258  American  Chemical  Society. 
the  development  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  from 
the  time  of  its  organization  is  familiar  to  this  audience  and  need 
not  be  repeated  here.  Neither  is  a  detailed  account  of  the  growth 
of  the  American  Chemical  Society  necessary  or  appropriate  at  this 
time. 
I  shall  only  attempt,  therefore,  to  state  a  few  facts  with  regard  to 
the  American  Chemical  Society,  and  to  point  out  a  lesson  or  two 
to  be  gained  from  a  study  of  present-day  conditions. 
During  the  first  fourteen  years  of  its  life,  the  American  Chemical 
Society  enjoyed  but  a  precarious  existence.  Although  its  member- 
ship was  spread  out  pretty  well  all  over  the  country,  the  members 
were  few  in  number,  and  only  a  comparatively  few  of  them  were 
able  to  derive  any  immediate  and  practical  benefit  from  it,  as  its 
meetings  were  held  monthly  in  New  York  City.  During  this  time, 
its  officers  were  by  no  means  confined  to  New  York  and  the  adja- 
cent territory,  however,  for  among  the  earlier  presidents  of  the  so- 
ciety may  be  noted  the  names  of  F.  A.  Genth,  J.  C.  Booth,  and  G. 
F.  Barker,  from  Philadelphia.  Throughout  this  time,  the  Society, 
when  considered  from  anything  but  a  purely  local  New  York  point 
of  view,  was  little  more  than  an  honorary  roll  of  the  more  promi- 
nent names  connected  with  chemistry  in  this  country. 
After  fourteen  years,  its  members  numbered  only  about  250,  when 
in  1890,  there  came  a  notable  change,  a  change  which  should  be 
significant  to  us  who  are  gathered  here  this  evening  to  discuss  the 
reorganization  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  because 
this  change  marked  the  inauguration,  in  the  American  Chemical 
Society,  of  the  local  section  plan.  From  the  time  of  the  first  general 
session'in  Newport  in  1 890,  followed  quickly  by  the  organization  of 
local  sections,  dates  the  real  growth  and  development  of  the  Society. 
The  Rhode  Island,  Cincinnati,  and  New  York  sections  were  the  first 
to  organize  in  the  order  named,  and  these  were  quickly  followed  by 
others  well  distributed  over  the  country,  until  to-day  the  Society 
boasts  of  twenty-two  local  sections,  five  of  which  were  chartered 
during  the  past  year. 
The  general  officers  of  the  American  Chemical  Society  consist  of 
a  president,  secretary,  treasurer  and  librarian.  The  presidents  or 
presiding  officers  of  the  local  sections  are  the  vice  presidents  of  the 
general  society.  The  order  of  precedence  of  the  vice-presidents  is 
that  of  the  dates  of  their  respective  admissions  to  membership  in 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharro. 
I       June,  1907. 
