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Finding Aids to Records of Professional Societies in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 7185

Biological Society of Washington

Records, circa 1880-1972

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Biological Society of Washington
Title:Records
Dates:circa 1880-1972
Quantity:7.5 cu. ft. (15 document boxes)
Collection:Record Unit 7185
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

The records of the Society include mailing and membership lists, officers' reports, financial material, minutes of meetings, and official correspondence. There is a sizeable amount of correspondence and related material concerning the publication of manuscripts in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.

Historical Note

The Biological Society of Washington was founded on December 3, 1880. Its original purpose was the furtherance of biological scholarship by providing a forum for the presentation of scientific papers. Later modifications limited the purpose to the furtherance of taxonomic study and the diffusion of taxonomic knowledge, mainly through the publication of the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. It was also one of the eight founding organizations of the Washington Academy of Sciences.

The governing council of the Society includes the elected officers and selected local members. The first president was George Brown Goode and the first recording secretary was Richard Rathbun. A number of other Smithsonian Institution and United States National Museum staff have been active members of the Society, as have staff from other federal government scientific agencies, particularly the Departments of Agriculture and Interior.

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Introduction

This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.

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Descriptive Entry

The records of the Society include mailing and membership lists, officers' reports, financial material, minutes of meetings, and official correspondence. There is a sizeable amount of correspondence and related material concerning the publication of manuscripts in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.

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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

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7185, Biological Society of Washington, Records

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Container List

Series 1

CONSTITUTIONS, REPORTS, AND GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, CIRCA 1880, 1884, 1892, 1895, 1904, 1907, 1909, 1940.

Box 1

Folder 1 Original signed Constitution, 1880 (?)

Box 1 of 15

Folder 2 Mailing list, 1884

Box 1 of 15

Folder 3 Constitution and by-laws, 1892

Box 1 of 15

Folder 4 Invitation to reception, 1895

Box 1 of 15

Folder 5 Resolutions and amendments to Constitution, 1904 and undated

Box 1 of 15

Folder 6 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Volume XIX, 1907, containing Constitution and by-laws; Volume XXI, 1909, containing list of members.

Box 1 of 15

Folder 7 Correspondence of President Theodore Sherman Palmer, concerning Society membership and building for Washington Academy of Sciences, 1909

Box 1 of 15

Folder 8 Constitution and by-laws, 1940

Box 1 of 15

Series 2

MINUTES OF GENERAL MEETINGS, 1894-1959.

The minutes contain business brought up by Council, papers presented, and general business. Minutes for 1880-1894 are missing.

Box 2

Folders 1-2 Meetings, 227-644, 1894-1922

Box 2 of 15

Box 3

Folders 1-4 Meetings 645-1027, 1923-1959

Box 3 of 15

Series 3

MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETINGS, 1880-1959.

Council meetings usually preceded regular meetings. The minutes contain nominations of new members, committee reports, and other business.

Box 4

Folders 1-4 Meetings 1-583, 1880-1918

Box 4 of 15

Box 5

Folders 1-4 Meetings 584-1027, 1918-1959

Box 5 of 15

Series 4

RECORDS OF THE SECRETARY, CIRCA 1902-1909, 1924-1972.

Box 6

Folder 1 Outgoing correspondence, 1902-1909

Box 6 of 15

Folder 2 Correspondence, 1924-1939

Box 6 of 15

Folder 3 Lists of members, Secretary's reports, 1929-1942

Box 6 of 15

Folder 4 Samples of form letters, 1932-1936

Box 6 of 15

Folder 5 Correspondence, some concerning Proceedings, 1933-1934

Box 6 of 15

Folder 6 Membership and depository lists, 1935

Box 6 of 15

Folder 7 Depository lists and correspondence concerning Proceedings subscriptions, 1936-1937

Box 6 of 15

Folder 8 Mailing lists; address given by outgoing President, 1938

Box 6 of 15

Folder 9 Survey and cover letter, correspondence, 1939-1940

Box 6 of 15

Folder 10 Notices of meetings, 1940-1942

Box 6 of 15

Folder 11 Correspondence, reports; material concerning Junior Biological Society, 1941-1947

Box 6 of 15

Box 7

Folder 1 Mailing list, business correspondence, 1949-1950

Box 7 of 15

Folder 2 Correspondence concerning membership, 1950-1951

Box 7 of 15

Folder 3 Mailing list, correspondence, 1951-1952

Box 7 of 15

Folder 4 Correspondence concerning membership, 1952-1953

Box 7 of 15

Folder 5 Correspondence, some concerning Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. Trust, 1953-1954

Box 7 of 15

Folder 6 Mailing lists, correspondence, 1955

Box 7 of 15

Folder 7 Correspondence, 1956

Box 7 of 15

Folder 8 Correspondence, some concerning Lyon Trust, 1957

Box 7 of 15

Box 8

Folder 1 Correspondence concerning membership, 1958

Box 8 of 15

Folder 2 Correspondence, some concerning Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. Trust, 1959

Box 8 of 15

Folder 3 Membership lists, correspondence, 1960

Box 8 of 15

Folder 4 Correspondence, mailing lists, reports, 1960-1961

Box 8 of 15

Folder 5 Correspondence, mailing lists, 1961-1962

Box 8 of 15

Box 9

Folder 1 Correspondence, mailing lists, 1961-1963

Box 9 of 15

Folder 2 Correspondence, reports, 1962-1963

Box 9 of 15

Folder 3 Correspondence, memoranda, 1964-1970

Box 9 of 15

Folders 4-5 Correspondence concerning membership, 1968-1972

Box 9 of 15

Folder 6 Mailing lists, 1969

Box 9 of 15

Folder 7 Membership lists, lists of out-of-print issues of Proceedings, 1970

Box 9 of 15

Series 5

RECORDS OF THE TREASURER, 1904-1905, 1917-1972.

Box 10

Folder 1 Reports, 1904-1905

Box 10 of 15

Folder 2 Reports, including auditors' reports, 1917-1965, 1970-1972

Box 10 of 15

Folder 3 Treasury reports and papers, 1920-1970

Box 10 of 15

Folder 4 Material concerning American Security and Trust Bank transactions, 1942-1971

Box 10 of 15

Folder 5 Material concerning application for tax-exempt status, 1965-1968

Box 10 of 15

Box 11

Folder 1 Record book of Perpetual Building Association and Interstate Building Association accounts, 1957-1970

Box 11 of 15

Folder 2 Ledger, American Security and Trust Bank account, 1962-1970

Box 11 of 15

Folder 3 Petty cash journal containing revolving fund account, 1964-1972

Box 11 of 15
CORRESPONDENCE AND RELATED MATERIAL CONCERNING PUBLICATION OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, CIRCA 1896-1918, 1924-1952, 1960, 1971.

This series contains correspondence of Charles Wallace Richmond and Herbert Friedmann, editorial chairman, with contributors to Proceedings. Some correspondence concerns personal affairs.

Box 12

Folder 1 Committee on Publication repots, 1902 and undated

Box 12 of 15

Folders 2-8 Correspondence, 1924-1934

Box 12 of 15

Box 13

Folders 1-6 Correspondence, 1935-1940

Box 13 of 15

Box 14

Folders 1-10 Correspondence, 1941-1950

Box 14 of 15

Box 15

Folders 1-2 Correspondence, 1950-1952

Box 15 of 15

Folder 3 Price lists for Proceedings, circa 1896-1918

Box 15 of 15

Folder 4 Suggestions to contributors and information concerning publication, circa 1902-1960

Box 15 of 15

Folder 5 Author index to Proceedings volumes 1-35, 1924

Box 15 of 15

Folder 6 List of herpetological papers printed in Proceedings, 1971

Box 15 of 15

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