Decembek 5, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



517 



ogy course is "simply a survival of an early 

 stage in the pedagogy of tlie subject and has 

 no place in a modern educational scheme." 

 George E. Nichols 

 Sheffield Scientipic School, 

 Tale Univeesitt 



STATE ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE 

 Certain groups of people interested in the 

 development and application of the sciences 

 in many of the states of the union have 

 established academies of sciences. Some of 

 the academies have developed into institu- 

 tions exerting considerable influence at the 

 present time, others have flourished for a 

 period and then gradually have declined in 

 their force until now it has become a question 

 whether they should disband or should re- 

 organize. Others have struggled to develop 

 interest for a considerable period in their 

 communities but finally have ceased to exist. 

 During the past year data have been col- 

 lected and an attempt has been made to 

 determine the general status and activities 

 of all the state academies in order that each 

 one may know its own relative standing in 

 regard to resources and activities. 



Questionnaires were sent to all state acad- 

 emies of science and the returned informa- 



tion has been tabulated. The classification of 

 members was arbitrarily limited to eight 

 groups and only aims to indicate the general 

 field of interest of the members. Several 

 academies did not furnish a classified list of 

 their members. Each secretary was asked to 

 state whether the interest in the affairs of 

 the academy by its members was " lively " 

 or "apathetic." Such statements, in some 

 instances, should be taken with reservations 

 because of the personal element or the period 

 of the year in which it was given. Much of 

 the data is self explanatory and needs no 

 comments. 



Among the various conclusions that may be 

 drawn from the data the one that is especially 

 evident is that only a small percentage of the 

 scientific people of the country are members 

 of the various state academies. The reason 

 for this lack of interest and activity is ex- 

 plained by one secretary as being due to the 

 fact " that the day has gone by when men 

 interested in widely different special lines 

 of research or activity can profitably meet for 

 the common discussion of their interests." 



At the present time nearly all specialists 

 belong to a national society composed of 

 members all of which are interested in the 

 same special science. Such people derive 

 more benefit from this society than they 

 would from a local academy. In order to 

 meet this situation many of the academies 

 have attempted sectional meetings in which 

 those interested in any particular science 

 might convene. This has been successful in a 

 few large academies but in the smaller ones 

 it has failed. 



Whatever may be said in regard to the 

 weaknesses of the academies two points 

 should be remembered. First, the academies 

 provide at their general meetings opportuni- 

 ties for considerable social intercourse be- 

 tween people from different parts of their 

 respective states. This social factor has a 

 tendency to promote good fellowship between 

 the various institutions of the state and also 

 to encourage research in the smaller colleges 

 and normal schools. Second, many of the 

 academies are able from funds provided from 



