1902.] FAIRCHILD — HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY. 32I 



citizens do not know of its existence and more do not know or care 

 anything about its life and work. This is not mentioned in criticism 

 or regret, but rather in praise. The study of nature, the search for 

 truth and beauty in the world, is not quite consonant with the pride of 

 publicity and notoriety. The Society has lived like the true student, 

 quietly, modestly, perseveringly, asking no favors and keeping its 

 self-respect as a devotee of the higher thought. May the Society in 

 the future keep this modest scientific spirit of the past. 



RETROSPECT — HISTORICAL. 



The history of the Society under its present name dates from the 

 year 1881, but including the parent society, from 1879. This history 

 is divisible into three stages. First, that of the Rochester Micro- 

 scopical Society, from 1879 to 1881 ; second, that of the early 

 Academy, from 1S81 to 1889 ; and third, that of the reorganized 

 Academy, from 1889 to the present time. These three periods will, 

 for convenience, be described separately. 



The Microscopical Society. 



The records of the Microscopical Society have been lost. From 

 the recollections of the members the following data have been 

 gathered : 



The first suggestion of the formation of the Society was made 

 by Dr. Charles E. Rider. The first meeting, as a conference, was 

 held in Professor S. A. Lattimore's lecture room in chemistry, the 

 southeast room on the first fioor of Anderson Hall. The first meeting 

 of'organization was held in Dr. Rider's office, 75 S. Fitzhugh St., 

 January 13, 1879. Most if not all of the subsequent meetings were 

 held in the Free Academy. The first president was Professor Latti- 

 more, and the second was Mr. James H. Fisher. The Secretary was 

 Dr. J. Edward Line. Some of the early workers were Edward 

 Bausch, E. E. Bausch, Porter Farley, Frank French, Ernst Gundlach, 

 M. L. Mallory, Robert Mathews, H. H. Turner, William Streeter, 

 J. Eugene Whitney, H. F. Atwood, William M. Rebasz. The 

 Society in 1881 was the largest organization of the kind in America. 



The work of the early Society was largely a study and use of the 

 microscope and its accessories. It was a society on the microscope. 

 The firm of Bausch & Lomb had already begun the manufacture of 

 microscopes and Ernst Gundlach had brought to the city his skill as 



