Imperial Valley press., 1914-02-24
Haskin Letters

Americas national academy of
sciences this year is entering upon the
second half century of its career as
the country's high tribunal of re-
search. 1t is a symbolization of the
lands intellectual growth. Its men,
bers, as are the members of the
worlds other famous academies, are
drawn from the most eminent savants
of the nation, so that our young scien-
fists of today are looking forward to
the time when results obtained in their
various subjects of investigation will
bring about recognition of them by
the academy or their election to its
membership. Nevertheless, this inSti-
tuition is nothing like so generally
known among the people which it
serves as are the national academies
of the greater European nations. To
the average American, his academy is
merely a name or it is completely un
known. 1t does not form that concrete
part of the national life which, in their
countries, is taken by the French and
German academies.
Notwithstanding the fact that
knowledge of the academy has not
penetrated to popular fame, it has all
the elements possessed by its sister
organizations of other lands with
which to make an appeal to the pride
and Imagination of the people. 1t is
the nations high court of science, in
by an act of congress. It's
is made up of the coun-
try's foremost scholars, only such in
vestigatorS being elected to the acad-
envy as have won distinction through
important contributions to hu~
man information. Much of the research
work done here is first announced
the academy, while scientists
are aided in the prosecution of i'm
portant studies by assignments of the
income of its trust funds. Further, the
academy is the four !ai1 head Of scien
tifc honors, by its bestowal of mem
bership and its award; Of prizes and
medals.
II Has no Home
The United States academy has pre-
served its character of popular in
by reason of several causes. .
In the first place it has no home.
the acadamicians hang their
hats and begin their sittings there is
the home of the academy. Then, too,
It's members are sca5ta ed throughout
the states. Their names do not appear
in the appropriation bills, as they draw
no salaries or pensions from the gov
e'nment And, fir ,'ly the rublica-
tions and transactions of the acad-
emy are not of kind to attract much
public notice.
There has long been desire among
the leading members to build splen
did home for the academy in the ma
tional capital, where it holds its reg
ular business meetings every year, be
ginning on the third Tuesday in April.
Such a building, worthy of the ma
tional corporate body of the coun-
try's representative scholars, accord
ing to some plans, would contain not
merely rooms for the housing of the
administrative Offices and an auditor
ium for regular assemblies, but hous
ing facilities for its visiting members
and foreign guests and we'll equipped
research laboratories. At present, the
accounts of the institution carry 4
building fund of $1,000 and, should this
'und be made sufficiently large through
the academy would prob
ably request congress to provide it
with the land for its buildings.
There are 1872 members of the acad-
emy. They organized in two divis-
ions and eight sections for the purpose
Of facilitating the transaction oe bus
mess. The division of mathematic.;
and physics comprehends three sec
ns-mathematics and astronomy,
physics and engineering and chemistry.
The division of natural history is
subdivided into five sections-geology
and paleontology, botany, zoology and
animal morphology, physiology and
and anthropology and psy-
chology.
The Academy's Work
The work of the academy falls un-
der four main headings There is
the work Of its members; second, the
academy's work for the national gov
ernment; third its encouragement of
scientific investigation through its
awards Of medals and prizes, and its