Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-07-13
Hundred Of College Repre-
seniatlves Gathering for
Celebration
Quarter Century Event will
Be CommeDOrated on
Extensive Scale
Special 10 The Tribune.

noted scientists representing univers'
tiles, colleges, institutions for scien.
tific research and scientific societies
in all parts Of the civilized globe have
arrived In this city during the present
week to take part in the celebration
next week Of the 250th anniversary
OF the foundation OF the Royal So.
ciety. the most important scientific
body in Great Britian. Every coun.
try Of Europe, nearly every one of the
civilized nations OF the Orient, the
United States, Canada and the Brit
ish possessions in all parts of the
woriu will be represented at the ju-
bilee celebration which will begin on
Monda and continue until Thursday
of next week.
In --eeping with the Importance Of
the event to be commemorated the
celebration will be on an extensive
scale and t highly interesting and an
elaborate program has been arranged.
King George, who. like all his male
predecessors on the throne of Eng
land, since onarles II, was made a
member Of the Royal Society, is tax
ing unusual interest in the matter and
will entertain his fellow members of
the Royal Society and its native and
foreign guests. The Lord Mayor and
corporation of the city of London will
give a magnificent banquet to the
members and guests in Guild Hall and
the universities of Oxford and Cam
bridge will welcome them.
The Royal Society received its
charter Of incorporation, bearing the
signature fof Charles II and the great
seal of the realm, on July 10, 1862,
and It is this event which will be
commemorated next week. But the
history Of the society dates really
back to the year 1645. In that year,
Theodore Haak, a German, who had
come from the Palatinate to England,
began to organize weekly meetings
"of divers worthy persons inqulsltlve
in natural philosophy and other parts
of human learning, and particularly
of what has been called the New Phil
osophy, or experimental philosophy"
One of Haak's scientific friends,
Henry Oldenburg, also Of German ma.
tionality, acted as secretary and keep
err OF the records of these meetings,
which were at first held at the Bull
Head tavern, in Cheapside, and also
at the lodgings of a DR.. Goddard IN
Wood street.
Three years later some of the mem
bers of these gatherings, who had re-
moved their residence to Oxford,
founded a sister organization at the
university, under the name of THE
Philosophical Society of Oxford
Close relations were maintained be-
tween the London and the Oxford or
carnations, but ultimately their joint
activities were concentrated in Lon
don, where meetings were held at
Gresham college. Not, however. until
1860 did these meetings assume DELI
mite corporate form, and under the
craftsmanship of DR.. Wilkins a COM
mittee of forty was constituted for the
purpose of promoting psychic, math-
ematical, experimental learning n
philosophy" with initiation fees, an
nual subscriptions, and regularly ap-
pointed meeting days, and series OF
lectures.
Sir Robert Moray was elected pres
ident and the membership of the So
ciety was limited TO ffty.fve. Fellows
of the Royal College of Physicians,
and the professors of mathematics,
physics and of natural philosophy at
Oxford and Cambridge were made adj
Missile as associate or supernumer-
airy members. In October Of the fol
lowing year King Charles, who took
great interest in the society, applied
for election as ordinary member and
was duly elected On July 10, 1861,
the Royal Society received its chart
er. The original founder, Theodore
Haak, had died in the mean time, but
his friend, Henry Oldenburg, was stu
living and actively interested in the
organization. He vas properly honor
ed by being unanimously elected the
first secretary and permanent execu
tive officer of the society.
Until the great fire of London, the
society continued to hold its meetings
in Gresham college. But when, after
that conflagration, the premises OF
the Royal Society in Gresham callege
We're required for the municipal Of
fees, it was invited by Henry How
ard, sixth Duke Of Norfolk, to estab.
lish itself under his roof at Arundel
House. At the same time he present
ed the society with the valuable Ii
brary collected by his grandfather,
Thomas, Earl OF Arundel. In 1871
Isaac Newton was elected a member
and thirty years later he was elected
president, an office which he held to
the time OF his death in 1927. Under
the presidency of Isaac Newton the
society moved to Crane Court, where.
1t remained until 1880, when It re-
moved to a suite in Somerset House.
The next and last change was made in
1867, when the Royal Society remov-
ed to its present quarters at Burling-
ton House, Piccadilly.
nuI0