INTRODUCTION. 



Inasmuch as the World's Columbian Exposition, held at 

 Chicago, Illinois, from May 1 to October 30, 1893, was in com- 

 memoration of the greatest geographic discover}^ of recorded 

 history, the National Geographic Society, felt that in some 

 manner American geographers should participate therein. Since 

 space and means were lacking for the installation and main- 

 tenance in the Columbian Exposition of a geographic exhibit 

 fittingly illustrating the evolution of geographic discovery and 

 exploration in the American hemisphere, it became necessary 

 to devise other means of celebrating the discovery of our hemis- 

 phere by Columbus. 



For these reasons the President and Board of Managers of 

 this Society took into consideration the advisability of participat- 

 ing in the series of remarkable congresses which were to be held 

 at Chicago during the period of the Exposition. It was thought 

 that a separate congress of geography was inadvisable and that 

 a meeting to be designated a " Conference of American and 

 European geographers," should form a section of the World's 

 Congress of Education. This decision was formally approved 

 by the Society, and action in accordance therewith was promptly 

 initiated. 



The Board of Managers decided that this conference should 

 be held under the auspices of the National Geographic Society, 

 and with this view appointed the following committee with full 

 powers in the premises : The Honorable Gardiner G. Hubbard, 

 General A. W. Greely, Dr T. C. Mendenhall, Professor W. B. 

 Powell, and Professor T. C. Chamberlin. ■ 



The United States Commissioner of Education, the Honorable 

 William T. Harris, President of the World's Congress of Educa- 

 tion, cordially approved of the plans of the committee and 

 offered all possible facilities for their satisfactory completion. 

 The preliminary notices' were incorporated in the program of 

 the World's Congress of Education. The Hall of Washington, 

 Art Institute Building, was assigned as a place of meeting, and 

 two days, Thursday and Friday, July 27 and 28, 1893, were 

 set apart for a '" Conference of American and European geog- 

 raphers " bv authority of the Congress of Education. 



(98) . 



