Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-21
SCIENTISTS IN SESSION
NATIONAL ACADEMY CoNvENES
AT sMITHsoNIAN INSTITUTION.
Papers on Variety of Topics to Be
Read This Afternoon and
Tomorrow.

The spring meeting of the National
Academy of Sciences. was held at the
Smithsonian Institution this morning
with President Ira Remsen of the Johns
Hopkins University presiding. The meet
ing was devoted to routine business. after
which a recess was taken for luncheon.
The scientific meeting will be held in
Catlin Hall of the National Museum. at
> o'clock this afternoon. at which interest
ing papers will be read. 1t is expected
the academy will contIfie in session for
three days. with two sessions daily. one
in the morning for the transaction of bust
ness and the other AT > O'Clock in the
afternoon for the reading OF scientific
papers. Preceding the business meeting
this morning. a meeting Of the council
was held. but no business transacted or
brought before the council was referred
to the academy for settlement. At the
meeting tomorrow will occur the election
o. treasurer and two members OF the
council to fill vacancies occasioned by
the expiration of the terms of office of
those officers.
Among those present this morning were
President Ira Remsen, Charles ID. Wal
colt. DR.. William Henry Welch. one of the
greatest living pathologists: DR.. S. Weir
Mitchell. famous as an authority on nerv-
Gus diseases: DR.. John Shaw Billings.
librarian Of the New York Public Library:
Prof George w. Hill. the celebrated
mathematician: Prof. Joseph p. Iddings.
pathologist of the Chicago University
chemistry at Yale: Prof Thomas c.
chamberlain. the great geologist of the
University of Chicago Prof. j. \. Allen,
the noted authority on birds of the Amer
lean Museum of Natural History, and
Prof. Lewis Boss. of the Dudley OBJ
serva;ory. Albany. n. Y.
OF High Character.
The academy is classed as one of the
most famous scientific bodies in the
world. and membership to it is one OF the
great honOrs of the world that can come
to scientific man. who must have first
distinguished himself in an eminent de-
sree in his special line OF work Every
member is a rare specialist in one branch
OF science or the other 1t was founded
March !. 1853. with a membership limited
to fifty. although this limitation was aft
erward removed by the act Of July Ii,
1870. to form union. as it's charter
states, of men Of the highest scientific at
tainment for the purpose of Offering their
special learning to the services of the
government to investigate. examine eX-
pertinent and report upon any subject of
science or art. but without any compen-
sation to the members for so doing It's
present membership numbers about one
hundred of the most eminent scientific
men in the world
Six medals are awarded by the academy
yearly for distinguished merit in the
scientific field. Its annual business meet
ings are always held in this city on the
third Tuesday in April of each year. wher
papers are read. The autumnal meeting
is held in various places. generally at an
educational or scientific center. New mem.
bers. however. must be elected at the
Washington meeting.
The Washington contingent contains
leading specialists in every branch of sci
ence. Only two other organizations of a
similar character in America-the Ameri.
can Philosophical Society Of Philadelphia
and the American Academy Of Arts and
Sciences of BOston-are as exclusive in
their membership as the National Acad-
envy of Sciences. whose fame reaches
around the world