The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-11-30
Laid FOUNDATION
FOR GREAT WORK
First Scientific Society Organ
lied Early in Nineteenth
Century.
FOUNDED BY navy SURGEON
Influenced Development Of Important
Bureaus Now Maintained by Uncle
Sam to Solve Nations
Problems.

The great scientific bureaus main
tained by Uncle Sam at Washington
with their thousands Of employees
dealing with the country's problems in
every branch of science, and the impor-
tant learned societies and scientific es-
tablishmentS Of the national capital,
were influenced in their early growth
and development in a greater or less
degree by a scientific society which
flourished in Washington during the
early years of the last century. The
Columbian Institute for the Promotion
of Arts and Sciences, now all but for
gotten, was the first learned society es-
tablished in Washington, it's organiza-
tion dating from June, 1916, 16 years
after the occupation of the city as the
federal capital, and less than two years
after the invasion by the British
troops. The population of Washington
was at that time little more than TO-
900, and the repair and reconstruction
of the public buildings was still in the
initial stage. The history, organization
and achievement of this society are
fully described in an interesting bulle-
tin of the United States National Mu-
scum by Richard Rathmun, assistant
secretary of the Smithsonian institu-
ton, in charge of the National museum.
objects Were Diversified.
The objects of the Columbian insti-
tute, which was chartered by congress
in 1918 for a term of 20 years, were as
whole very diversified, those specih-
cally named in the beginning having
been almost wholly of utilitarian ma
ture, such as the government has from
time to time assumed and made the
basis of the work of several scientific
bureaus. Four years later, however,
an organization was adopted which
gave to the institute the latitude Of a
comprehensive learned society. Among
all the activities planned only few
were in any way conspicuously car
ried out, in default of the necessary
support, the most important and mate
rial of these being the establishment Of
a botanic garden and museum. The
former occupied the extreme eastern
end of the Mall which then approached
much nearer the capitol than at pres
ent, and included the site Of the pres
ent United States botanic garden.
Starting with a cabinet Of minerals
which remained predominant in this
connection, this feature soon developed
into general, though small, museum,
containing specimens of zoology, bot
any, ethnology, archaeology, fossils, etc.
Transferred to the National institution
in 1S41, some of the objects are now
readily distinguishable in the United
States National museum.
Navy Surgeon First President.
However unfortunate in the realiZa-
ton Of it's ambitions, the Columbian
institute nevertheless occupied an en-
viable position among the earlier asso-
Citations of this country for the breadth
and importance of it's objects, even If
they be regarded only in the nature
of suggestions, which have since been
so fully recognized in the organiza-
tion Of the government and elsewhere,
and for its hearty and unselflsh efforts
to carry them out. The Columbian in
stitute owed its establishment and
early successes to a masterful mind,
that Of DIR. Edward Cutbush, then a
surgeon in the navy, and the first pres |
ident Of the society, though acknowl-
edgments are also due to Thomas Law
for the suggestion of such a society at
the seat of government.
The membership of this institute in
cluded O great many Of the prominent
men of every walk Of life in Washing
ton, among them John Quincy Adams,
Andrew Jackson, John @. Calhoun,
Henry Clay and well-known representa-
tives Of the army, the government serv-
Ice, the medical and other professions.