LWKAHY 



*»^TaNICAI, 



INTRODUCTION. 



OKIGIN OF THE SOCIETY. 



In 1843 a branch of the Wester7i Reserve College, located 

 at Hudson, Ohio, was organized at Cleveland, under the 

 name of the Cleveland Medical College. The Faculty 

 were Professors Jared Potter Kirtland, John J. Delamater, 

 Samuel St. John, J. Lang Cassells and H, A. Ackley. In 

 their respective departments they represented a high grade 

 of scientific attainment, and naturally gave an impulse to 

 the cultivation of science. There had been, as early as 

 1811, a Library for circulation in Cleveland, which was 

 dissipated, in 1813, by the excitement of the war with Great 

 Britain. 



A Lyceum was established in 1833, which embraced the 



general discussion of popular subjects, in debates, lectures 



and written essays. Since that time, numerous literary 



societies have been organized, most of them dying out 



after a brief career, and many of them leaving no records. 



Until 1845 no attempt was made in the line of a strictly 



scientific association. At the suggestion of Prof. Kirtland 



a meeting of citizens was held on the 24th day of Novem- 



cy> ber, in the Council Chamber, at which measures were 



'""^ taken for the formation of a Constitution, and a corporate 



existence. 



