286 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF AMERICAN SOCIETIES 
By PROFESSOR HDWARD C. PICKERING 
HARVARD COLLEGE OBSERVATORY 
WO papers on “ Foreign Associates of National Societies ” were 
published in THE PopuLAR ScIENCE MontTuHLyY, Vol. 73, p. 372, 
and Vol. 74, p. 80, in which the foreign membership of the seven great 
scientific societies of the world was discussed. It is the object of the 
present paper to make a similar study of the associate and honorary 
membership of the leading American societies, based on the latest 
printed lists. To avoid confusion, members paying fees will be called 
residents, those who live at a distance and pay no fees, associates, and 
foreigners, honorary members. All of the American members of the 
National Academy and the honorary members of the New York Acad- 
emy, if Americans, will be included in the second class. 
The oldest of American scientific societies is the American Philo- 
sophical Society held at Philadelphia for Promoting Useful Knowledge. 
It was founded in 1748, on the initiative of Franklin. Its membership 
consists of 165 residents, who live within thirty miles of Philadelphia, 
224 associates and 113 honorary members. The number of persons 
elected each year is limited to fifteen Americans and five foreigners. 
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1780, 
with its headquarters in Boston, is the second oldest scientific society. 
The numbers of residents (citizens of Massachusetts), associates and 
honorary members are 193, 87 and 63, and are limited to 200, 100 and 
75, respectively. 
The New York Academy of Sciences was founded in 1817. The 
numbers of residents, associates and honorary members are 468, 139 
and 48, respectively. The numbers of the last two classes are limited 
to 200 and 50, respectively. 
The National Academy of Sciences was founded in 1863, with its 
headquarters in Washington. Its membership consists of 113 associates 
and 45 honorary members. The number of the latter class is limited 
to 50. 
Lists were next prepared of the associates and honorary members 
of these societies. Table I. contains a list of those Americans whose 
names appear on two or more of these lists. The successive columns 
give the name, place of birth, college, residence, specialty, date of birth 
and age at the time of election into each of the four societies. Place 
of birth and residence are indicated by states, or countries, except in the 
