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271:“In response to this call,” according to the minutes of the first meeting, “a meeting of the subscribers thereto was convened and held at the Smithsonian Institution, in the Regents’ room, on Monday, March 13, 1871.” The outline of a Constitution was adopted, and a General Committee was established, and officers were elected, including President Joseph Henry.
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entrance up the narrow stairs, often pervaded with a scientific odor from the laboratory on the lower floor – an odor once compared to that of the deluge at low tide – the devious and complicated route from the head of the stair, past the
General Committee room, to the place of meeting; the rather
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Then
General Barnes, who was Surgeon-General, and was one of the members, was good enough to offer us more commodious quarters in the city. In those days, coming to the Smithsonian building, especially at night, was something of a task. The paths were not paved; if it happened to be rainy it was a
188:, Henry and several other men interested in science formed a small club called the Saturday Club. Their meetings were held the homes of its members, and were devoted to discussion of scientific questions. Meetings followed by a social with supper and refreshments provided by the evening’s host.
445:
And, while recording the election of new members was inconsistent before and after the Annual
Meeting of 1930, the minutes of that meeting are the first to mention the election of a woman, “Miss G. Back,” to membership. More women followed, both in membership and in the president’s chair.
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The
Society met at Ford’s Theater for sixteen years. Regular meetings were held on alternate Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and were to be devoted to the consideration and discussion of scientific subjects, except for the annual meetings, when the conduct of business of the Society was discussed.
427:, and invited the Society to hold its meetings there. The Society accepted the invitation. Ever since the Society’s 300th meeting on March 26, 1887, the Society has held its regular meetings at the Cosmos Club and moved with the Club in 1951, to its current location in the
292:
very muddy walk indeed…At that time, nearly all of the members of the
Society lived in the city and therefore found it desirable to have the place of meeting where they would not have to go through the Smithsonian grounds, often through a considerable amount of mud.
191:
The
Saturday Club eventually grew to more than forty members and some found it difficult to accommodate the group in their homes. Henry recommended to resolve this difficulty by organizing a society that would be available to any man of science in Washington.
207:
The undersigned respectfully request you to preside at a meeting which they propose to hold for the purpose of forming a society, having for its object the free exchange of views on scientific subjects, and the promotion of scientific inquiry among its
441:
became the first woman to address the
Society. Ms. Benson spoke about a paper she co-authored, titled, "A comparison of the International Hydrogen Scale with the standard scale of temperature defined by the platinum resistance thermometer."
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gloomy room, walled in from floor to ceiling with books from whose dingy backs no light was reflected, and yet in its general aspects and surroundings in many respects appropriate to the objects and purposes of the company gathered therein.
136:
In 1931, the
Society established the ongoing Joseph Henry Lecture series. The lectures present speakers at who have reached the pinnacles of their respective fields, and in recent years have included
434:
The
Society further evolved in the 20th Century. In 1919, after forty-eight years of meeting without refreshment, the Society sanctioned its first social hour following the formal meeting.
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133:
auditorium. Meetings are roughly every other Friday, except in the summer. Meetings are free and open to the public. A lecture is given by a scientist at each meeting.
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At the second meeting, held
Saturday, March 18, 1871, the first scientific paper was presented to the Society. Professor
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And, in an era when travel was more difficult, members delivered accounts of their travels to the outer reaches of the
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moved in 1887 to the Dolley Madison House (shown here in 1883), the Society began holding its regular meetings there.
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for the Society, weeks before his patent on the “box” phone. He later told the Society of his experiments on the
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was completed, with space for exhibitions, research laboratories, and living quarters for Henry and his family.
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was founded and all local members of the Philosophical Society were invited to join.
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Those early meetings included presentations on a wide scope of scientific matters:
287:. In a published oral history, founding member William Dall explained the change:
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129:. In the Club's present location since 1951, the assembly hall is now called the
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Bell, Alexander Graham (July 1881). "Production of Sound by Radiant Energy".
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Henry’s recommendation led Saturday Club members to formally write to Henry:
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465:"The Joseph Henry Lectureship of the Philosophical Society of Washington"
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757:"Alexander Graham Bell Demonstrates Telephone for Joseph Henry's Family"
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719:"The origin and early days of the Philosophical Society of Washington"
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Since 1887, the Society has met regularly in the assembly hall of the
645:"The Philosophical Society of Washington through a thousand meetings"
868:
279:
The next meetings of the new Society were held in the annex of the
591:"Origin and Early Days of the Philosophical Society of Washington"
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On March 12, 1921, one day shy of the Society’s 50th anniversary,
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43 men signed the letter. According to former Society President
337:
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communicated on behalf of the author, “Official Report of the
88:
863:
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About the early meetings at Ford’s Theater, librarian
869:"Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington"
804:"Proceedings of the Academy and Affiliated Societies"
419:
The Club moved to its own building, known now as the
697:
Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington
626:
Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington
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Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington
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Founding of the Philosophical Society of Washington
177:as the Institution’s first Secretary. In 1855, the
83:
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52:
42:
24:
553:"Philosophical Society of Washington Established"
911:Scientific societies based in the United States
396:Residence at the Cosmos Club and later history
843:Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences
808:Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences
723:Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences
649:Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences
8:
19:
463:Curtis, H. L.; Judson, L. V. (1931-08-14).
18:
802:Kimball, H. H.; Doolittle, A. A. (1921).
336:gave presentations on the nature of the
901:Organizations based in Washington, D.C.
891:1871 establishments in Washington, D.C.
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20:The Philosophical Society of Washington
16:Scientific society in Washington, D.C.
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184:Sometime before the outbreak of the
173:was founded and its Regents elected
114:is the oldest scientific society in
112:Philosophical Society of Washington
14:
906:Organizations established in 1871
841:"Minutes of the 1013th Meeting".
249:Quartermaster General of the Army
557:Smithsonian Institution Archives
532:Smithsonian Institution Archives
503:"Joseph Henry Lecture Archives"
106:, the society's first president
1:
690:"Minutes of the 2nd Meeting"
896:Culture of Washington, D.C.
589:Frenkiel, Francois (1962).
481:10.1126/science.74.1911.168
204:Prof. Joseph Henry, LL.D.
927:
242:Chief Engineer of the Army
717:Dall, William H. (1918).
643:Humphreys, W. J. (1930).
528:"Joseph Henry, 1797-1878"
431:on Massachusetts Avenue.
619:"Letter to Joseph Henry"
526:Anonymous (2011-03-09).
782:Popular Science Monthly
761:Smithsonian Institution
551:sysadmin (1871-03-13).
171:Smithsonian Institution
30:; 153 years ago
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219:The signers included:
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118:It continues today as
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381:and around the globe.
366:presented a paper on
349:Alexander Graham Bell
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304:Expedition of 1870.”
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110:Founded in 1871, the
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421:Dolley Madison House
876:PSW Science YouTube
379:Western territories
370:, years before any
252:Montgomery C. Meigs
245:Andrew A. Humphreys
146:William D. Phillips
28:March 13, 1871
21:
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390:Clarence E. Dutton
179:Smithsonian Castle
131:John Wesley Powell
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359:and spectrophone.
351:demonstrated his
165:The Saturday Club
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425:Lafayette Square
374:took to the sky.
334:William Harkness
309:John S. Billings
259:Joseph K. Barnes
116:Washington, D.C.
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632:: 19–20. 1874.
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764:. Retrieved
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729:(2): 29–34.
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175:Joseph Henry
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104:Joseph Henry
47:Joseph Henry
703:: 21. 1874.
507:PSW Science
414:Cosmos Club
406:Cosmos Club
302:Yellowstone
154:Craig Mello
127:Cosmos Club
120:PSW Science
60:Cosmos Club
885:Categories
766:2021-04-16
562:2021-04-16
537:2021-04-16
512:2021-04-16
450:References
357:photophone
298:S.F. Baird
231:Asaph Hall
228:astronomer
140:laureates
89:pswscience
35:1871-03-13
820:0043-0439
735:0043-0439
661:0043-0439
489:0036-8075
404:When the
387:geologist
362:In 1886,
353:telephone
347:In 1877,
328:In 1872,
186:Civil War
75:President
25:Formation
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743:24521443
669:24523672
604:: 12–13.
372:airplane
340:and its
208:members.
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469:Science
160:History
84:Website
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665:JSTOR
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332:and
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