FOUNDING OF THE ACADEMY 21 



ably correct. Lesley informs us that Professor Henry was in 

 the chair, and mentions as being present also, Agassiz, Alex- 

 ander, Bache, Barnard, Caswell " the secretary," Frazer, Gould, 

 Leidy, Lesley, R. E. Rogers and W. B. Rogers, all of whom are 

 included in the Advertiser list. 



The New York Daily Tribune of April 23, 1863, informs us 

 that Senator Wilson's address was followed by a brief statement 

 by Professor Agassiz of " the fundamental principles upon 

 which a permanent edifice of science should be based," also, that 

 a committee of nine was appointed to draft a form of organiza- 

 tion. The members of this committee, according to the New 

 York IVorld of the same date were as follows: Caswell, Bache, 

 Rodgers, Gibbs, Frazer, Silliman, Jr., Gould, Peirce and 

 Agassiz. The Herald of that date states that the committee met at 

 the Brevoort House in secret session, and substitutes the names of 

 Henry and Winlock for Caswell and Gibbs. It also includes 

 Rogers, instead of Rodgers, which, as will be shown presently, 

 was correct. 



Corroborating these newspaper items regarding the committee 

 on the constitution is a remark in Lesley's letter of April 23, 

 1863. "Yesterday I went down to the eight o'clock evening 

 session [of the Academy], at which we heard and began to vote 

 upon the constitution and by-laws, as reported by the committee 

 of nine appointed in the morning." ^'' Further corroboration, 

 together with other interesting details, is found in a letter of 

 William B. Rogers, dated April 28, 1863, from which the follow- 

 ing is an extract: 



" Of the fifty corporators named in the bill, thirty-two were present the first 

 day, and twenty-seven during the rest of the session. A committee of organization 

 was first appointed, consisting of nine, Bache being chairman, supported by Ben- 

 jamin Gould, Agassiz, Peirce, Benjamin Silliman, Frazer, etc., and to which I 

 also was admitted. The Constitution and Rules, most elaborately prepared, were 

 read from the MS. by Bache. There was no dissent on any important point, 

 unless when I made objection. One of the provisions made the tenure of the offices 

 of president, vice-president and secretary, for life. To this no one objected, and 

 I let it pass without voting until, the morning's task being closed, Bache was 



^"Life of Lesley, vol. i, p. 419. 



