1922] Twenty Tears of the N. C. Academy op Science 47 



of town at the time, and five others, namely : W. L. Poteat, Professor 

 of Biology at "Wake Forest College. T. Gilbert Pearson of Guilford 

 College, B, W. Kilgore, State Chemist, J. L. Kesler, Professor of 

 Science at the Baptist Female University (now Meredith College), 

 and the writer. 



Dr. Stevens presided till the permanent officers were elected and 

 Mr. Sherman acted as secretary. Two sessions were held, one in 

 the afternoon and one at night. After much discussion it was agreed 

 to go ahead with the organization of an Academy of Science, although 

 there was a doubt in the minds of some as to whether it might not 

 be advisable to wait until a larger representation of the scientists of 

 the State could be secured. The majority, however, feared that any 

 delay might prove to be permanent and it was decided to proceed 

 and organize the Academy at that meeting. 



Consequently the North Carolina Academy of Science was or- 

 ganized then and there with a constitution, a full set of officers and 

 twelve charter members. The charter members were the five origi- 

 nators (xishe, H. H. Brimley, Sherman, Stevens, and Butler), the 

 others present at the meeting (Poteat, Pearson, Kilgore, Kesler, and 

 I), and two others (Dr. H. A. Royster of Raleigh, and Dr. H. V. 

 "Wilson, Professor of Zoology at the University). Of the twelve char- 

 ter members, six have retained their membership to the present time, 

 the others having with one exception left the State. The first of- 

 ficers were : W. L. Poteat, President, T. G. Pearson, Vice-President, 

 Franklin Sherman, Secretary. An executive committee was also 

 elected, consisting of nine members, including the president and sec- 

 retary. It may be added that at first there was some idea that the 

 Academy was intended by its founders to be a Raleigh institution 

 and for some three or four years the majority of the executive com- 

 mittee was from Raleigh as also were the first two secretaries. How- 

 ever no such idea was present in the minds of the charter members 

 and with the election of Dr. Gudger as secretary in 1907 it finally 

 sank into oblivion. 



I should be inclined at this distance of time to give a larger part 

 of the credit for the success of the organization meeting to Messrs. 

 Poteat, Sherman, and Stevens, than to the other members, although 

 I know it is somewhat invidious to discriminate in such matters. 



Twenty regular meetings for the presentation of papers have 



