THE GIFTS OF MR. MORGAN TO THE 

 AMERICAN MUSEUM 



WITH AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE AND INDEBTEDNESS BY 

 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 



By Henry Fairfield Osborn 



AT the age of thirty-one J. Pierpont Morgan had won such a position 

 in New York that as one of the leading citizens of the city 

 he was included among the founders of the American Museum. 

 From the first he took an active part, joining Joseph H. Choate and 

 Andrew H. Green in preparing the laws of the institution and William 

 T. Blodgett and Theodore Roosevelt in securing legislation to provide for 

 the erection of a building. After rendering these initial services, as early 

 as 1871 he united with Morris K. Jesup and others to mature plans 

 to increase the funds of the Museum; he served as a member of the 

 finance committee from 1873 to 1910, as treasurer from 1875 to 1890, and 

 as first vice-president from 1903 until 1910. He was the chief supporter 

 of Mr. Jesup's great administration, and was second only to Mr. Jesup as 

 the most generous benefactor of the Museum. His interest was not 

 centered in any one department, but extended to the Museum as a whole, 

 as manifested by his munificent contributions of $25,000 to the endowment 

 in 1890 and of $300,000 in 1904. 



The trustees of the Museum desiring to express the gratitude of the 

 institution for this noble life work, adopted the following resolution at a 

 special meeting of the board on April 4 : 



The people of New York and of this country are forever 

 indebted to 



John Pierpont Morgan 



for his large share in the foundation and the upbuilding of 

 The American Museum of Natural History 



as a national institution of education and of public welfare. 



From December 30, 1868, when the first steps were taken 

 to found the Museum, until 1912, when he last visited his col- 

 lections of minerals and gems in the Museum, he gave mu- 

 nificently of his time, his judgment, his affection, his means. 

 In this, as in so many other public causes, he will be remem- 

 bered as a true patriot and loyal citizen of the republic. 



He served as charter member of the museum corporation, 

 as treasurer, as chairman of the Finance Committee, as 

 first vice-president. His gifts to the exhibition halls and 

 to the endowment have enriched every branch of the Mu- 

 seum, and are of such a rare and beautiful character as to 

 give an inspiration and love of nature for all time. 



157 



