go The America?i Geologist. February, i89!# 
Science, which threw its doors wide open to all entertaining an inter- 
est in any branch of science. The first meeting of the new organiza- 
tion had a roll of 461 members. Comparatively little was done in 
geological work between 1842 and the close of the civil war. 
The rapid development of the country's internal resources during 
the war and the attendant growth in manufacturing interests made 
necessary increased efificiency in scientific training, and enormous 
gifts were made to our leading institutions for that purpose. The 
importance of geological knowledge had become very evident during 
the development of iron. coal, and oil resources, and the geologist 
found himself suddenly elevated from a place surrounded by sus- 
picion to a post of honor. Several government expeditions were 
sent into the little known country west of the one hundredth meridian, 
each of which was accompanied by a geologist or a physician who 
understood something about geology. Within a decade after the close 
of the war, state surveys were undertaken in New Hampshire, New 
Jersey, Pennsylvania. Ohio, Indiana. Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin. 
Minnesota, Iowa. Missouri, and other states, while the Canadian sur- 
vey, which had gone on uninterruptedly since the early forties, was 
made more extended in character. 
The conditions which rendered imperative an association of geo- 
logists in 1840 were the present conditions in 1880, only more op- 
pressive. The problems of 1840 were chiefly those of a narrow strip 
within the Appalachian area; those of 1880 concerned the whole con- 
tinent. Geologists were increasing in numbers, but opportunities for 
making personal acquaintances were few; meetings of societies in 
midsummer could be attended only by those who were not connected 
with official surveys or who were detached for office work. Workers 
were gathering into little groups on geographical lines and there 
was danger that our geology would become provincialized. In i88r 
the tension was such that several geologists connected with official 
surveys urged the formation of a geological society to bring about 
closer bonds among geologists, and they succeeded at the meeting 
of the American Association of that year in securing the appoint- 
ment of a committee to consider the matter. This committee was 
not able to accomplish anything very definite, however, until 1888, 
in connection with the Cleveland meeting of the American Associa- 
tion for the Advancem.ent of Science. Then, under the guidance of a 
committee of organization, consisting of Profs. A. Winchell. J. J. 
Stevenson. C. H. Hitchcock. John R. Procter and Edward Orton. 
a provisional constitution was adopted making the original mem- 
bership of the new^ society rest upon membership in Section E (Geo- 
logy and Geography) of the Association, thus avoiding a split with 
the parent society. Happily the high dues and a general belief that 
no society could be formed on the proposed basis kept the list of 
original fellows from being swollen by those whose relations to geo- 
logy began and ended with attendance upon the American Associa- 
tion's meetings. Permanent organization was effected during the 
