96 
sociation of Biology Teachers, Dr. James E. Peabody, Chair- 
man, Committee on Biology, National Educational Association, 
Prof. R. A. Harper, Torrey Professor of Botany, Columbia Uni- 
versity, and Dr. Otis W. Caldwell, Director of the Lincoln School 
of Teachers’ College. 
The purpose of the meeting was to secure an expression of 
opinion primarily from administrative officials of New York City 
High Schools as to the actual and possible value of elementary 
biology as a high school subject. The proposed introduction of 
courses in general science and community civics in the first year 
of New York City High Schools created the possibility of the 
elimination or serious curtailment of biolo 
It was the unanimous opinion of every speaker that biology, 
both in content and in educational discipline, contributes some- 
thing essential in the preparation of young men and young women 
for citizenship and which is not afforded by any other subject, 
and it was the expressed opinion of all of the principals that the 
elimination of general biology from the high school course of 
study, or its curtailment, would be an educational mistake. All of 
the speakers emphasized the necessity of planning a content of 
the course so as to make a very intimate and obvious co-relation 
with the every-day life of the individual. 
The conference is considered by many as the most important 
meeting for the consideration of this question that has ever been 
held in New York City, and the result was especially significant 
in view of a commonly expressed opinion—shown by this confer- 
ence to be wholly erroneous—that many if not all of the high 
school principals were opposed to the subject of elementary biol- 
ogy. The substance of the remarks of the various speakers, based 
upon stenographic notes, is given below. 
he Chairman: I am very glad indeed to extend a welcome to 
each one of you on behalf of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I 
am not able to extend a welcome to you as an organization, for 
we are not met here as an organization, but as a group of indi- 
viduals whose common interest is secondary education, and par- 
ticularly the place and function, or possible place and function of 
otany and general biology in secondary education. Moreover, I 
can say nothing in addition to the statement which is on the an- 




