32 COLUMBIAN" INSTITUTE FOE THE 



library, museum, observatory, philosophical and other apparatus, and 

 of the botanic garden, and of all other property and effects belong- 

 ing to the Institute. The quorum for meetings was reduced to five 

 members. 



The presidents of the Institute, in the order of succession, were 

 Edward Cutbush, Josiah Meigs, John Quincy Adams, John C. Cal- 

 houn and Mahlon Dickerson. The vice presidents between 1816 and 

 1820, when four such officers were elected annually, included Andrew 

 Hunter, J. T. Shaaf, Thomas Law, Joseph Anderson, Eobert Brent, 

 William Thornton, Edward Cutbush and Samuel H. Smith. Subse- 

 quently this office was held by Dr. Cutbush for 5 years and by Judge 

 William Cranch during the remaining 12 years. Nathaniel Cutting 

 served as secretary until October, 1818, and Asbury Dickins during 

 the entire balance of the period. The treasurers were Overton Carr, 

 John A. Brereton, William Lambert, Bailey Washington, and 

 William Elliot. 



The curatorships from 1816 to 1820, when these offices were abol- 

 ished, were filled by Elias B. Caldwell, John Law, R. C. Weightman, 

 Robert Brent, William Thornton, Samuel H. Smith, Joseph Ander- 

 son and AndreAV Hunter. The general committee of 14 members dur- 

 ing the same period included Samuel H. Smith, John A. Brereton, 

 Alexander McWilliams, B. H. Latrobe, Walter Jones, Henry Huntt, 

 William Thornton, George Watterston, Edmund Law, Benjamin 

 Homans, William W. Seaton, Joseph Mechlin, William Tatham, 

 James H. Blake, Josiah Meigs, Asbury Dickins, Rudolph Schaer, 

 George May, Benjamin L. Lear, George Bomford, William Elliot, 

 George Hadfield, Thomas Henderson, John Law and Nicholas 

 Worthington. 



The complete list of counsellors, of which 5 were elected annually 

 under the provisions of the constitutional ordinance of 1820, was 

 as follows: William Thornton, Henry Huntt, Alexander McWil- 

 liams, Joseph Gales, jr., George Hadfield, John Quincy Adams, 

 Bailey Washington, William Elliot, Tobias Wat-kins, Thomas P. 

 Jones, William W. Seaton, William Cranch, Thomas Law, Robert 

 Mills, Matthew St. Clair Clarke and William Noland. 



MEETING PLACES. 



Until 1824 the Institute was without a permanent place for its 

 meetings and collections. The meetings for organization in 1816 were 

 held at McKeowin's Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue at Sixth Street, 

 northwest. During a part of 1817 and 1818 use was made of the 

 school room of Rudolph Schaer in the General Post Office building 

 (Blodget's Hotel) at the northeast corner of E and Eighth Streets, 

 northwest, followed by the occupation of another room in the same 



