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A PROPOSED ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



At the Philadelphia meeting of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science about twenty men interested in 

 ecology met informally on the evening of December 30, 1914, to 

 consider the advisability of organizing an American Ecological 

 Society. The immediate occasion for the conference was an 

 expression of feeling on the part of Professor R. H. Wolcott and 

 Professor V. E. Shelford to the effect that there is now no ade- 

 quate opportunity for plant and animal ecologists to meet 

 together, and also that there is for ecologists an urgent need of 

 summer field meetings in addition to the present winter meeting. 



The conference was attended by Messrs. Adams, Bartlett, 

 Blodgett, Bray, Cannon, Cowles, Dachnowski, Griggs, Harsh- 

 berger, Hill, Jennings, MacDougal, Nichols, Pearse, Shantz, 

 Shelford, Shreve, Taylor, and Wolcott; Professor Harshberger 

 was selected chairman. The opinion was practically unanimous 

 that the time is ripe for the organization of an Ecological Society 

 and it was voted, in connection with the Columbus meeting of 

 the American Association, to call a conference of all ecologists 

 interested in the formation of such a society. A committee was 

 appointed to call such a conference and present a scheme of 

 organization, the committee consisting of Professor J. W. 

 Harshberger (chairman). Professor V. E. Shelford (vice-chair- 

 man), Professor H. C. Cowles (secretary-treasurer). Professor 

 R. H. Wolcott, Professor Charles C. Adams, Dr. Forrest Shreve. 



Announcement will be made later of the exact time and place 

 of the Columbus conference, but it may be assumed that it will 

 not be earlier than Tuesday, December 28, nor later than 

 Thursday, December 30, 191 5. The purpose of this early an- 

 nouncement is to give ample opportunity for full expression of 

 opinion. It is hoped that all working ecologists will write to the 

 undersigned, noting (i) whether the proposed society is favored 

 or disfavored and why, and (2) whether attendance at the Colum- 

 bus conference is to be expected. 



Henry C. Cowles 



University of Chicago 



