Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-13
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
Where the Idea of the Academy Of Science
started-To Andrew Carnegie Light

Where the Idea of the Academy of Science
started-To Andrew Carnegie IL Light
sides of Life-Love and Locks.
AT the meeting OF the Pittsburg Art Asso-
citation, on Friday night Mr.. George A. Mac
beth, when the Academy of Science project
was taken up, alluded in good-humored way
to the recent meeting of the Iron City Micro.
scopical Society and its action, and recalled
the fact that it arose from the action of the
Art Association last May, when q committee
consisting of w. N. Frew, c. @. Mellor and
himself had been appointed to confer with the
other societies Of the ciry Of kindred nature
with precisely an identical ultimate idea in
view. Mr.. Macbeth also suggested that the
Microscopical Society was stealing the thunder
Of the Art Association, though he added that
he was not sorry to see them do it. Mr.. Mac
beth's remarks are not likely to be appreciated
by the Microscopical Society, nor do they ap-
pear TO be accurate in matters of fact.
The Rev. w. ]. Holland pointed out to me
yesterday that as long as October, 1883, the
Microscopical Society discu ssed the question of
the establishment of an academy of science.
In THE DISPATCH of October "a find long
article about the meeting of the Microscopical
Society, at which DR.. Holland was elected
President of the society, and in his speech ac-
cepting the honor he laid great stress upon the
u onldIRlnS tuo bCoPO auu puI-
poses of the society, and asked why should not
they have an academy of science. The head
lines of the article in question convey its con-
tents faithfully, and 1 will quote them:
Academy of Science. Learned savants discuss
the feasibility of such society, and believe the
plan practical Pittsburg's Microscopical So
ciety to form the necessary nucleus of the new
organization. In the same issue of THE
DISPATCH was an editorial indorsing DR.. Hol-
lands idea.
This pretty clearly shows where the micro
scopical Society and Dr. Holland have stood in
regard to the Academy of Science.
So
Moreover "said Dr. Holland, 81 have had this
idea of the Academy of Science in my mind for
many years, and have made many efforts, in
all of which have been abetted by Mr.. G. c.
Mellor, who is an enthusiast on the matter, to
bring it to practical result. About four years
ago brought the scheme before the late Mr..
William Thaw. had visited him to talk about
the housing of the Microscopical Society, and 1
suggested to him that we might attain that OBJ
ject in the Y. NJ. G. A. building-you see both
Mr.. Thaw and were directors of the School of
Design-but afterward that scheme fell
through. I had at that very time great liking
for the idea of uniting all the societies of
scientific character and giving them a common
home. I told Mr.. Thaw of it and he. with that
grasp of mind that was his great source of
power, brought down his fist heavily on his
desk, exclaiming with a flashing eye: That's
the idea, do thati shall be glad to aid you in
any such effort
"And from that time 1 have been working
with this end in view. have had two or three
quiet chats with-well L won't mention names
with persons perfectly able to materially pro-
mote the enterprise, and as long ago as last
October had the plans for the academy fairly
hope to see the Academy of Science
in existence at no distant date"
1t may be added to DR.. Hollands very modest
recital of what he has done in this grand work,
that the formalities of the scheme, such as the
form of the charter and SO on, have all been
brought to a stage of instant availability. It |
only remains for Pittsburg's most generous pa
tron to act.