Reference Request
Finding Aids to Records of Professional Societies in the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 7115
National Academy of Sciences
Records, 1863-1887
Historical Note
The National Academy of Sciences, founded in Washington, D. C., in 1863, grew out of a desire for a body of scientists to give advice on scientific matters to the federal government. Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian, was a force behind its creation.
Descriptive Entry
These records of the National Academy of Sciences include accounts of grants from the Bache Fund; general fund accounts; correspondence and other documents regarding the James Watson Fund; printed constitution and by-laws; a few lists of members and papers read; a small amount of material on research for the government by Academy members, especially the whiskey meter; and documents relating to major gifts to the Academy. This collection was retained with the Joseph Henry Papers until 1973.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
Subject
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7115, National Academy of Sciences, Records