As a devoted entomologist, Charles Henry Turner no doubt sup- 
ported the Academy’s efforts to help establish a natural history museum 
in St. Louis. When the Academy stored its collections in 1918, several 
concerned members joined the St. Louis Natural History Association, 
and throughout the 1920s they and the Academy worked closely with 
this organization to establish another museum in the city.’ 
The Museum Association and the Academy proposed various 
schemes for the development of a museum, but without success. The 
most interesting plan was a proposal to obtain the old courthouse from 
the city. This plan, which was supported by members of the city govern- 
ment and by many influential civic leaders, was still being considered 
in 1929—the year a major reorganization of the Academy began.* 
In January 1929, the Academy Council met to discuss the state 
of the organization. Attending the meeting were the newly elected presi- 
dent, Arthur C. Thacher, and the other new officers. The new Council 
was determined ‘‘to rehabilitate the Academy of Science.’’? Over the 
next five years these individuals and other hard-working members 
breathed life back into the Academy by reviving regular meetings; 
spearheading attempts to create a museum; analyzing and reorganizing 
the Academy’s finances; taking stock of its collections; carrying out 
extensive membership drives; and forging strong bonds between the 
Academy and other local science groups and with state and national 
science organizations as well. 
The Academy’s meetings became very successful affairs when they 
were revived in the early 1930s. The meetings were planned to appeal 
to a large variety of people interested in science, and the best-attended 
meetings were organized in cooperation with other organizations such 
as the Washington University Association and the St. Louis Bird Club. 
In 1934 over 9500 people attended eighteen Academy meetings. The 
most popular meetings of that year included an illustrated lecture given 
by Laurence Gould entitled ‘‘With Byrd to the Bottom of the World”’, 
a talk on cosmic radiation given by Robert A. Milliken; and a presenta- 
tion called ‘‘Animal Close-ups’ given by George P. Vierheller and 
Marlin Perkins of the St. Louis Zoo. Over 4000 people attended these 
three events alone.!° 
The Academy’s efforts to establish a museum were not as fruitful 
as its meetings, but it did make important strides toward that goal. For 
example, it helped bring together the various organizations, such as the 
associations of the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of 
Science and Industry, interested in establishing a museum. In addition, 
the Academy made the formation of a new museum an institutional goal 
by changing part of Section 2, Article II, of its constitution. This state- 
ment, which originally read ‘‘[the Academy] shall . . . establish and 
43 
