Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-16
THE B0TANISTS OF WASHINGTON


the seat of the national government. Its
scientific standing. for instance is one
which is due almost entirely to the fact
| that here. carrying on the great work of
scientific research and endeavor for I'm
Gle Sam. are gathered together scientists
OF the foremost rank in this country. And
this body of scientists. covering practi-
| cally every known branch of scientific
thought and work. is divided into smaller
groups. each group consisting of those
| men who follow the same special line of
work. such as botany. biology. chemis-
| try, medicine and various other sciences.
Through this state of affairs there have
grown up in Washington during the past
years, as far back as
HerballStS OF 1919, when the Medical
nla. Ill.,: Society of the District of
Columbia" was formed,
various societies of a scientific nature, in
| which the membership Is made up to a
| large extent of government experts. Such
for example, Is the case with the Botan-
ical Society, one of the most important
| botanical societies in this country. which
has for it's membership large per cent
| OF those botaniStS WHO go to make up
| the working force of the Department Of
Agriculture.
The Botanical Society of Washington
was organized in 1901, and at the end of
| a niue more than ten years has taken its
rank among sister botanical organizations
throughout the country. and even in the
world. The real history of this society,
however. dates further back than 1901,
| because 1t was the outcome of two pre-
vious organizations which existed, the
Botanical Seminar and the WASHINGTON
Botanical Club, both formed several years
| before.
OF the first two societies the Botanical
Seminar is the older, having been formed
in 1898. But even this organization was,
| In way. the outcome of a previously
formed body. 1t is the Biological Society,
| organized in 1880. that has to be taken as
the real beginning of the movement which
IS represented today by the present
Botanical Society. The Biological Society
| was the first scientific body formed here
| that gave any attention to botanical mat
| ters But there, however. they were too
sHsnty touched upon to make the society
OF any real value to the botanists here
Consequently. In 1893. the Botanical Semi
mar came into existence. The men who
were instrumental in the formation of
Inls ntIie society We're Merton B. Waite.
David q. Fairchild, Erwin F. Smith Bey-
| eriy L. Galloway. Frederick v. Coville
| and Theodore Holm all in the Agricul-
tural department. In several ways this
| little Botanical Seminar can take rank
| as being the most novel organization of
| serious nature ever formed here AS far
| as organization went, 1t had none in the
accepted sense of the term. There were no
| officers and no constitution, while its
membership, though very exclusive. exist
| ed only IN tradition or in memory The
meetings were held at the residence of
members. the host of the preceding meet
ing acting as chairman. The main aim Of
this little band was the general discussion
n Inn ynhN fo1
promote friendly spirit of criticism.
Ihis latter phase of the society's work
was carried on very vigorously, and while
1t was always in an absolute spirit of
amlty, 1t nevertheless was many times
warm. 1t was the custom of members of
this band never to publish a paper until
| 1t had either been read or summarized by
the society, and had run the gantlet Of
criticism. Another important feature Of
| this society was the lunches which were
| served at the meetings. These. served
during the evening, became a famous
feature, and were always an important
part Of the meetings.
Perhaps this interesting little organiza-
ton might still be In existence, had it
not been for one fea-
merger OF ture Of It's 'unwrit-
Dill. ten C ION tituti on.
It's membership was
limited to twenty-five. AS time went on
more and more botanists came to Wash
ington to take up the work in the gov
eminent. From the original six mem
bers this band grew until the twenty
five mark had been reached. and it was
decided to admit no more. But the
decision did not check the influx Of men
| following the same line of study, and
in many cases these newcomers had, by
right of their prominence, an equal right
| to be members of this select little band.
And so 1t was that in 1898 the Wash
| ington Botanical Club came into being.
somewhat in the same manner that a
political overflow meeting is held C. l..
Pollard and the late Gilbert II. Hicks
were instrumental in the formation of
this second botanical society, while the
| aim here was slightly different: the
study of systematic and geological bot
any. In this society there were regular
officers and stated meetings, but other
wise the two were much alike DR.. E. L.
Greene was the first president of this
body and c. L. Pollard secretary, and
they continued to hold these offices until
| the two bodies merged into the present
Botanical Society.
For some time everything went we'll.
| the two societies being able to include all
those botanists wishing to join. But it
| soon became difficult to hold meetings at
| the members homes. as the member
| ship grew to be SO large that meetings
were always crowded And then, too it
was realized that although the relations
| between the two bodies were friendly,
one society would be better. 1t
| was on November %. 1901, that joint
meeting was held for the purpose Of con-
sidering a consolidation. A committee
| was formed on which H. G. Webber, o.
| F. Cook and NJ. B. Waite represented the
Botanical Seminar and c. L. Pollard,
David White and William r. Maxon the
| Washington Botanical Club. Satisfactory
| arrangements were made and the Botan-
ical Society of Washington was born.
The first officers We're: Albert F. Woods.
president; F. V. Coville. vice president:
C. L. Pollard, recording secretary: Her
bert J. Weber, corresponding secretary.
and Walter HI. Evans. treasurer. When
| first organized the Botanical Society had
| ffty-seven members, of which num-
Der less than ten were employed other
than in the Department Of Agriculture.
In recommending the union, the Joint
committee advised that monthly meetings
| be held in a private
| Meetings and room at some suitable
Discussions. ,nfonn,a, d;.nan ~