Historical Sketch of Minnesota Academy of Science 439 



"Meteorologlcai Statistics for Minneapolis from 1865 to 1882," 

 by Wm. Cheney. 



There is fortunately no further necessity of continuing this cat- 

 alog of the papers and discussions of the Academy beyond these 

 first ten years of its existence, for from this time on an outline of 

 the Secretary's record book has been printed as "Proceedings" 

 through the third and fourth volumes of the Bulletin. For this valu- 

 able innovation the Academy is indebted to its faithful Secretary and 

 President, Prof. C. W. Hall. As we can therefore trace the person- 

 nel and amount and character of the scientific activity of the Acad- 

 emy so easily to the present time through its printed records, there 

 only remains the mention of two important historical events in the 

 Academy's life. 



Already in February, 1880, President Hatch had "called the atten- 

 tion of the Academy to a proposition to erect a building which it was 

 proposed to consider at this time, concluding by calling upon Mr. 

 R. E. Grimshaw to present the matter more fully." On Mr. Grim- 

 Shaw's motion that a committee of five be appointed to consider the 

 whole subject of the erection of a building he was appointed chair- 

 man and associated with T. B. Walker, S. C. Gale, A. B. Jackson and 

 N. H. Winchell. Nothing more is said in the records of this plan 

 until November ,1884, when it was resolved through Professor Win- 

 chell's motion, "That it is the sense of the Minnesota Academy of 

 Natural Sciences that there should be erected a joint building for 

 the accommodation of the Academy, the Athenaeum and the Art 

 Association, and that this Academy will gladly co-operate with any 

 parties who may inaugurate a general movement to secure this event." 

 This resolution immediately followed mysterious "communication by 

 Judge Hemiup, having reference to a public building to be built for 

 uniting the place of meeting of this Academy and the Athenaeum." 

 Judge Hemiup moved that a committee of three, of whom Dr. Elliot 

 should be one, be appointed to consider the matter in confernce with 

 the trustees of the Athenaeum with a view to solicitation of funds 

 from the public. The matter was further brought forward in a let- 

 ter read by Judge Hemiup from (name withheld) a friend of the 

 Academy. Dr. Elliot then associated with himself in this committee 

 T. B. Walker and S. C, Gale. 



But the "Public Library" plan for the co-ordination of these three 

 public educational functions of literature, art and science was fin- 

 ally executed, and on October 8, 1889, "the Academy met for the. 

 first time in its new quarters in the Public Library Building; fifty 

 persons were present." The meetings began there regularly on Jan- 

 uary 15, 1890, when Dr. Hatch moved that a vote of thanks be ex- 

 tended to the Library Board of the City of Minneapolis "for their 

 prompt and generous action in affording quarters for the Academy 

 and in furnishing cases for the preservation and exhibition of its 

 collections. Mr. Edward Gale, in seconding the motion, spoke in 

 warm and hearty words the appreciation of the institution for the 

 ready and cheerful action of the Library Board towards the Acad- 

 emy. The motion was unanimously carried." But before the Acad- 

 emy could get away from the Kelly Block, Mr. Walker again came 

 to its rescue by contributing $125 toward the $175.81, which Father 



