FOUNDING OF THE ACADEMY II 



" My impression is that these two men originated the idea of having a general 

 scientific society for the whole country which, as far as our democratic institutions 

 would allow, in imitation of those of Europe, should be under the patronage of 

 the government. This idea was probably broached as early as 1862. Of course 

 two men by themselves could not originate an academy and soon others were 

 drawn into the project. Bache, Henry, B. A. Gould and Agassiz were invited 

 to take part. It was decided that 50 should be the number of the members of 

 the new scientific body." 



Others besides those already mentioned should be perhaps 

 included among the founders of the Academy, but it is certain 

 that not all who were named as incorporators participated in the 

 movement. We know that in several instances persons so named 

 were unaware that they had been designated until they had re- 

 ceived a letter from Senator Wilson advising them that they 

 were included in the list. One of the incorporators declined 

 membership in the Academy. It appears from the letters of 

 Davis that the list was made up at the preliminary meeting held 

 at the house of Professor Bache on February 19, 1863, or soon 

 afterwards, and caused some dissatisfaction when published in 

 the bill of incorporation. 



It is perhaps an unnecessary task to endeavor to determine 

 who should be considered the head and front of the Academy 

 movement, but judging from contemporary evidence, this dis- 

 tinction probably belongs to Professor Bache. Arnold Guyot 

 speaks of him as " the enlightened and far-seeing head of the 

 Coast Survey " and " the founder of this Academy." " 



E. S. Morse remarks: "Agassiz, Bache and Henry were the 

 leading spirits in originating the National Academy of 

 Sciences." The address delivered by Professor Bache at 

 Albany in 1851, a portion of which is quoted above (p. 7), con- 

 tains the first definite plan for the particular kind of academy 

 which was organized twelve years later. Doubtless many of its 

 features had been suggested by Bache's associates and friends, 

 and we know, indeed, that it was a frequent subject of discussion 

 among the scientific men of America for many years. Bache 

 himself remarked in 1863 that the need of such a body as the 



"Biogr. Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. 2, 1886, p. 70. 

 "Pop. Sci. Monthly, vol. 71, 1907, p. 548. 



