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Meetings of the AAS: 1908-1915

Created By Brant Sponberg, edited and expanded by Paul Routly and by Joseph S. Tenn.

Ninth Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (A&ASA)

Dates: August 25-28, 1908

Place: Hotel Victoria, Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Number of Members in Attendance: 29 Total; ?? Female; ?? Male

Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total; ?? Female; ?? Male

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 31 (29 According to AIP Archives)

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1908-1909
  • First Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1908-1909
  • Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1908-1909
  • Secretary, W.J. Hussey 1906-1909
  • Treasurer, C.L. Doolittle 1908-1909
  • Councilors, Ormond Stone 1907-1909, W.S. Eichelberger 1907-1909, W.J. Humphreys 1908-1910, and Frank Schlesinger 1908-1910.
  • Ex-president(s),

Members/representatives/delegates: Messrs. Harold Jacoby and F.H. Sears were elected Editors of this Meeting.

New Committees: A Luminous Meteor Committee (To secure photographs of meteor trails), Consisting of Professors Cleveland Abbe, Chair, W.L. Elkin, and H.A. Peck; and a Comet Committee (To obtain information on Halley's Comet and its return), consisting of Professors George C. Comstock, Chair, Edward E. Barnard, Edward C. Pickering, and Charles D. Perrine.

Old Committees: None

Held in Conjunction With: None

Honorary Member(s): None

Notes of Interest: The Ninth Meeting of the A&ASA was held on Tuesday to Friday, August 25-28, 1908, at the Hotel Victory in Put-in-bay, Ohio. In welcoming the Society, President E.C. Pickering explained that the location of the meeting was chosen so the members could be together between the sessions as well as at them, under circumstances which would enable them to become better acquainted and, at the same time, afford opportunity for the discussion of matters of mutual interest.

Published descriptions of meeting:

Group photo of attendees

10th Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (A&ASA)

Dates: August 19-21, 1909

Place: Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin

Number of Members in Attendance: ?? Total (54 Total according to AIP Archives; 53 according to Popular Astronomy); ?? Female (6 Female according to AIP Archives); ?? Male (48 Male according to AIP Archives)

Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total (34 Total according to AIP Archives); ?? Female (0 Female according to AIP Archives); ?? Male (34 Male according to AIP Archives)

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 40 (47 According to AIP Archives; 41 according to Popular Astronomy)

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1909-1910
  • First Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1909-1910
  • Second Vice-President, W.W. Campbell 1909-1910
  • Secretary, W.J. Hussey 1909-1912
  • Treasurer, C.L. Doolittle 1909-1910
  • Councilors, W.J. Humphreys 1908-1910, Frank Schlesinger 1908-1910, W.S. Eichelberger 1909-1911, and Edwin B. Frost 1909-1911.
  • Ex-president(s),

Members/representatives/delegates: Dr. Frank Schlesinger was appointed Editor for this Meeting.

New Committees: Planetary Communication Committee (To explain to the general public the unlikelihood of any communication from Earth to the other planets, particularly Mars), Consisting of E.C. Pickering, G.C. Comstock, and E.B. Frost.

Old Committees: Luminous Meteor Committee; and the Comet Committee.

Held in Conjunction With: None

Honorary Member(s): None

Notes of Interest: The Tenth Meeting of the A&ASA was held from Wednesday to Saturday, August 18-21, 1909, at the Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin. President E.C. Pickering eulogized Simon Newcomb and G.W. Hough, both of whom died during the past year, and the Society passed a resolution commending the career of Newcomb. A proposal to change the Society's name to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) was discussed and rejected so as not to offend those involved in "laboratory research." The Society also went on record against any attempt to communicate with Mars, believing such attempts as useless, and that no formal attentions be given to "absurd accounts" in recent papers. The Committee on Luminous Meteors report urged the establishment of a network of photographic stations 100 miles apart. The Committee on Comets, in preparation for Halley's, has tried to raise funds for a Hawaiian observation post (to cover the pacific). Messrs. E.E. Barnard, E.C. Pickering and E.B. Frost respectively are heading up photographic, photometric and spectrographic programs in this committee.

Published descriptions of meeting:

Group photo #1 of attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-00103], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Group photo #2 of attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-00107], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

11th Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (AASA)

Dates: August 17-19, 1910

Place: Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Number of Members in Attendance: 83 Total; 15 Female; 68 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 29 Total; 6 Female; 23 Male

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 42

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1910-1911
  • First Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1910-1911
  • Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1910-1911
  • Secretary, W.J. Hussey 1909-1912
  • Treasurer, C.L. Doolittle 1910-1912
  • Councilors, E.B. Frost 1909-1911, W.S. Eichelberger 1909-1911, W.J. Humphreys 1910-1912, and Frank Schlesinger 1910-1912.
  • Ex-president(s),

Members/representatives/delegates: None

New Committees: A Committee on Cooperation in the Measurement of Stellar Radial Velocities, composed of W.W. Campbell (Chair), Edwin B. Frost, H.F. Newall, J.S. Plaskett, Frank Schlesinger and Karl Schwarzschild; a Committee on the Determination of Absolute Positions of the Stars by Photography, consisting of Frank Schlesinger (Chair), Harold Jacoby, Edward C. Pickering, Frank Ross, H.N. Russell, and H.H. Turner.

Old Committees: The Committee on Luminous Meteors; The Committee on Comets.

Held in Conjunction With: None

Honorary Member(s): None

Notes of Interest: The Eleventh Meeting of the AASA was held at the Harvard College Observatory on Wednesday to Friday, August 17-19, 1910. This particular time, one week before the meeting at Mount Wilson of the International Union for the Cooperation in Solar Research, was selected so that European members of the Solar Union could attend the meeting of the Society at Cambridge before proceeding to California. Five sessions for scientific papers were held, four of them in the drawing-room of the Director's residence. The Committee on Luminous Meteors reported that Cleveland Abbe, Chair, expected to complete, within the year, apparatus for the continuous photographic record of paths and times of bright meteors passing within 45 degrees of the Zenith. The Committee on Comets Obtained a $1,200 grant from the Bache Fund of the National Academy of Sciences to put a photographic telescope on Hawaii for Halley's Comet. Ferdinand Ellerman of the Carnegie Institution's Mount Wilson Solar Observatory was given charge of this expedition. John A. Brashear and Lick Observatory lent a mounting and portrait lens. Side trips were also made to the Student's Astronomical Laboratory at Harvard, to the Whitin Observatory at Wellesley College and to the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory. During the Meeting, the Society passed a resolution supporting a bill in Congress that would put the U.S. Naval Observatory under civilian control. The resolution was forwarded to President Taft who acknowledged its receipt, saying, "I am pressing this Naval Observatory bill as hard as I can."

Published description of meeting:

Group photo of some attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-04321], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Group photo #2 most attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-04322], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library [identifications]

12th Annual Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (AASA)

Dates: August 23-25, 1911

Place: Dominion Observatory, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Number of Members in Attendance: 33 Total; 6 Female; 27 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 18 Total; 2 Female; 16 Male

Total Membership: ?? (248 According to J. Hussey)

Number of Papers Presented: 30

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1911-1912
  • First Vice-President, E. B. Frost 1911-1912
  • Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1911-1912
  • Secretary, W.J. Hussey 1909-1912
  • Treasurer, C.L. Doolittle 1911-1912
  • Councilors, W.J. Humphreys 1910-1912, F. Schlesinger 1910-1912, W.S. Eichelberger 1911-1913, and J.S. Plaskett 1911-1913.
  • Ex-president(s),

Members/representatives/delegates: Mr. R.h. Curtiss was appointed Editor for the Meeting, and also officiated as Acting Secretary in the absence of Professor Hussey.

New Committees: A Committee on Cooperation in the Teaching of Astronomy with C.L. Doolittle as Chair, and consisting of Sarah F. Whiting, C.A. Chant and J.A. Miller.

Old Committees: The Committee on Photographic Astrometry.

Held in Conjunction With: None

Honorary Member(s): None

Notes of Interest: The Twelfth Meeting of the A&ASA was held on Wednesday to Friday, August 23-25, 1911. President Pickering, in his opening remarks, noted that this was the first Meeting of the Society (AASA) outside the U.S. the Canadian Deputy Minister of the Interior W.W. Cory, C.M.G., welcomed the Society. As mentioned above, the Committee on Photographic Astrometry presented a report stating strongly that photographic methods could be applied successfully to absolute as well as to differential determinations of star positions.

Published descriptions of meeting:

Group photo of attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-04493], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

13th Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (AASA)

Dates: December 27-29, 1911

Place: Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C.

Number of Members in Attendance: 64 Total; 7 Female; 57 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 9 Total; 0 Female; 9 Male

Total Membership: over 270 (248 According to J. Hussey)

Number of Papers Presented: 32

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1911-1912
  • First Vice-President, E. B. Frost 1911-1912
  • Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1911-1912
  • Secretary, W.J. Hussey 1912-1915
  • Treasurer, C.L. Doolittle 1911-1912
  • Councilors, W.J. Humphreys 1910-1912, F. Schlesinger 1910-1912, W.S. Eichelberger 1911-1913, and J.S. Plaskett 1911-1913.
  • Ex-president(s),

Members/representatives/delegates: Professor Ralph H. Curtiss Acted as Editor for the Meeting, and Professor F.B. Littell as Secretary.

New Committees: a Committee on Asteroids Consisting of E.W. Brown (Chair), J.H. Metcalf, G.H. Peters and A.O. Leuschner.

Old Committees: Committee on Comets; Committee on Photographic Astrometry; Committee on Cooperation in the Teaching of Astronomy.

Held in Conjunction With: Two sessions were held with Section A of the AAAS.

Honorary Member(s): None

Notes of Interest: The Thirteenth Meeting of the A&ASA was held on Wednesday to Friday, December 27-29, 1911. At the joint sessions, E.B. Frost presided; for these joint sessions, special programs were arranged including addresses by Lewis Boss on "Recent Researches as to the Systematic Motions of the Stars," by E.H. Moore, retiring Vice-President of Section A, on "The Foundations of the Theory of Linear Integral Equations," and by Joel H. Metcalf on "The Asteroid Problem." On Wednesday evening, Members of the Association and its Affiliated Societies had the Pleasure of hearing addresses in the lecture hall of the National Museum by Hon. William Taft, President of the U.S., and by Professor A.A. Michelson, retiring President of the AAAS, on "On Recent Progress in Spectroscopic Methods." Among the extracurricular activities were visits to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, to the U.S. Naval Observatory, and to the U.S. Weather Bureau. The Committee on Comets, G.C. Comstock, Chair, submitted a report which consisted mainly of a card catalogue of photographs of Halley's Comet. The Committee on Photographic Astrometry Submitted a report in which they were attempting an experiment to study the movements of piers and to find a way to counteract them. The Committee on Cooperation in the Teaching of Astronomy also submitted an oral report by its Chair, C.L. Doolittle; an extended and interesting discussion followed which did not lead to any specific action.

Published descriptions of meeting:

Group photo of attendees. [Identifications]

14th Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (AASA)

Dates: August 27-31, 1912

Place: Allegheny Observatory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Number of Members in Attendance: 44 Total; 6 Female; 38 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 9 Total; 1 Female; 8 Male

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 44

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1912-1913
  • First Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1912-1913
  • Second Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1912-1913
  • Secretary, Philip Fox 1912-1915
  • Treasurer, Annie Jump Cannon 1912-1913
  • Councilors, W.S. Eichelberger 1911-1913, J.S. Plaskett 1911-1913, William Wallace Campbell 1912-1914, and E.B. Frost 1912-1914.

Members/representatives/delegates: None

New Committees: None

Old Committees: Committee on Cooperation in the Measurement of Radial Velocities; Committee on Asteroids; Committee on Comets; Committee on Photographic Astrometry; Committee in Improvement of Teaching Elementary Astronomy.

Held in Conjunction With: None

Honorary Member(s): Sir David Gill

Notes of Interest: The Fourteenth Meeting of the AASA was held from Wednesday to Friday, August 27-30, 1912. Sessions were held at the Allegheny Observatory on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon being occupied by the exercises of dedication of the new observatory (Allegheny). Thursday and Friday sessions were held at the Schenley Hotel. Visits included, the Carnegie Institute, the Homestead Plant of the Carnegie Steel Company, and the shops of the John A. Brashear Company. The Constitution of the AASA was amended to allow election of Honorary Members, and Sir David Gill became the first so elected. The Committee on Cooperation in the Measurement of Radial Velocities Reported that finding radial velocities of extensive lists of stars below 5.0 in magnitude was impractical. The Committee on asteroids held a meeting in Philadelphia in April 1912 and wanted to collect observations of positions of asteroids and wished to create organization to secure more uniform observation of asteroids, possibly through an international conference. The Committee on Comets reported that a catalogue of photographs of Halley's was ready to publish and that aside from overseeing this publication, its work was finished. The Committee on Photographic Astrometry had completed a 10" telescope specially mounted and maintained (temperature, etc.) To determine polar point (expected to operate through spring of 1913). $200 debt incurred by this committee was being cleared by Pittsburgh Friends of Brashear. The Committee on Cooperation in Improvement of Teaching Elementary Astronomy (notice name change), with the addition of Philip Fox of Northwestern, also reported on a circular it had sent out (80 replies from various colleges and universities received).

Published description of meeting:

Group photo of attendees. (Courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives #AAS E14)

15th Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (AASA)

Dates: December 31, 1912 - January 2, 1913

Place: Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio

Number of Members in Attendance: 37 Total; 1 Female; 36 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 6 Total; 0 Female; 6 Male

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 36

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1913-1914
  • First Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1913-1914
  • Second Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1913-1914
  • Secretary, Philip Fox 1912-1915
  • Treasurer, Annie Jump Cannon 1913-1914
  • Councilors, W.S. Eichelberger 1911-1913, J.S. Plaskett 1911-1913, W.W. Campbell 1912-1914, and E.B. Frost 1912-1914.

Members/representatives/delegates: None

New Committees: a Committee on Associate Membership Was Appointed Consisting of George C. Comstock, W.S. Eichelberger and E. W. Brown.

Old Committees: None

Held in Conjunction With: Sections A and B of the AAAS and the American Mathematical Society (AMS)

Honorary Member(s): None

Notes of Interest: The Fifteenth Meeting of the A&ASA was held on Tuesday to Thursday, December 31, 1912 - January 2, 1913, at the Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland, Ohio, in affiliation with the AAAS. Professor Van Vleck presided at the Joint Session on Tuesday afternoon. The Program consisted of addresses by the retiring Vice-Presidents of Sections A and B and six additional papers: "The Spectroscopic Determination of Stellar Radial Velocities Considered Practically," by E.B. Frost "On Unitary Theories in Physics" (Read by J.A. Parkhurst), by R.A. Millikan, "Henri Poincare as a Mathematical Physicist," by A.G. Webster, "Some General Aspects of Modern Geometry," by E.J. Wilczynski, "Cosmical Magnetic Fields," by L.A. Bauer, and "Preliminary Note on an Attempt to Detect the General Magnetic Field of the Sun," by George E. Hale (Read by L.A. Bauer). Mr. E.D. Roe presented a plan for the creation of grades of membership in the society. In consequence, a special committee on associate membership was set up, as noted above.

Published description of meeting:

16th Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (AASA)

Dates: December 29, 1913 - January 1, 1914

Place: Georgia Technical College, Atlanta, Georgia

Number of Members in Attendance: 11 Total; 0 Female; 11 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 2 Total; 0 Female; 2 Male

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 29

Officers

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1914-1915
  • First Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1914-1915 M
  • Second Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1914-1915
  • Secretary, Philip Fox 1912-1915
  • Treasurer, Annie Jump Cannon 1914-1915
  • Councilors, W.S. Eichelberger 1911-1913, J.S. Plaskett 1911-1913, W.W. Campbell 1912-1914, and E.B. Frost 1912-1914.

Members/representatives/delegates: None

New Committees: None

Old Committees: the Committee on Photographic Astrometry.

Held in Conjunction With: AAAS

Honorary Member(s): Arthur Auwers of Berlin

Notes of Interest: The Sixteenth Meeting of the AASA was held on Monday to Thursday, December 29, 1913 to January 1, 1914. Sessions were held in a classroom of the Georgia Technical College or in the parlors of the Piedmont Hotel, and were Presided over by the Society President, E.C. Pickering, or in his absence, George C. Comstock. On Monday evening, the retiring President of the AAAS, Dr. E.C. Pickering (He was also President of the AASA), spoke on "The Study of the Stars," which contained a sharp criticism of the reorganizational plan for the U.S. Naval Observatory. On Tuesday afternoon, the AASA met in joint session with Section A of the AAAS to hear the address of the retiring Vice-President of that Section, Professor E.B. Van Vleck who spoke on "The Influence of Fourier Series upon the Development of Mathematics." It was also at this session that Professor Henry Norris Russell gave his famous talk on "Relations Between the Spectra and Other Characteristics of the Stars." Three other points of interest should be noted - one, the council voted to meet with the large quadrennial meetings of the AAAS, two, Governor and Mrs. Slaton hosted a reception at Georgia's Gubernatorial Mansion for the AAAS and associated Societies, and, three, the Committee on Photographic Astrometry, Mr. Frank Schlesinger (Chair), reported on experiments carried out at the Allegheny Observatory to ascertain the advantages/disadvantages of with wideangle cameras as compared with the meridian circle in determining the positions of faint stars. This Committee also reported on preliminary results as to how to keep a pier stationary.

Published description of meeting:

Group photo of attendees.

17th Meeting of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (AASA)

Dates: August 25-28, 1914

Place: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

Number of Members in Attendance: 66 Total; 5 Female; 61 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 27 Total; 4 Female; 23 Male

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 48

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1914-1915
  • First Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1914-1915
  • Second Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1914-1915
  • Secretary, Philip Fox 1912-1915
  • Treasurer, Annie Jump Cannon 1914-1915
  • Councilors, E.B. Frost 1913-1915, William Wallace Campbell 1913-1915, W.S. Eichelberger 1914-1916, and J.S. Plaskett 1914-1916.
  • Ex-president(s),

Members/representatives/delegates: None

New Committees: A Committee on the Determination of Stellar Parallaxes was formed consisting of Frank Schlesinger (Chair), Walter S. Adams, George C. Comstock, Philip Fox, Edwin B. Frost, John A. Miller, Walter A. Mitchell and Frederick Slocum (added later).

Old Committees: The Committee on Photographic Astrometry.

Held in Conjunction With: None

Honorary Member(s): Oskar Backlund, Observatoire Central Nicholas, Pulkova, Russia

Notes of Interest: The Seventeenth Meeting of the AASA was held on Tuesday to Friday, August 25-28, 1914, at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and was the largest recorded to date. It was at this meeting that the Society changed its name from the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (A&ASA) to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) - resolution passed unanimously. The Society endorsed plans for an observatory at the University of Arizona and passed a resolution concerning the restoration of a Congressional grant for the maintenance of the International Geodetic Association. Professor Elias Colbert, President of the Chicago Astronomical Society (The founders and guardians of the Dearborn Observatory), welcomed the Society at the beginning of the proceedings. This was also the first meeting at which the Society's Members were housed in College Dormitories (This rooming solution was used successfully in later meetings). The Committee on Photographic Astrometry reported that observations are continuing apace, and that about 20% of the reductions for this particular catalogue are finished. On Friday afternoon, after the AAS Meeting had adjourned, many members accepted an invitation to visit the Yerkes Observatory.

Published description of meeting:

Group photo #1 of some attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-00393], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Group photo #2 of some attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-00394], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Group photo of most attendees: Archival Photographic Files [apf6-04243], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

18th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS)

Dates: August 27, 1915

Place: Lick Observatory, Stanford University, and the Student's Observatory in Berkeley, California. (The record is ambiguous as to where this meeting was actually headquartered).

Number of Members in Attendance: 45 Total; 5 Female; 40 Male

Number of New Members Admitted: 8 Total (9 Total According to AIP Archives); 2 Female; 6 Male (7 Male According to AIP Archives)

Total Membership: ??

Number of Papers Presented: 46

Officers:

  • President, Edward C. Pickering 1915-1916
  • First Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1915-1916
  • Second Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1915-1916
  • Secretary, Philip Fox 1915-1918
  • Treasurer, Annie J. Cannon 1915-1916
  • Councilors, W.S. Eichelberger 1914-1916, J.S. Plaskett 1914-1916, Edwin B. Frost 1915-1917, and Joel Stebbins 1915-1917.
  • Ex-president(s),

Members/representatives/delegates: Professor Joel Stebbins was appointed Editor for this Meeting.

New Committees: A Variable Star Committee (To Consider Variable Star Nomenclature); an Epoch Committee (To Consider the Replacement of the Multiplicity of Old Star Epochs with Standard Epochs).

Old Committees: Committee on Meteors; Committee on Photographic Astrometry; Comet Committee; Asteroid Committee; and the Committee on Stellar Parallaxes.

Held in Conjunction With: Sections A and B of the AAAS, the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the American Physical Society (APS), and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP).

Honorary Member(s): Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn of Groningen, Holland

Notes of Interest: The Eighteenth Meeting of the AAS was held in the Berkeley area of California (see remark above) on Monday to Saturday, August 2-7, 1915, in affiliation with the pacific coast meeting of the AAAS. Five sessions of the Society were held for the reading of papers and transaction of business, distributed between the Students' Observatory at Berkeley, Stanford University, and Lick Observatory, all presided over by Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger. Dr. W.W. Campbell, Director of the Lick Observatory, opened the Meeting Monday evening and spoke on "Science and Civilization." On Tuesday morning, there was a Joint Meeting of the AAS, the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the American Physical Society (APS), and Sections A and B of the AAAS, with Armin O. Leuschner, Vice-President of Section A Presiding; two interesting and important talks were given - "The Human Significance of Mathematics" by Professor C.J. Keyser of Columbia University and "The Work of a Modern Observatory" by Professor George E. Hale of the Mt. Wilson Solar Observatory. On Tuesday afternoon, the Society met in Joint Session with the ASP at the Students' Observatory in Berkeley to present the ASP Bruce Medal to Dr. W.W. Campbell, the address of the award being delivered by Professor R.T. Crawford. The Council amended Article V of the Society's Constitution establishing the dues at $2 per year, establishing the category of life-time membership whereby a member in good standing may pay $25 to avoid the payment of dues for the rest of his life, and stating that no officer may be paid for his services, short of legitimate expenses incurred. The Meeting, the first held in California, was marked by a wide range of social events. The most notable occurred on Saturday, August 7, when Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst hosted the Society at her country home, Hacienda Del Pozo De Verona, and provided a special train for the members' return. The Society reaffirmed its support for the restoration of the Congressional grant funding the International Geodetic Association in the wake of Congress's lack of support. The Committee on Meteors Reported on plans to manufacture the photographic meteorgraph in conjunction with the Kodak Company. The Committee on Photographic Astrometry reported that a photographic catalog of equatorial stars was almost ready for publication. The Comet Committee reported that publishing delays had kept the Halley's volume from completion (published later in the year). The Committee on Asteroids emphasized the need for cooperation with European astronomers to further its work which, due to the war, was impossible. The Committee on Stellar Parallaxes reported on its multi institutional effort to share and compile stellar parallax determinations (1871 parallaxes). Finally, it should be noted that some members took advantage of their being on the west coast by visiting Mt. Wilson Observatory, or the Dominion Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia.

Published description of meeting:

Group photo of attendees at Berkeley. (Courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives #AAS E67)
[Identifications (pdf)]
Group photo of attendees at Lick Obs. (Courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives #AAS E8)

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