20 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Academy of Sciences, was not the least in the long list of acts the Thirty-seventh 

 Congress gave to the country, which will leave their impress upon the nation for 

 ages yet to come. It was my fortune to take a humble part in these great measures 

 of legislation. It is a source of profound gratification to me, that, amid the pres- 

 sure of public affairs, I have been enabled to contribute something to found this 

 Academy for the advancement of the physical sciences in America. It will ever 

 be among my most cherished recollections, that I have been permitted through 

 your courtesy to unite with you in organizing this National Academy, which, we 

 fondly hope, will gather around it, in the centuries yet to come, the illustrious sons 

 of genius and of learning, whose researches will enrich the sciences, and reflect 

 unfading lustre upon the republic." 



The official records of the Academy do not contain an account 

 of this first meeting or a list of the members who attended it. 

 The New York Commercial Advertiser of April 23, 1863, how- 

 ever, contains a list of the names and states that Professor Henry 

 was elected President />ro tern., and Professor Caswell, temporary 

 secretary. The notice is as follows: 



" The National Academy of Science. 



" The last Congress incorporated a National Academy of Science, in pursuance 

 of which the following thirty-one corporators of the institution assembled in the 

 chapel of the New York University for the purpose of organizing: — Prof. Agassiz, 

 Stephen Alexander, A. D. Bache, F. [A.] P. Barnard, J. T. [G.] Barnard, 

 U. S. A. ; W. H. C. Bartlett, U. S. M. C. ; Profs. Caswell, Coffin, Dana, C. H. 

 Davis, U. S. N.; Profs. Wazer [Frazer^, Wolcott Gibbs, J. W. [M.] Gilless 

 [Gilliss^, U. S. A. [L^ S. A^.] : B. A. Gould, Prof. Guyot, James Hall, Joseph 

 Henry, Hilyard [/. E. Hilffanl], Hubbard, U. S. N. O.; Profs. Leidy, Lesley, 

 Newberry, Newton, Peirce, Vauman Rogers [Fairman Rogers}, R. E. Rogers, W. 

 B. Rogers, L. M. Rutherford [Rutherfiird], Joseph Saxton, B. Silliman, Jr., 

 Joseph Winlock, U. S. Nautical Almanac Office. The number of corporators is 

 restricted to fifty. The meeting was called to order by Senator Wilson. Pro- 

 fessor Henry of the Smithsonian Institute [sic] was chosen president pro tern.. 

 and Professor Caswell, temporary secretary. The proceedings were conducted 

 with closed doors." 



This account is probably correct, except for slight errors 

 in the spelling of names, etc. We know that the number of 

 incorporators was 50. Senator Wilson stated that more than 

 three-fifths responded to his letter regarding the meeting, and 

 the number 31 in the newspaper article is therefore, quite prob- 



