Proceedings of the Academy. 
699 
(chosen third President of the Academy), President G. M. Steele, of 
Appleton, Superintendent Samuel Fallows, the Reverend Charles Cav- 
erno, Professor A. O. Wright, and later President John Bascom, Rev¬ 
erend Dr. Holland and others. 
Though not active at the very outset. Dr. Wm. F. Allen, of the 
State University, soon began a memorable series of papers replete 
with specific historical research. These set a high standard of true 
original investigation in humanistic lines. From his scholarly papers 
some of us caught our first realizing sense of what constitutes orig¬ 
inal research in history. 
Dr. Feuling, of the State University, was at the start a rather 
lonesome leader in philological research but the fewness of workers 
in this line was offset by the quality of the papers offered. 
An attempt was made to give speculative philosophy a distinct place 
in the work of the Academy under the leadership of Dr. S. H. Car¬ 
penter, of the University, but the effort scarcely survived his early 
death. 
Diversity and picturesqueness were given to the heavier parts of 
the program by the sprightly literary contributions of the inimitable 
Dr. Butler. 
Earlier and Later Trends of the Academy 
As already noted, the formal organization of the Academy was dis¬ 
tinctly broad, and there was a general desire and a definite effort to 
preserve an appreciative and balanced attitude toward all phases of 
research and of culture. None the less almost inevitably distinct 
trends disclosed themselves almost from the start, and new trends 
appeared in close succession, partly due to the new men that came 
to the state, and partly to the development of young talent within it. 
Of the papers presented during the first two years, 35 per cent re¬ 
lated to geological subjects, 23 per cent to biological, 17 per cent to 
physical and mathematical science, 1.5 per cent to political and so¬ 
ciological subjects, and the remaining 10 per cent to historical and 
philological subjects or to topics not readily classified. A distinct 
geological trend at the outset is thus disclosed and the preponder¬ 
ance grew for a time. This special activity was due partly to char¬ 
ter members, particularly Lapham, Eaton and Chamberlin, but also, 
in a quite notable degree, to the advent of Professor R. D. Irving, 
who came to the state in the year following the founding of the 
Academy. He came with excellent training and the advantage of 
some field work, and at once took an active part in leading geological 
inquiry along sound scientific lines. Irving was chosen fourth Presi¬ 
dent of the Academy. Two years later a systematic Geological Sur¬ 
vey was instituted by the state, largely through the influence of mem¬ 
bers of the Academy, and this not only gave unusual opportunities 
for productiveness in this line, but helped to develop young talent that 
made itself felt in the later activities of the Academy. 
