14 Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Science 



EARLY HISTORY OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF 



SCIENCE. 



Amos W. Butler, Indianapolis. 



When a youth I was very much interested in animate nature. Books 

 were scarce. I soon learned of the interest in Natural History of Dr. 

 Rufus Haymond. He was very helpful to me in acquiring a knowledge 

 of the more common animals. As I grew older I found there were a 

 few other persons in the community who had similar tastes. Later a 

 few persons interested in Natural History used to get together and talk 

 over scientific subjects. Among those were Edgar R. Quick, Oscar M. 

 Meyncke, Charles F. Goodwin, Rev. David R. Moore, Clifford R. Case and 

 Amos W. Butler. 



Rev. Moore had arranged for occasional lectures in the Presby- 

 terian Church. Some of them were on scientific subjects. About this 

 time Moore and I discussed the possibility of organizing a local scientific 

 society. Receiving encouragement from others, a meeting was called 

 to consider the subject. The following persons met January 12, 1881, 

 at the residence of Rev. Moore: Edgar R. Quick, Charles F. Goodwin, 

 John E. Rehme, T. H. Barton, Clifford R. Case, Amos W. Butler. The 

 Brookville Society of Natural History was foiTned. The following offi- 

 cers were elected : 



Rev. David R. Moore, President. 

 Charles F. Goodwin, Vice-President. 

 Amos W. Butler, Secretary. 

 Edgar R. Quick, Correspondent. 

 John E. Rehme, Treasurer. 



A committee was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws, 

 composed of Messrs. Butler, Quick and Barton. 



The second meeting was held January 21, 1881. A constitution 

 was adopted. Departments were specified and curators were chosen. 

 At that meeting Frank Barton, Oscar M. Meyncke and L. D. Dillman 

 joined the original members. 



In the fall of 1881 I attended the meeting of the A. A. A. S. at 

 Cincinnati and the succeeding year its meeting in Montreal. At these 

 two meetings I met practically all the leading scientific men of the 

 country — as a boy would meet them. They were very kind to me and 

 many of them showed me special favors. Among those I recall were 

 George J. Brush, president of the Cincinnati meeting; Wm. J. Daw- 

 son, president of the Montreal meeting; Harvey W. Wiley, David Starr 

 Jordan, Asa Gray, James D. Dana, Otis T. Mason, Frederick W. Put- 

 nam, Major J. W. Powell, C. V. Riley, F. W. Clarke, W. W. Dudley, 

 Alexander Winchell, N. H. Winchell, James Hall, T. Sterry Hunt, Wm. 

 Saunders, E. D. Cope, Edw. S. Morse, Simon Newcomb, O. C. Marsh, 

 T. C. Mendenhall, and many others. Some of them afterwards came 

 to Indiana and took part in its scientific activities. The thing that im- 



"Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., vol. 33, 1923 (1921)." 



