Spalilin^', assislcil in ihc plaiitinL; 1)\ I )irrrt(»rs S. j. l\(,'csc' and 

 Gcoi-<;c W. I'arsoiis. lli>lMrii-al v^ocicty of Soullici-n California, 

 address 1)\- l)r. Ron .Malcolm, of the faculty of ilir I'niversity 

 of Soutlioni (.'alifornia. Audubon Society, address ])y Airs. J. 

 D. l)icknell, I 'resident, assisted I)y a number of ladies consti- 

 tuting the Board of Directors. 



On the other sides of the quadrangle there were simul- 

 taneous plantings in behalf of the City Council, Glen McWill- 

 ianis. speaker; Friday Aforning Club, Mrs. A. S. Lobingier, 

 speaker ; Native Sons and Daughters, Grace Stoermer ; Ebell 

 Club. Mrs. C. C. Ashley; Chamber of Commerce, F. Q. Storey 

 and Alaynard McFie, and a number of others. The trees plant- 

 ed were all California Live Oaks, and near each one was 

 placed a tablet in stone and bronze giving the date and the name 

 of the organization under whose auspices the tree was planted. 



We present herewith the beautiful address of Mr. Spalding 

 as he cast the last shovel-full of soil upon the roots of our 

 Academy Oak : 



"We are gathered at this spot to plant an oak tree and 

 unveil a tablet which are to stand as memorials for the South- 

 ern California Academy of Sciences. The Park Board has 

 adopted the far-seeing policy of recognizing the eiTorts of va- 

 rious organizations that have co-operated in establishing this 

 museum and the other attractive and beneficent features of the 

 park, thus making the very landscape an historical memento 

 and a tribute to the builders. As you probably know, the 

 Southern California Academy of Sciences was the first organ- 

 ization to appreciate the importance of securing and preserving 

 for the benefit of this community and its visitors a complete 

 collection of the fossil remains of the Brea Beds discovered at 

 the very gates of our city. Securing a concession from Mrs. 

 Hancock, then owner of the Rancho La Brea, and raising funds 

 therefor from its own members, from subscriptions of public- 

 spirited citizens, from the city council and the county board of 

 supervisors, it placed an exploring party in the Brea Beds, and 

 proceeded on scientific lines to excavate the prehistoric remains, 

 to identify them, assemble them and mount them in complete 

 skeletons. A quantity of these most interesting relics had pre- 

 viously been secured by an expedition of the University of 

 California, but these had all been shipped to the university, 

 were employed mainly for purposes of study, and were lost 

 to the people of Southern California for exhibition purposes. 

 After laboring two or more years and expending several thou- 

 sands of dollars in the work of securing and making available 

 these relics, the Southern California Academy of Sciences en- 

 tered into a mutual contract with the county of Los Angeles, 

 the Historical Society, the Audubon Society and the Art League, 

 whereby they were to join forces in organizing and conducting 



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