# National Geographic Magazine/Volume 1/Number 2/Annual Report of the Secretaries

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARIES.
The first step toward the organization of the National Geographic Society was the circulation of the following invitation, on Jan. 10, 1888.
"Dear Sir: You are invited to be present at a meeting to be held in the Assembly hall of the Cosmos Club, Friday evening, January 13, at 8 o'clock, for the purpose of considering the advisability of organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.
Very respectfully yours,
* Gardiner G. Hubbard,
* A. W. Greely,
* J. R. Bartlett,
* Henry Mitchell,
* Henry Gannett,
* A. H. Thompson,
and others."
In response to this invitation 33 gentlemen met at the appointed place and time. The meeting was called to order by Prof. A. H. Thompson, who stated its objects and nominated Capt. C. E. Dutton as chairman. The formation of a geographic society was discussed by Messrs. Hubbard, Bartlett, Thompson, Mitchell, Kennan, Gannett, Merriam and Gore.
The following resolution, introduced by Prof. Thompson, was adopted:
Resolved, 1. As the sense of this meeting that it is both advisable and practicable to organize at the present time a geographic society in Washington;
2. That this society should be organized on as broad and liberal a basis in regard to qualifications for membership as is consistent with its own well being and the dignity of the science it represents.
3. That a committee of nine be appointed by the chairman to prepare a draft of a constitution and plan of organization, to be presented at an adjourned meeting to be held in this hall on Friday evening, January 20, 1888."
A committee was appointed by the chair, consisting of Messrs. Hubbard, Greely, Bartlett, Mitchell, Kennan, Thompson, Gore, Tittman and Merriam for formulating a plan of organization.
​A subsequent meeting was held on January 20, at which it was decided to incorporate the society, and the same committee was continued to carry out that purpose. On January 27 the society was incorporated, the following gentlemen signing the certificate of incorporation:
| Gardiner G. Hubbard, | J. W. Powell, |
| C. E. Dutton, | Henry Gannett, |
| O. H. Tittman, | A. H. Thompson, |
| J. Howard Gore, | A. W. Greely, |
| C. Hart Merriam, | Henry Mitchell, |
| J. R. Bartlett, | George Keenan, |
| Rogers Birnie, Jr., | Marcus Baker, |
| Gilbert Thompson, |||
and upon the same day the first meeting of the society was held in the Assembly hall of the Cosmos club, when it was organized by the election of the following list of ofiicers and the adoption of the by-laws:
President, :
| Gardiner G. Hubbard; |||
| Vice-Presidents, |||
| Herbert G. Ogden, | A. W. Greely, |
| J. R. Bartlett, | C. Hart Merriam, |
| A. H. Thompson; |||
| Treasurer, |||
| Charles J, Bell; |||
| Recording Secretary, |||
| Henry Gannett; |||
| Corresponding Secretary, |||
| George Kennan; |||
| Managers, |||
| Cleveland Abbe, | Marcus Baker, |
| Rogers Birnie, Jr., | G. Brown Goode, |
| W. D. Johnson, | Henry Mitchell, |
| W. B. Powell, | James C. Welling. |
The number of members who joined the society at its organization was 165. Since that date 45 have been elected to membership.
​The society has lost one member by death during the year, Mr. James Stevenson.
The present number of members is 209.
The society has held 14 meetings, 13 of which have been devoted to the presentation of papers. It has published the first number of a magazine, copies of which have been distributed to the members of the society, to others interested in geography and to the geographic societies throughout the world for purposes of exchange.
The society has also undertaken the preparation of a Physical Atlas of the United States, upon which some progress has been made.
Very respectfully submitted,
Henry Gannett, George Kennan,
Secretaries.
Washington, D. C., December 28, 1888.