'>47^N 



PREFACE 



At the General Meeting of the American Philosoph- 

 ical Society, held on April 2-4, 1903, the following 

 preamble and resolution, offered by Dr. I. Minis Hays, 

 were unanimously adopted: 



Inasmuch as the two hundredth anniversary of the 

 birth of Benjamin Franklin occurs in January, 1906, it 

 is proper that the American Philosophical Society, 

 which owes its existence to his initiative and to which 

 he gave many years of faithful service, should take 

 steps to commemorate the occasion in a manner befitting 

 his eminent services to this Society, to science and to 

 the Nation. Therefore be it 



Resolved, That the President is authorized and 

 directed to appoint a committee, of such number as he 

 shall deem proper, to prepare a plan for the appropriate 

 celebration of the bi-centennial of the birth of Franklin, 

 and to report the same to this Society. 



The President thereupon appointed the following 

 members to constitute the Committee: 



Hon. George F. Edmunds, Chairman, 

 Prof. Alexander Agassiz, Boston, 

 Pres't James B. Angell, Ann Arbor, 

 Prof. George F. Barker, Philadelphia, 

 Prof. A. Graham Bell, Washington, 



