28 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE ACADEMY. 



THE CENTENNIAL PUBLICATION FUND. 



This fund owes its origin to one of the Fellows, Dr. Benjamin E. Cotting, who, at 

 a meeting of the academic council, presented one thousand dollars as the first sub- 

 scription. The Centennial Committee, having authority from the Academy to solicit 

 subscriptions, appointed a Sub-Committee on a Centennial Publication Fund, consisting 

 of J. Ingersoll Bowditch, William B. Rogers, John A. Lowell, Nathaniel Thayer, 

 H. H. Hunnewell, E. B. Bigelow, and B. E. Cotting. They also issued the following 

 appeal, and sought subscriptions by personal application. 



The accompanying sketch sets forth the past history and present needs and claims of the Ameri- 

 can Academy of Arts and Sciences. 



The income of the American Academy is derived from two sources : Assessments on its members, 

 $1,900 ; and interest of General Fund, $1,200 ; making a total of about $3,100. The Academy also 

 administers the Rumforcl Fund, which, however, is strictly limited by the terms of the trust. After 



paying $2,250 for rent, books, and salary of Assistant Librarian, there remain but $850 a year for 



publishing the Proceedings and Memoirs, a sum barely sufficient to pay for a portion of the ordi- 

 nary printing, leaving no provision for engravings, or for publishing the more costly Memoirs. This 

 lack will be appreciated when it is brought to mind that the usefulness and distinction of such a 

 Society depend almost entirely on its power of publishing important papers promptly and with 

 proper illustrations. 



In honor of its hundredth Anniversary, the Fellows of the Academy hope to raise the sum 



of $50,000 as a permanent Publication Fund, the income to be applied to publishing the transac- 

 tions of the Society. 



Contributions are respectfully solicited, and may be sent to 



THEODOEE LYMAN, Treasurer, 



26 December, 1879. 



191 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston 



The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which was chartered by the Commonwealth 



1780 



May 



This is the oldest institution of the kind in America, excepting the American Philosophical 

 Society at Philadelphia. That was initiated by Franklin and others, before the beginning of the 

 war for independence ; this was inaugurated before the close of that war. The preamble to the 

 charter sets forth, that, 



