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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LI. No. 1316 



detic and Geophysical Union was formed, 

 with six sections, as follows: (a) Geodesy, 

 (&) Seismology, (c) Meteorology, (d) Ter- 

 restrial Magnetism and Electricity, (e) Phys- 

 ical Oceanography, and (/) Volcanology. 

 OiRcers elected were listed in Science^ of 

 October 31, 1919. 



The delegates who went on behalf of the 

 geophysical sciences from the United States 

 to these meetings at Brussels, were Messrs. 

 WiUiam Bowie, Chairman, L. A. Bauer, G. 

 W. Littlehales, and Eear-Admiral Edward 

 Simpson. At Brussels Messrs. C. E. Menden- 

 hall and H. S. Washington who were already 

 abroad were added to this delegation. 



At the call of the chairman of the " Amer- 

 ican Section," on October 31,1919, an informal 

 conference of these delegates, constituting the 

 committee on organization authorized on Jime 

 24, with other members of the " American 

 Section" who reside in and near Washing- 

 ton, was held at the offices of the National 

 Research Council. At this meeting, after a 

 general exchange of views, a subcommittee 

 or organization to draft proposals for statutes, 

 was designated by the committee of delegates 

 — to consist of Messrs. L. A. Bauer, Chair- 

 man, William Bowie, W. J. Humphreys, G. 

 W. Littlehales, and H. O. Wood. This sub- 

 committee held several meetings early in 

 November, at some of which it had the benefit 

 of further extended conference with Messrs. 

 Mendenhall and Washington, who were pres- 

 ent at Brussels. As an outcome, a draft of 

 " Proposals for the Permanent Organization 

 and Statutes of the American Geophysical 

 Union " was drawn up, approved by the com- 

 mittee of delegates charged with the duty of 

 preparing for permanent organization, and 

 since it was not considered expedient to call 

 a meeting of the section in Washington this 

 draft was submitted for a vote by mail ballot 

 to all members of the " American Section." 

 An affirmative vote was returned by a con- 

 siderable majority of the members prior to the 

 date set for the count of ballots and subse- 



1 Bauer, L. A., ' ' Geophysics at the Brussels 

 Meeting," July 18-28, 1919, Science, October 31, 

 1919, 1296, pp. 399-403. 



quent affirmative ballots delayed in transit 

 were received from nearly all members. 

 There were no dissenting vot«s. 



These statutes of the American Geophysical 

 Union, thus approved by the " American Sec- 

 tion," were then submitted to the executive 

 board of the National Research Council and 

 were approved by that body on December 20, 

 1919, and on February 14, 1920, the American 

 Geophysical Union was made a Committee 

 of the Executive Board 



This action established the American Geo- 

 physical Union as a permanent organization 

 superseding the " American Section of the 

 proposed International Geophysical Union." 

 As thus constituted the American Geophysical 

 Union serves as " the American ' National 

 Committee ' of the International Geodetic and 

 Geophysical Union, and as the Committee on 

 Geophysics of the National Research Coun- 

 cil." Its initial membership is the member- 

 ship of the " American Section " as this stood 

 on July 1, 1919, together with the Chairman 

 of the Division of Physical Sciences, the 

 Chairman of the Division of Chemistry and 

 Chemical Technology, and the Chairman of 

 the division of Geology and Geography of the 

 National Research Council, and the American 

 officers of the International Geodetic and Geo- 

 physical Union and of its sections, as mem- 

 bers ex-officio. Its general administration is 

 delegated to an Executive Committee made 

 up of the chairman and secretary of the 

 union, and the chairman of each of its sec- 

 tions which, initially, are the same as those 

 in the International Union, viz: (a) geodesy, 

 (h) seismology, (c) meteorology, (d) terres- 

 trial magnetism and electricity, (e) physical 

 oceanography, and (/) volcanology. 



At its first, regular, annual meeting officers 

 will be elected in accordance with the terms 

 of the statutes. Meanwhile, by action of the 

 " American Section " taken on June 24, 1919, 

 the chairman and secretary of that organiza- 

 tion continue to serve. 



By action of the provisional executive com- 

 mittee of the " American Section " an election 

 of acting chairmen for each of the newly con- 

 stituted sections was held in January, 1920, 



