A century of science in America

by Unknown

Of national institutions the American Philosophical Society was founded in 1743, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1780, and the National Academy of Sciences in 1863.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, with its thousands of members, now has separate sections for each of the special branches of science. This great association was organized in 1848, as the successor of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists. This was itself a revival of the American Geological Society which first met at Yale in 1819. Its meetings have given a great support to the scientific work of the country.

The American Society of Naturalists was founded in 1883. The original plan of the society was for the discussion of methods of investigation, administration and instruction in the natural sciences, but its program is now entirely devoted to discussions and papers of a broad biological interest. It also arranges for an annual dinner of the several biological societies and an address on some general biological topic.

In 1890, toward the end of the period in which morphological studies were being emphasized, the professional zoologists of the eastern states founded the American Morphological Society. This association held annual meetings during the Christmas holidays for the presentation of zoological papers. This name became less appropriate after a few years because of the gradual decrease in the proportion of morphological investigations owing to the greater attention being directed to problems in experimental zoology and physiology. Consequently the name was changed to the American Society of Zoologists. To be eligible for membership in this society a person must be an active investigator in some branch of zoology, as indicated by the published results.

The American Association of Anatomists includes in its membership investigators and teachers in comparative anatomy, embryology, and histology as well as in human anatomy. Many professional zoologists and experimental biologists present their papers before this society, or at the meetings of the American Physiological Society. The Entomological Society of America and the American Association of Economic Entomologists are large and active societies.

These national societies have been of great service in fostering a high standard of zoological research. A still more important service, though generally less conspicuous, is rendered by the journal clubs in connection with all the larger zoological laboratories, and by local scientific societies which are now maintained in all the larger centers of learning throughout the country. There are also specific societies for some of the different fields of biological work.

Biological Stations.

No insignificant factor in the development of biological science has been the establishment of biological stations where investigators, teachers and students meet in the Summer vacation for special studies, discussions and research. The most successful of these laboratories have been located on the seashore and here the study of marine life in Summer supplements the work of the school or university biological courses. The famous Naples Station was founded in 1870, and was shortly after followed by several others. Similar biological stations are now supported on almost every coast in Europe and in several inland localities.

The first such American school was established by Louis Agassiz at the island of Penikese on the coast of Massachusetts in 1873, succeeding his private laboratory at Nahant. During that Summer more than forty students gained enthusiasm for the work of future years. Unfortunately the laboratory so auspiciously started was of brief duration, for the death of Agassiz occurred in December of the same year, and the laboratory was discontinued at the end of the following Summer. Shortly afterward Alexander Agassiz equipped a small private laboratory at Newport, Rhode Island, and W. K. Brooks established the Chesapeake Bay Zoological Laboratory.

At this time the United States Fish Commission was engaged under the direction of Spencer F. Baird in a survey of the marine life of the waters off the Eastern Coast. Between 1881 and 1886 the Commission established the splendidly equipped biological station at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Both here and at the Fish Commission Laboratory at Beaufort, North Carolina, much work in general zoology as well as in economic problems is accomplished. These laboratories are designed particularly for specialists engaged in researches connected with the work of the Fish Commission.