Reference Request
Finding Aids to Records of Professional Societies in the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 7079
Philosophical Society of Washington (Washington, D.C.)
Records, 1871-1968, 1972 and undated
Collection Overview
| General Information About This Collection | |
|---|---|
| Repository: | Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu. |
| Creator: | Philosophical Society of Washington (Washington, D.C.) |
| Title: | Records |
| Dates: | 1871-1968, 1972 and undated |
| Quantity: | 23.19 cu. ft. (1 record storage box) (43 document boxes) (1 16x20 box) |
| Collection: | Record Unit 7079 |
| Language of Materials: | English |
| Summary: | This record unit includes correspondence (1871-1968), minutes (1871-1965), records of investments and other fiscal records (1871-1968), publications (1871-1962), newspaper clippings, and photographs. Documentation is full before 1950, with some significant gaps. Most of the records deal with administration of the Society: nomination and election of officers, adoption of and changes in the constitution and by-laws, plans for weekly meetings, and special lectures before the Society. The fiscal records are of particular interest for study of the financing of learned societies in America. Included is information regarding Charles G. Abbot, Spencer Fullerton Baird, Leonard Carmichael, George Gamow, Charles B. Goode, Joseph Henry, Samuel P. Langley, Albert James Myer, Simon Newcomb, and Harold Clayton Urey. |
Historical Note
The Philosophical Society of Washington (PSW) was organized on March 13, 1871, by forty-seven men who wished to establish, in the District of Columbia, a society dedicated solely to the advancement of science. It was subsequently incorporated in 1915. The Society's stated goals are the promotion of science, the advancement of learning, and the free exchange of views among its members on scientific subjects. It has pursued these goals through regular and special lectures on scientific topics and through the publication of the Philosophical Society of Washington Bulletin.
Descriptive Entry
This record unit includes correspondence (1871-1968), minutes (1871-1965), records of investments and other fiscal records (1871-1968), publications (1871-1962), newspaper clippings, and photographs. Documentation is full before 1950, with some significant gaps.
Most of the records deal with administration of the Society: nomination and election of officers, adoption of and changes in the constitution and by-laws, plans for weekly meetings, and special lectures before the Society. The fiscal records are of particular interest for study of the financing of learned societies in America. Included is information regarding Charles G. Abbot, Spencer Fullerton Baird, Leonard Carmichael, George Gamow, Charles B. Goode, Joseph Henry, Samuel P. Langley, Albert James Myer, Simon Newcomb, and Harold Clayton Urey.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- Abbot, C. G. (Charles Greeley), 1872-1973
- Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887
- Bulletin (Philosophical Society of Washington)
- Carmichael, Leonard, 1898-1973
- Gamow, George, 1904-1968
- Goode, G. Brown (George Brown), 1851-1896
- Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878
- Langley, S. P. (Samuel Pierpont), 1834-1906
- Myer, Albert James, 1829-1880
- Newcomb, Simon, 1835-1909
- Urey, Harold Clayton, 1893-1981
Subject
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7079, Philosophical Society of Washington (Washington, D.C.), Records
Container List
Series 1
MINUTES OF GENERAL MEETINGS, 1871-1952.Box 1
1871-1882, handwritten drafts and abstracts of meetings
Folder 1 December 2, 1871-November 16, 1872
Folder 2 December 11, 1872-November 1, 1873
Folder 3 November 15, 1873-January 2, 1875
Folder 4 January 30, 1875-May 8, 1875
Folder 5 May 22, 1875-December 4, 1875
Folder 6 December 18, 1875-December 16, 1876
Folder 7 January 13, 1877-April 7, 1877
Folder 8 January 30, 1878-January 17, 1880
Folder 9 February 14, 1880-December 16, 1882
Box 2
1884-1900, handwritten and typewritten drafts and abstracts of meetings; some final reports (printed) included
Folder 1 December 20, 1884-December 21, 1887
Folder 2 January 7, 1888-March 3, 1888
Folder 3 March 17, 1888-April 14, 1888
Folder 4 April 28, 1888-December 22, 1888
Folder 5 January 5, 1889-April 13,1889
Folder 6 April 27, 1889-May 11, 1889
Folder 7 May 25, 1889-November 22, 1890
Folder 8 December 20, 1890-December 19, 1891
Folder 9 November 12, 1898-April 28, 1900
Folder 10 December 5, 1874 and undated
Box 3
1889-1926
Folder 1 January 5, 1889-December 10, 1898 (bound volume)
Folder 2 December 22, 1898-January 7, 1905 (bound volume; dates written on front are January 1899-December 1904)
Folder 3 December 24, 1904-December 9, 1911 (bound volume; dates written on front are January 1905-December 1911)
Folder 4 December 9, 1911-May 22, 1915 (bound volume; January 1912-May 1915)
Folder 5 October 2, 1915-November 27, 1926 (unbound meeting notes)
Box 4
1926-1952
Folder 1 December 11, 1926-January 28, 1933 (Printed with the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Folder 2 January 4, 1930-December 3, 1938
Folder 3 December 17, 1938-December 7, 1940
Folder 4 October 10, 1942-May 26, 1945
Folder 5 October 13, 1945-December 4, 1948
Folder 6 October 11, 1947-May 23, 1952
Series 2
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS, 1883-1965.Box 5
Minutes of the General Committee Meetings, 1883-1914
Folder 1 January 27, 1883-October 7, 1888
Folder 2 November 10, 1888-May 21, 1892
Folder 3 October 15, 1892-December 22, 1898
Folder 4 January 7, 1899-December 9, 1911
Folder 5 December 15, 1911-December 19, 1914
Box 6
Minutes of the General Committee Meetings, 1919-1965
Folder 1 January 4, 1919-May 6, 1922
Folder 2 December 7, 1940-December 1, 1952 (binder)
Folder 3 December 5, 1952-December 1, 1962
Folder 4 December 1, 1957-October 26, 1962 (includes brief history of Society)
Folder 5 December 7, 1962-December 17, 1965
Series 3
CORRESPONDENCE, 1871-1968, 1972.This series consists of correspondence on membership (including address changes, acceptances and rejections of membership), letters regarding publication of Society's bulletin, and some early speeches at meetings. Of special interest is a draft of a letter asking Joseph Henry to preside at a meeting to form the Society. Some correspondence deals with negotiations with speakers and lecturers, discussion of other Society business, and correspondence with other learned societies.
Box 7
Correspondence, 1871-1883
Folder 1 1871
Folder 2 1872
Folder 3 1873 (January-March)
Folder 4 1873 (April-December)
Folder 5 1874 (January-February)
Folder 6 1874 (April-December)
Folder 7 1875
Folder 8 1876
Folder 9 1877
Folder 10 1878
Folder 11 1879
Folder 12 1880
Folder 13 1881
Folder 14 1882
Folder 15 1883
Box 8
Correspondence, 1885-1897
Folder 1 1885 (January-April)
Folder 2 1885 (May-June)
Folder 3 1885 (July-December)
Folder 4 1886 (January-March)
Folder 5 1886 (April-December)
Folder 6 1887 (January-April)
Folder 7 1887 (May-December)
Folder 8 1888
Folder 9 1889
Folder 10 1890
Folder 11 February 15, 1890-January 7, 1897 (letterpress book)
Box 9
Negotiations with speakers and lecturers, discussion of other Society business, correspondence with other learned societies, 1893-1939
Folder 1 February 1893-April 1894 (letterpress book)
Folder 2 1893
Folder 3 1894
Folder 4 1899-1912
Folder 5 1919
Folder 6 1920
Folder 7 1921
Folder 8 1922
Folder 9 1923
Folder 10 1924
Folder 11 1926
Folder 12 1927
Folder 13 1928
Folder 14 1930
Folder 15 1931
Folder 16 1934
Folder 17 1935
Folder 18 1936
Folder 19 1937
Folder 20 1938
Folder 21 1939
Box 10
Correspondence, 1940-1948 (Outgoing Letters)
Folder 1 1940
Folder 2 1941
Folder 3 1942
Folder 4 1943
Folder 5 1944
Folder 6 1945
Folder 7 1946
Folder 8 1947 (January-April)
Folder 9 1947 (May-December)
Folder 10 1948
Box 11
Correspondence, 1949-1959
Folder 1 Incoming, 1949
Folder 2 Outgoing, 1950
Folder 3 Outgoing, 1951
Folder 4 Outgoing, 1952
Folder 5 Outgoing, 1953
Folder 6 Outgoing, 1954
Folder 7 Outgoing, 1955
Folder 8 Outgoing, 1956
Folder 9 Outgoing, 1957
Folder 10 Outgoing, 1958
Folder 11 Outgoing, 1959
Box 12
Correspondence, 1960-1968 and undated
Folder 1 Outgoing, 1960
Folder 2 Outgoing, 1961
Folder 3 Incoming, 1962
Folder 4 Outgoing, 1963
Folder 5 Outgoing, 1964
Folder 6 Outgoing, 1965
Folder 7 Incoming, 1966
Folder 8 Miscellaneous, 1966
Folder 9 Outgoing, 1967
Folder 10 Miscellaneous, 1968
Folder 11 Miscellaneous, 1972
Folder 12 Undated
Series 4
FISCAL RECORDS, 1871-1968.Contains statements, some canceled checks, bills, correspondence on investments, flyers and broadsides on investment opportunities, legal documents related to management of investments, annual treasurer's reports, and reports of annual auditing committees. Also included are treasurer's files, including lists of members, and dues books; daily journals; record of distribution of Society's publications; cash books listing receipts and disbursements; and a bound volume listing speakers before the Society.
Box 13
Fiscal Records, 1871-1920
Folder 1 Treasurer's Due Book, 1871-1881
Folder 2 Daybook, 1876-1885
Folder 3 Cash Book, 1906-1920
Folder 4 Cash Book, 1885-1905
Folder 5 Treasurer's Due Book, 1882-1885
Box 14
Fiscal Records, 1871-1872; 1874; 1880; 1884-1894; 1901-1911
Folder 1 1871-1872; 1874; 1880
Folder 2 1884
Folder 3 1885
Folder 4 1886
Folder 5 1887
Folder 6 1888
Folder 7 1889
Folder 8 1890
Folder 9 1891
Folder 10 1892
Folder 11 1893
Folder 12 1894
Folder 13 1901-1911
Box 15
Fiscal Records, 1912-1940
Folder 1 1912
Folder 2 1913
Folder 3 1914
Folder 4 1915
Folder 5 1916
Folder 6 1917
Folder 7 1918
Folder 8 1919
Folder 9 1920
Folder 10 1921
Folder 11 1922
Folder 12 1923
Folder 13 1924
Folder 14 1925
Folder 15 1926
Folder 16 1927
Folder 17 1928
Folder 18 1929
Folder 19 1930
Folder 20 1931
Folder 21 1932
Folder 22 1933
Folder 23 1934
Folder 24 1935
Folder 25 1936
Folder 26 1937
Folder 27 1938
Folder 28 1939
Folder 29 1940
Box 16
Treasurer's Reports, 1941-1946 (books)
Folder 1 1941
Folder 2 1942
Folder 3 1943
Folder 4 1944
Folder 5 1945
Folder 6 1946
Box 17
Treasurer's Record of Dues, 1932-1969 (books) (see box 44 for Treasurer's Books, 1932-1939)
Folder 1 1939-1953
Folder 2 1954-1962
Folder 3 1963-1969
Box 18
Fiscal Records, 1947-1968, and undated
Folder 1 1947
Folder 2 1948
Folder 3 1949
Folder 4 1950
Folder 5 1951
Folder 6 1952
Folder 7 1953
Folder 8 1954
Folder 9 1955
Folder 10 1956
Folder 11 1957
Folder 12 1958
Folder 13 1959
Folder 14. 1960
Folder 15 1961
Folder 16 1962
Folder 17 1963
Folder 18 1964
Folder 19 Cosmos Club, 1964
Folder 20 1964
Folder 21 Treasurer's Reports and Budget Estimates, 1947-1964
Folder 22 1965
Folder 23 1965
Folder 24 1966
Folder 25 1967
Folder 26 1968
Folder 27 Undated
Series 5
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, 1871-1968.This series comprises membership lists, reports of committees on nominations and elections, minutes and reports of the General Committee (duplicates), and drafts of amendments to the constitution and bylaws of the Society. (Box 45 also contains administrative records.)
Box 19
Administrative Records, 1871-1928
Folder 1 Administrative Records, 1884-1885
Folder 2 Administrative Records, 1907-1919
Folder 3 Administrative Records, 1920-1928
Folder 4 Accessions 1-190 (book)
Folder 5 Distribution of Publications (book)
Folder 6 Daybook, 1893-1917
Folder 7 List of Recipients of Publications
Box 20
Administrative Records: Communications Committee, etc., 1930-1968
Folder 1 Administrative Records, 1930-1939
Folder 2 Administrative Records, 1960-1965
Folder 3 Administrative Records, Undated
Folder 4 Administrative Records, Officers of the PSW, 1938-1968
Folder 5 Administrative Records, Duties of Officers and Committees
Box 21
Administrative Records: Committees, 1935-1968
Folder 1 Communications Committee, 1935-1955
Folder 2 Communications Committee, 1956-1959
Folder 3 Communications Committee, 1960-1962
Folder 4 Communications Committee, 1963
Folder 5 Communications Committee, 1963
Folder 6 Communications Committee, 1964
Folder 7 Communications Committee, 1965
Folder 8 Communications Committee, 1966
Folder 9 Communications Committee, 1967
Folder 10 Officers of Standing Committees, 1964-1968
Box 22
Membership Records: Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "A-F"
Folder 1 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "A"
Folder 2 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Ba-Bl"
Folder 3 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Bo-By"
Folder 4 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "C"
Folder 5 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "D"
Folder 6 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968 "E"
Folder 7 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "F"
Box 23
Membership Records: Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "G-L"
Folder 1 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Ga-Go"
Folder 2 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Gr-Gu"
Folder 3 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Ha-Hi"
Folder 4 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Ho-Hy"
Folder 5 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968 "I"
Folder 6 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "J"
Folder 7 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "K"
Folder 8 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968 "L"
Box 24
Membership Records: Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "M-R"
Folder 1 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Ma-Me"
Folder 2 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Mi-My"
Folder 3 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968 "N"
Folder 4 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "O"
Folder 5 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "P"
Folder 6 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Q"
Folder 7 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "R"
Box 25
Membership Records: Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "S-Z"
Folder 1 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Sa-Sh"
Folder 2 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968 "Si-Sw"
Folder 3 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "T"
Folder 4 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968 "U-V"
Folder 5 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Wa-We"
Folder 6 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968, "Wh-Wy"
Folder 7 Membership Proposals, 1931-1968 "Y-Z"
Box 26
Membership Records, 1936-1968 (see Box 45 for more Membership Records)
Folder 1 New Members, 1939-1968
Folder 2 Obituaries
Folder 3 Change of Address
Folder 4 Absent List
Folder 5 Membership Lists, 1961-1962
Folder 6 Membership Lists
Folder 7 Membership Lists, 1936-1964
Folder 8 Life Members, 1937-1968
Folder 9 Letters of Resignation, 1937-1968
Box 27
Correspondents and Membership Lists, 1871-1926 (cards and bound volume)
Box 28
Membership Records, 1947-1965 (cards containing information such as address, affiliation, when elected, and record of dues)
Series 6
LECTURES, 1931-1968.Consists of abstracts of addresses that were delivered before the Society and intended for publication. Also included are retiring presidents' lectures and annual Christmas lectures.
Box 29
Joseph Henry Lectures, 1931-1968
Folder 1 1931-1941
Folder 2 1942-1953
Folder 3 1954-1962
Folder 4 1961
Folder 5 May 11, 1962
Folder 6 1963-1966
Folder 7 May 10, 1965
Folder 8 1964
Folder 9 May 28, 1965
Folder 10 May 10, 1968
Folder 11 Printed Versions of Joseph Henry Lectures, 1931, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1961
Box 30
Retiring Presidents' Lectures, 1941-1967, and Annual Christmas Lectures, 1952-1967
Folder 1 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, 1941, 1945-1949, 1951
Folder 2 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, 1960-1961
Folder 3 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, January 1962
Folder 4 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, January 4, 1963
Folder 5 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, January 10, 1964
Folder 6 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, January 8, 1965
Folder 7 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, January 7, 1966
Folder 8 Retiring Presidents' Lectures, January 6, 1967
Folder 9 Annual Christmas Lectures, 1952-1957
Folder 10 Annual Christmas Lectures, 1957-1960
Folder 11 Annual Christmas Lectures, 1960-1963
Folder 12 Annual Christmas Lectures, 1964-1967
Box 31
General Lectures, 1960-1962
Folder 1 Hutchinson, April 22, 1960
Folder 2 Bethe, April 25, 1960
Folder 3 P. Morrison, October 7, 1960
Folder 4 Harry Wexler, November 4, 1960
Folder 5 Alexander Rich, November 18, 1960
Folder 6 Edward U. Condon, December 2, 1960
Folder 7 Alan C. Kolb, "Controlled Thermonuclear Research," December 16, 1960
Folder 8 Lewis R. Maxwell, January 13, 1961
Folder 9 Whyte, January 1961
Folder 10 Pound, January 27, 1961
Folder 11 Richard B. Kershner, February 10, 1961
Folder 12 Markowitz, February 24, 1961
Folder 13 Frank Drake, March 10, 1961
Folder 14 A. G. W. Cameron, March 24, 1961
Folder 15 E. C. T. Chao, April 14, 1961
Folder 16 Dewitt Stetten, April 28, 1961
Folder 17 F. Stern, May 24, 1961
Folder 18 Sir Harold Jeffreys, October 13, 1961
Folder 19 E. Anders, October 21, 1961
Folder 20 W. B. G. Stroud, October 27, 1961
Folder 21 Warren L. Butler, January 10, 1961
Folder 22 Robert P. Madden, November 24, 1961
Folder 23 Harold Boyne, December 8, 1961
Folder 24 Irene Fischer, January 19, 1962
Folder 25 Maurice Shapiro, Febraury 2, 1962
Folder 26 R. W. Berliner, February 16, 1962
Folder 27 A. G. W. Cameron, March 2, 1962
Folder 28 J. M. Leonard, March 16, 1962
Folder 29 J. A. Hummel, March 30, 1962
Folder 30 E. Fuller, April 13, 1962
Folder 31 W. Cracker, April 27, 1962
Folder 32 May 11, 1962
Folder 33 R. Revelle, May 25, 1962
Box 32
Correspondence, Announcements, Abstracts from Lectures, etc., 1935-1968
Folder 1 Miscellaneous Abstracts from Lectures Presented at PSW Meetings, c. 1943-1958
Folder 2 Correspondence, Invitations, etc., 1962-1963
Folder 3 Correspondence with Speakers, Letters of Acceptance, 1966
Folder 4 Correspondence with Speakers, Letters of Refusal, 1966
Folder 5 Speakers List, 1966-1967
Folder 6 Correspondence with Speakers, 1966-1967
Folder 7 Schedule of Speakers, 1967
Folder 8 Correspondence with Speakers, 1967-1968
Folder 9 Miscellaneous, 1935-1958
Folder 10 Announcements of Meetings, 1965-1966
Folder 11 Announcements of Meetings, 1966-1967
Box 33
Scrapbooks, 1882-1895
Folder 1 1882-1894
Folder 2 1884-1895
Folder 3 1895
Series 7
PUBLICATIONS, 1871-1962.Box 34
Bulletins of the Philosophical Society of Washington, 1871-1892
Folder 1 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume I, 1871-1874
Folder 2 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume II, 1874-1878
Folder 3 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume III, 1878-1880
Folder 4 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume IV, 1880-1881
Folder 5 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume V, 1881-1882
Folder 6 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume VI, 1883
Folder 7 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume VII, 1884
Folder 8 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume VIII, 1885
Folder 9 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume IX, 1886
Folder 10 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume X, 1887
Folder 11 Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume XI, 1888-1892
Box 35
PSW Proceedings, Volumes 12-16
Folder 1 Volume 12
Folder 2 Volume 13
Folder 3 Volume 14
Folder 4 Volume 15
Folder 5 Volume 16
Folder 6 "The Philosophical Society of Washington Through a Thousand Meetings," by W. J. Humphreys, from Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Volume 20
Folder 7 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 16
Box 36
Papers of the American Society of Church History (Volumes II, IV, VII) and American Naturalist (Volumes VI-VII)
Series 8
PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES.Series mainly comprises copper-plate negatives of photographs of various PSW members. Many are in poor condition, and most of the 72 negatives are unidentified.
Box 37
Miscellaneous Photographs
Box 38
Photographic Negatives (15)
Box 39
Photographic Negatives (12)
Box 40
Photographic Negatives (16)
Box 41
[No longer exists]
Box 42
Photographic Negatives (8)
Box 43
Photographic Negatives (15)
Box 44
Treasurer's Logbook, 1932-1939 (Part of series 4)
Box 45
Card Files (Part of series 5)
Folder 1 List of Members, 1966
Folder 2 Mailing List, 1966
Folder 3 Absent List, undated
Folder 4 "Old" Cards (of Members), c. 1960s
Box 46
Photographic Negatives (6) (Part of series 8)
- Finding Aid encoded on: 4-29-2020
- Contact us at osiaref@si.edu