical fact that the first meeting of the 

 Academy of St. Louis was held in the hall of the Board of 

 Public Schools. This suggests the chief feature in the true 

 relationship of an Academy of Science to the community ; it 

 is one of the many educational appointments which are neces- 

 sary to the ideal evolution of an intellectual people. It per- 

 forms a peculiar function in bringing together those who are 

 engaged with science professionally, with those who are inter- 

 ested in it as amateurs, and with those who simply desire to 

 learn. By thus bringing together these different elements a 

 community of interest and intelligence is gradually developed. 

 Our friends of the mining profession tell us the coming to- 



