4.o2 NEW YCMIK STATE MUSEUM 



((» I lie rcquiromenls of teaclicrs, students and tourists gcner- 

 ;illv; and the general demand for it is suffieient testimony of its 

 usefulness. I am j^ra titled to add that the exhibit of the de- 

 partment received the hijrhest award, a <^old medal. 



Memorial tablet for the Emmons house, Albany N. Y. 

 It seems a})i)ropriate to take note here of the recent action 

 of the American association for the advancement of science at 

 its Denver meetinj?, August 11)01, authorizing the placing of a 

 bronze tablet on the house which formerly was the home of 

 Dr Ebenezer Emmons, state geologist of New York in charge 

 of the second geological district, 1880-42, to commemorate the fact 

 that the association looks on this house as the place of its 

 inception. The events leading up to this action are rehearsed 

 in the following document, which is the report and recommenda- 

 tion made by the committee of the American association for 

 the advancement of science, and adopted by that body. 



Report of committee of American association for the 

 advancement of science on the p^mmons house memorial 



The American association for the advancement of science was 

 organized in 1847. It was the organic descendant and enlarged 

 outgrowth from the Association of American geologists and 

 naturalists. The latter body was created in 1842 by the 

 incorporation of the naturalists within the xVssociation of 

 American geologists. The Association of American geologists 

 is therefore to be looked upon as the legitimate organic ancestor 

 of the American association for Ihc advancement of science. 



The circumstances which led up to the organization of the 

 Association of American geologists are as follows: 



During the prosecution of the geological survey of the state 

 of New York the need of the geologists for consultation and 

 interchange of vi<'W with others engaged in otticial geologic 

 work led to the suggestion of an organization of a body of 

 American geologists. 



It ai»iM-ars that IJeut. W. W. Mather, one of the New York 

 geologists, suggested the subject of such a meeting to the 

 board of geologists in November 18.*^8. Tie wrote: 



"Would it not be well to suggest the ])ropriety of a meeting 

 of the g<'ologists and other scii-ntilic men of our country at 

 some central jioint next fall, say in New York or Philadelphia? 

 There are many questions in our geology that will receive new 

 li^'ht fiom friendlv discussion and the combined observation of 



