HISTORIC BACKGROUND OF THIRD CONGRESS 3 



Belgium on August 4th, 1914. These plans were upset by the advent of the 

 World War, and the Committee was invited to hold the Second Inter- 

 national Congress of Eugenics in America in 1915. This invitation was 

 accepted, but again the war caused the suspension of plans. 



SECOND INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING, LONDON, 1919 



On October 18th, 1919, the Permanent Committee met in the rooms of 

 the Royal Society, London. At this time, the invitation of American 

 eugenicists to hold a Second International Congress in New York City was 

 presented and decided upon affirmatively. Rules were formulated for the 

 maintenance of the International Representatives on the Committee during 

 the intervals between congresses. 



SECOND CONGRESS, NEW YORK CITY, 1921 



Following the acceptance of the American invitation, the National Re- 

 search Council, America's representative body for coordinating inter- 

 national scientific activities, appointed a Committee on Eugenics under the 

 division of Biology and Agriculture, which met March 20th, 1920, and voted 

 to hold the Second Congress in New York City, September 22nd to 28th, 

 1921, inclusive. The invitation of the American Museum of Natural 

 History to hold the meetings of the Congress was gratefully accepted. 

 Dr. Alexander Graham Bell was elected honorary president, Professor Henry 

 Fairfield Osborn, president, and Madison Grant, treasurer. Mrs. Sybil 

 Gotto was named honorary secretary, and Dr. C. C. Little, secretary- 

 general. Vice-presidents from all countries represented were named. A 

 Finance Committee, consisting of Messrs. Madison Grant, John T. Pratt, 

 Austin B. Fletcher, and Dr. John H. Kellogg was appointed, and an Exhib- 

 its Committee, with Dr. H. H. Laughlin as chairman, a Publicity Com- 

 mittee, Dr. Lothrop Stoddard, chairman, and an Executive Committee, 

 Dr. C. C. Little, chairman, were created. 



The Second International Congress of Eugenics opened with an informal 

 assembly in the Hall of the Age of Man in the American Museum of Natural 

 History, New York City, at 3 P. M., Thursday, September 22nd, 1921. 

 The formal opening occurred at 8 P. M. the same day in the Auditorium of 

 the Museum. The principal features on this latter occasion were an ad- 

 dress of welcome by President Henry Fairfield Osborn, a response by 

 Major Leonard Darwin, President of the First Congress, and an address by 

 Dr. Charles B. Davenport, Director of the Department of Genetics, Car- 

 negie Institution of Washington. 



The Congress met in four sections. Section I treated the subject of 



