Hi-inton.] bbi. [March 15, 



name for the infant of his fancy. A bad name has hanged 



i 

 many a good dog, and a good name has saved many a man 



who would have been the better for the hanging. 



Such opinions are not irrational. The name alone has 

 perennial life, it perpetuates existence when all else is gone, 

 on it alone hangs the fame of heroes and the glory of the 

 great. The name is the subject of thought and speech. 

 With it begins the first glimmer of knowledge, as we are 

 reminded by the sentiment attached to this toast. In the 

 first essay of his new-made mind Adam named the beasts of 

 the field, both small and great. 



Names applied to institutions have another and peculiar 

 significance. They reflect the purpose and object of such in- 

 stitutions, they hint the hopes that gave them birth, they 

 figure forth the ideal which is to be the goal of effort. I 

 invite you to study the name of our Society in this sense, to 

 seek its original significance, and perchance thus to learn the 

 purpose which our revered founder had in mind in bestow- 

 ing it upon our association. For it is probably not unknown 

 to any of you that it was Dr. Franklin himself who stood 

 godfather to the infant fraternity, and one hundred and 

 thirty-seven years ago suggested for it the name it still is 

 known by, The American Philosophical Society. In his circu- 

 lar of May, 1743, this is the style and title he proposed. 



Like all that he did, this name was the result of mature 

 consideration, and the motives of his choice may be divined 

 frOni his own words and the scheme he proposed. 



He named it American because he expected its activity to 

 be occupied mainly with the Xew World, it was organized, 

 as he said, to '• promote useful knowledge among the British 

 Plantations of America." His luminous eye foresaw the 

 vast additions to human knowledge which this then uuex- 



