 Historical Astronomy Division |
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Dates: October 18-20, 1897
Place: Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Number of Astronomers in Attendance: 114 Total; 9 Female; 105 Male
Number of Papers Presented: 29
Held in Conjunction With: None
Notes of Interest: The First Conference of Astronomers and Astrophysicists was held at the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, from Monday to Wednesday, October 18-20, 1897. The Conference was organized by Professor George Ellery Hale, and was timed to occur immediately before the dedication of the Yerkes Observatory (October 21, 1897), of which Hale was Director. The beginning of what was then known as "The Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America" can be traced to this conference. Indeed, the first session was devoted to the Annual Meeting of the Board of Editors of the "Astrophysical Journal," which had discussed the desirability of some kind of an astronomical society at previous meetings. All told, some 114 astronomers and astrophysicists attended the conference, which was considered so successful that another conference was scheduled for next summer.
Dates: August 18-20, 1898
Place: Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Number of Astronomers in Attendance: 92 Total; 17 Female; 75 Male
Number of Papers Presented: 24 (20 According to AIP Archives)
New Committees: A Society Committee and Executive Council (To frame a Constitution for the New Society (See Notes Below); the Naval Observatory Committee, consisting of Professors E.C. Pickering, George E. Hale, and George C. Comstock; and a Solar Eclipse Committee, Consisting of Simon Newcomb, George E. Hale, E.E. Barnard, W.W. Campbell, E.C. Pickering, and George C. Comstock (To organize for the May 28, 1900 Solar Eclipse, and to determine the best places for observation).
Notes of Interest: The Second Conference of Astronomers and Astrophysicists was held at the Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday to Saturday, August 18-20, 1898 at the invitation of Professor E.C. Pickering. At the session on Friday morning, it was resolved by unanimous vote that the annual conferences should be continued, either in their existing form or under the auspices of a permanent society, and a Committee (The Society Committee) was formed to accomplish this latter objective. This Committee consisted of Messrs. George E. Hale, Chair, Simon Newcomb, Edward C. Pickering, Edward M. Worley, and George C. Comstock, Secretary. At the next session of the Conference, that is, Friday afternoon, the Society Committee recommended the formation of a permanent society and presented a first draft of a Constitution. The Conference accepted the substance of the proposed plan, and called a special meeting for the purpose of effecting a preliminary organization. The meeting was duly held on August 23, 1898 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the city of Boston. The plan of organization was referred to the same Society Committee, who were given power to add four new individuals to their number, and authority to act "Ad Interim" as the Executive Council of the new Society. The Committee was enlarged by the addition of Messrs. S.P. Langley, Lewis Boss, A.A. Michelson, and J.S. Ames. The Executive Council met next at the Smithsonian Institution on Saturday, February 18, 1899, and spent the day putting the Constitution and Bylaws into shape for presentation to the members of the new Society.
Dates: September 68, 1899
Place: Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Number of Astronomers in Attendance: Around 50 (50 Total According to AIP Archives); ?? Female; ?? Male (50 Male According to AIP Archives)
Number of Members at the Time of Society's Organization: 114 Total; 13 Female; 101 Male
Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Total Membership: 113
Number of Papers Presented: 31 (19 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Simon Newcomb 1899-1900
First Vice-President, Charles A. Young 1899-1900
Second Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1899-1900
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1899-1902
Treasurer, Charles L. Doolittle 1899-1900
Councilors, Edward W. Morley 1899-1900, Ormond Stone 1899-1900, Edward C. Pickering 1899-1901, and James E. Keeler 1899-1901.
Ex-President(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: None
Old Committees: Society Committee and Executive Council; Naval Observatory Committee; and Solar Eclipse Committee.
Held in Conjunction With: None
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Third Conference of Astronomers and Astrophysicists met at the Yerkes Observatory, Wednesday to Friday, September 6-8, 1899, at the invitation of Professor George E. Hale, in accordance with arrangements made by the Society Committee and Executive Council. Because the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, initially named the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America (A&ASA), were passed at this meeting, the Third Conference is also reckoned as the First Meeting of the A&ASA. The Solar Eclipse Committee submitted a report on the Total Solar Eclipse of May 28, 1900, asking for cooperation, listing the most important type of observations required, and giving the most likely meteorological conditions along the path of totality. The Naval Observatory Committee reported that the opinions of astronomers regarding the organization of the Naval Observatory had been obtained and communicated to the Secretary of the Navy. The result is that a board of visitors was appointed to visit, examine, and report on the United States Naval Observatory. The Board consists of the Honorable A.G. Dayton, and Professors George C. Comstock, Secretary, E.C. Pickering, and George E. Hale.
Dates: June 26-28, 1900
Place: Columbia University, New York, New York
Number of Members in Attendance: ?? Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total (43 Total According to AIP Archives); ?? Female; ?? Male (43 Male According to AIP Archives)
Total Membership: ?? (143 According to J. Hussey)
Number of Papers Presented: 14 (Not Counting Those Papers Delivered in Joint Sessions with Various Member Societies of the AAAS). (12 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Simon Newcomb 1900-1901
First Vice-President, Charles A. Young 1900-1901
Second Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1900-1901
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1899-1902
Treasurer, Charles L. Doolittle 1900-1901
Councilors, Edward C. Pickering 1900-1901, James E. Keeler 1900-1901, Stimson J. Brown 1900-1902, and Ormond Stone 1900-1902.
Ex-President(s)
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: None
Old Committees: Eclipse Committee.
Held in Conjunction With: AAAS
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Second Meeting of the A&ASA Was Held on Tuesday to Thursday, June 26-28, 1900 at Columbia University in the City of New York. The Eclipse Committee submitted a report on the Total Solar Eclipse of May 28, 1900. A separate report, initiated by Simon Newcomb, contained a long discussion on how best to observe the close approach of Eros.
Dates: December 30, 1901 - January 1, 1902
Place: Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.
Number of Members in Attendance: about 50 Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Number of New Members Admitted: about 30 Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Total Membership: ?? (143 According to J. Hussey)
Number of Papers Presented: 40
Officers:
President, Simon Newcomb 1902-1903
First Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1902-1903
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1902-1903
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1899-1902
Treasurer, Charles L. Doolittle 1899-1900
Councilors, S.J. Brown 1900-1902, Ormond Stone 1900-1902, Edward C. Pickering 1902-1904, and R.S. Woodward 1902-1904.
Ex-President(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: Mr. W.S. Eichelberger was appointed Editor for this Meeting.
New Committees: None
Old Committees: None
Held in Conjunction With: None
Notes of Interest: The Third Meeting of the A&ASA took place on Monday to Wednesday, December 30, 1901 - January 1, 1902, at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, a number of the members visited the Astrophysical Observatory of the Smithsonian Institution upon invitation to the A&ASA by Secretary S.P. Langley. At the adjournment of the session on Wednesday morning, the members visited the White House, and paid their respects to President Roosevelt, special arrangements having been made for their reception.
Dates: December 29, 1902 January 1, 1903
Place: Washington, D.C.
Number of Members in Attendance: about 75 Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total (17 Total According to AIP Archives); ?? Female; ?? Male (17 Male According to AIP Archives)
Total Membership: ?? (179 According to J. Hussey)
Number of Papers Presented: 36 (31 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Simon Newcomb 1903-1904
First Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1903-1904
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1903-1904
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1902-1905
Treasurer, Charles L. Doolittle 1903-1904
Councilors, W.s. Eichelberger, and Ormond Stone.
Ex-President(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: Mr. W.S. Eichelberger was appointed the Editor for this Meeting.
New Committees: None
Old Committees: None
Held in Conjunction With: AAAS
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Fourth Meeting of the A&ASA was held on Monday to Thursday, December 29, 1902 - January 1, 1903, in Washington, D.C., in affiliation with the AAAS. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Hill, the German Ambassador, J.T. Morgan of the U.S. Senate, and the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory, Captain Chester, gave speeches at the Society's Annual Dinner (Note that the Annual Dinner is a tradition now).
Dates: December 29-30, 1903
Place: Central High School, St. Louis, Missouri
Number of Members in Attendance: less than 20 (20 Total According to AIP Archives); ?? Female; ?? Male (20 Male According to AIP Archives)
Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Total Membership: ?? (179 According to J. Hussey)
Number of Papers Presented: 8
Officers:
President, Simon Newcomb 1903-1904
First Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1903-1904
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1903-1904
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1902-1905
Treasurer, Charles L. Doolittle 1903-1904
Councilors, Edward C. Pickering 1903-1905, and R.S. Woodward 1903-1905.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: Mr. W.S. Eichelberger was elected the Editor for this Meeting; and Messrs. George C. Comstock and W.S. Eichelberger were elected to Membership in the Council of the AAAS from the A&ASA.
New Committees: None
Old Committees: None
Held in Conjunction With: AAAS
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Fifth Meeting of the A&ASA was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 29-30, 1903 in the Central High School Building, St. Louis, Missouri. The Meeting was marred by very low attendance.
Dates: December 27-30, 1904
Place: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of Members in Attendance: 36 Total (50 Total according to AIP Archives); ?? Female (0 Female according to AIP Archives); ?? Male (50 Male according to AIP Archives)
Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total (5 Total according to AIP Archives); ?? Female (0 Female according to AIP Archives); ?? Male (5 Male according to AIP Archives)
Total Membership: ??
Number of Papers Presented: 18 (19 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Simon Newcomb 1904-1905
First Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1904-1905
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1904-1905
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1902-1905
Treasurer, Charles L. Doolittle 1904-1905
Councilors, W.s. Eichelberger 1904-1906, and Ormond Stone 1904-1906.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: Mr. Frank Littell Was Appointed Editor for this Meeting, and Mr. W.S. Eichelberger Was Appointed Acting Secretary in G.C. Comstock's Absence Overseas.
New Committees: National Academy Committee
Old Committees: None
Held in Conjunction With: None
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Sixth Meeting of the A&ASA was held from Tuesday to Friday, December 27-30, 1904, at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in affiliation with the AAAS. At George E. Hale's urging, a Committee on Solar Research was appointed by Newcomb During the Summer of 1904 to cooperate with the National Academy of Sciences. The Executive Council made it permanent during this meeting.
Dates: Dec. 28-30, 1905
Place: Columbia University, New York, New York
Number of Members in Attendance: Roughly 60 (60 Total according to AIP Archives); ?? Female (0 Female According to AIP Archives); ?? Male (60 Male according to AIP Archives)
Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Total Membership: ??
Number of Papers Presented: 32 (40 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Edward C. Pickering 1905-1906
First Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1905-1906
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1905-1906
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1902-1905
Treasurer, C.l. Doolittle 1905-1906
Councilors, Ormand Stone 1904-1906, W.S. Eichelberger 1904-1906, Edwin B. Frost 1906-1908, and Harold Jacoby 1906-1908.
Ex-presidents,
Members/representatives/delegates: Mr. Harold Jacoby was appointed Editor for this Meeting.
New Committees: None
Old Committees: None
Held in Conjunction With: AAAS
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Seventh Meeting of the A&ASA was held Thursday to Saturday, December 28-30, 1905, at Columbia University, New York, New York. Mrs. Henry Draper received the Society Friday evening at her home on Madison Avenue.
Dates: Dec. 2729, 1906
Place: Columbia University, New York, New York
Number of Members in Attendance: 51 (65 Total according to AIP Archives); ?? Female (0 Female according to AIP Archives); ?? Male (65 Male according to AIP Archives)
Number of New Members Admitted: ?? Total; ?? Female; ?? Male
Total Membership: ?? (186 According to J. Hussey)
Number of Papers Presented: 32
Officers:
President, Edward C. Pickering 1906-1907
First Vice-President, George Ellery Hale 1906-1907
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1907-1907
Secretary, George C. Comstock 1906-1909
Treasurer, C.L. Doolittle 1906-1907
Councilors, E.B. Frost 1906-1908, Harold Jacoby 1906-1908, Ormond Stone 1907-1909, and W.S. Eichelberger 1907-1909.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: Mr. Harold Jeffreys was elected to act as Editor for 1907-1908.
New Committees: None
Old Committees: None
Held in Conjunction With: AAAS
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Eight Meeting of the A&ASA was held on Thursday to Saturday, December 27-29, 1906, at Columbia University in the City of New York, in affiliation with the AAAS. On taking the Chair, President E.C. Pickering Discussed "Three Lines of Work" which he thought the Society should pursue: One, carrying out "Great Routine Work" beyond the resources of a single observatory; Two, to bring together old and young astronomers from around the country to the benefit of both by learning from old experience and new methods; and, Three, the presentation of papers with the distribution of abstracts beforehand so as to leave a majority of time for discussion. On Friday afternoon, a discussion also took place regarding neglected fields of astronomy, namely, the making of catalogues via "Astronomy of Position," the search for double stars of ninth magnitude and brighter in the southern hemisphere, a comparison of faint stars and variables, the search for components of nebulae and clusters, and the spectra of nebulae (The gaseous or continuous qualities of which are unknown in nine tenths of known nebulae).
Dates: August 25-28, 1908
Place: Hotel Victoria, Putinbay, 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.
Dates: August 19-21, 1909
Place: Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Number of Members in Attendance: ?? Total (54 Total according to AIP Archives); ?? 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)
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.
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."
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.
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.
Dates: August 27-30, 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).
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Dates: August 30, 1916 September 2, 1916
Place: Sproul Observatory, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Number of Members in Attendance: 60 Total; 10 Female; 50 Male
Number of New Members Admitted: 27 Total; 5 Female; 22 Male
Total Membership: ??
Number of Papers Presented: 52
Officers:
President, Edward C. Pickering 1916-1917
First Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1916-1917
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1916-1917
Secretary, Philip Fox 1915-1918
Treasurer, Annie J. Cannon 1916-1917
Councilors, Edwin B. Frost 1915-1917, Joel Stebbins 1915-1917, E.W. Brown 1916-1918, and J.S. Plaskett 1916-1918.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: A Committee on the June 8, 1918 Solar Eclipse Consisting of W.W. Campbell (Chair), E.E. Barnard, F.B. Littell, Frank Loud, S.A. Mitchell and Edison Petit; a Committee on Associate Membership Consisting of Frank Schlesinger (Chair), C.A. Chant, G.C. Comstock, Philip Fox, W.T. Olcott and E.D. Rue.
Old Committees: Committee on Meteors; Asteroid Committee; Committee on Standard Equinoxes; Stellar Parallax Committee; Committee on Co-operation in the Observation of Stellar Radial Velocities; Comet Committee; the Committee on Photographic Astrometry; and the Committee on Variable Star Nomenclature.
Held in Conjunction With: None
Honorary Member: None
Notes of Interest: The Nineteenth Meeting of the AAS was held from Wednesday to Saturday, August 30, 1916 -September 2, 1916, at the Sproul Observatory, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The plan of housing the members and their guests in college dormitories, used in evanston, was adopted for this meeting, with similar comfort and pleasantness. All of the scientific sessions took place at the Observatory. In addition to a full social calendar, visits were made to Valley Forge, to Bryn Mawr College, to Haverford College, and to the Flower Observatory at the University of Pennsylvania. The Society passed a resolution mourning the death of Karl Schwarzschild. Concern was also expressed about the large number of papers being presented at meetings. The Committee on Meteors was enlarged by the addition of C.P. Olivier (as Secretary), E.E. Barnard, W.J. Humphreys, F.R. Moulton and W.H. Pickering. The Chair of the Committee on Asteroids also changed hands from E.W. Brown to A.O. Leuschner. The Committee on Standard Equinoxes for Use in the Publication of Star Positions (Longer Title?) forwarded a Resolution passed by the Society stating "That in any publication involving star positions no equinoxes should be used intermediate between the years 1900 and 1925," - this in an effort to standardize on widely spaced equinoxes and to reduce calculation and labor. The Committee of Variable Star Nomenclature was discharged as Chairman Townley explained that the Committee "Had not been able to find any common ground on which to stand." Cannon favored the Harvard System, Russell the Argelander System, and Townley the Number System. Likewise, the Committee on Cooperation in the Observation of Radial Velocities of Stars was also discharged as cooperation between observatories in this field was found to be impractical (not the unanimous opinion). The Committee on Comets, having successfully completed its work, was also discharged. The Parallax Committee Reported that 2177 stars are being observed for parallax at one or more of the co-operating observatories. The Photographic Astrometry Committee reported that the calculations for the Zone Catalogue of about 7200 equatorial stars, compiled by means of the three-inch wide-angle doublet at the Allegheny Observatory, are now practically complete.
Dates: December 26-29, 1916
Place: Columbia University, New York, New York
Number of Members in Attendance: 49 Total; 4 Female; 45 Male
Number of New Members Admitted: 15 Total; 1 Female; 14 Male
Total Membership: ??
Number of Papers Presented: 35
Officers:
President, Edward C. Pickering 1916-1917
First Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1916-1917
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1916-1917
Secretary, Philip Fox 1915-1918
Treasurer, Annie J. Cannon 1916-1917
Councilors, Edwin B. Frost 1915-1917, Joel Stebbins 1915-1917, E.W. Brown 1916-1918, and J.S. Plaskett 1916-1918.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: Variable Star Committee, Consisting of William Tyler Olcott, Chair, W.W. Campbell, D.B. Pickering, and H.N. Russell (To secure observations of variable stars and to cooperate and to extend the work of amateurs); Committee on Daylight Saving Time Consisting of John H. Poor, Chair, Harold Jacoby, H.N. Russell, F. Schlesinger, and E.C. Pickering.
Old Committees: Committee on Asteroids
Held in Conjunction With: AAAS
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Twentieth Meeting of the AAS took place on Wednesday to Friday, December 27-29, 1916, at Columbia University, New York, New York in affiliation with the AAAS. William Wallace Campbell began the Meeting on Tuesday evening, December 26, by giving his retirement address, as President of the AAAS, in the Museum of Natural History; his Topic Was "The Nebulae." On Thursday afternoon, the AAS met in Joint Session with the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), and Section A of the AAAS. Two addresses of note were given on this occasion: by Professor E.W. Brown, Retiring President of the AMS, on "The Relation of Mathematics to the Natural Sciences," and by Professor A.O. Leuschner, retiring Vice-President of Section A of the AAAS, on "Derivation of Orbits, Theory and Practice." During the Meeting, a letter from A.E. Douglass was read to the members thanking the Society for its support in the founding of an Observatory at the University of Arizona (helped to secure an anonymous $60,000 gift). The Daylight Savings Time Committee endorsed the Daylight Savings Plan with some reservations (Schlesinger and Jacoby for, Poor endorsed only as an experiment, Pickering and Russell against). Supposedly no other scientific societies have supported the plan. The Committee on Asteroids Reported; its work is being held up by the unavailability of German data.
Dates: August 29-31, 1917
Place: Dudley Observatory, Albany, New York
Number of Members in Attendance: 60 Total; 10 Female; 50 Male
Number of New Members Admitted: 12 Total; 3 Female; 9 Male
Total Membership: ??
Number of Papers Presented: 48
Officers:
President, Edward C. Pickering 1917-1918
First Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1917-1918
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1917-1918
Secretary, Philip Fox 1915-1918
Treasurer, Annie J. Cannon 1917-1918
Councilors, Edwin B. Frost 1917-1919, Joel Stebbins 1917-1919, Ernest W. Brown 1916-1918, and J.S. Plaskett 1916-1918.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: Committee on the Start of Astronomical Day, made up of Messrs. W.S. Eichelberger, Chair, W.W. Campbell, and E.B. Frost; Committee on Place and Time of Next Meeting, comprised of Messrs. F. Schlesinger, H.N. Russell, and Joel Stebbins (Decided on Harvard).
Old Committees: Committee on Daylight Savings Time; Parallax Committee; Committee on Photographic Astrometry; Meteor Committee; and Variable Star Committee.
Held in Conjunction With: None
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Twenty-first Meeting of the AAS took place on Wednesday to Friday, August 29-31, 1917, at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, New York. The scientific Sessions were held at the Observatory, but most of the participants stayed at the Ten Eyck Hotel. This was the first Meeting since the U.S. entered the Great War. Philip Fox offered to resign as Society Secretary because military duties in the Reserve Officers Corps were taking so much of his time, but the Society voted not to accept his resignation. After a failed vote favoring a change in the beginning of the astronomical day from noon to midnight, a committee, as mentioned above, was appointed to discuss the matter and report back to the Society. A general membership vote on the Daylight Savings Plan (Daylight Savings Plan Committee) as resulted in 18 favoring the plan, 22 opposed and six neutral. The Committee on Stellar Parallaxes and the Committee on Photographic Astrometry both reported. The Committees on Meteors also reported and urged that a systematic effort be made to place all branches of meteoric astronomy upon a satisfactory basis, and that immediate steps be taken to secure simultaneous observations of meteors by photography. The Committee on Variable Stars reported that in two months the formal creation of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) will take place and mentioned that 72,000 observations had already been logged by the nascent organization.
Dates: August 20-22, 1918
Place: Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Number of Members in Attendance: 50 Total; 11 Female; 39 Male
Number of New Members Admitted: 30 Total; 10 Female; 20 Male
Total Membership: ?? (314 According to J. Hussey)
Number of Papers Presented: 73 (78 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Edward C. Pickering 1918-1919
First Vice-President, Frank Schlesinger 1918-1919
Second Vice-President, William Wallace Campbell 1918-1919
Secretary, Joel Stebbins 1918-1921
Treasurer, Annie J. Cannon 1918-1919
Councilors, E.W. Brown 1917-1919, S.a. Mitchell 1918-1919, Edwin B. Frost 1918-1920, and Otto Klotz 1918-1920.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: None
Old Committees: Committee on Variable Stars; Committee on Start of Day; and Parallax Committee.
Held in Conjunction With: None
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Twenty-second Meeting of the AAS was held on Tuesday to Thursday, August 20-22, 1918, at Harvard College Observatory. Members and their guests were housed in Standish Hall, a College Dormitory. In his opening remarks, Professor E.C. Pickering expressed the hope that more foreign astronomers might attend like at the last Harvard AAS Meeting. During the course of the meeting, visits were made to Wellesley (Whitin Observatory), to the Students' Astronomical Laboratory, to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and to the yacht "Adventuress," Owned by Mr. W.V. Moot. Several Committees submitted reports. The Committee on Start of Day endorsed the proposal that the day should start at midnight, like the Civil Day, and that after January 1, 1925, all astronomical dates should be reckoned this way. This was made into a resolution, which was passed by the Society ("Will Cause Much Trouble and Work for Astronomers but Passed for Convenience of Mariners"). The Variable Star Committee Reported that observations are going apace, and that they are becoming more cooperative and international in character - observations have been received from South Africa, from South America, and from New Zealand, to say nothing of those received from the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), and from the British Astronomical Association (BAA). Similarly, the Parallax Committee Reported that observations were going apace, and involved the following observatories: Allegheny, Dearborn, Greenwich, Mccormick, and Mt. Wilson.
Dates: September 25, 1919
Place: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Number of Members in Attendance: 60 Total; 9 Female; 51 Male
Number of New Members Admitted: 13 Total; 2 Female; 11 Male
Total Membership: ??
Number of Papers Presented: 53
Officers:
President, Frank Schlesinger 1919-1922
Vice-President, George C. Comstock 1919-1920 (First and Second Vice-Presidents no longer indicated by Constitutional change.)
Vice-President, Walter S. Adams 1919-1921
Secretary, Joel Stebbins 1918-1921
Treasurer, Benjamin Boss 1919-1920
Councilors, Ernest W. Brown 1918-1920, Otto Klotz 1918-1920, Solon I. Bailey 1919-1921, W.J. Hussey 1919-1921, Henry Norris Russell 1919-1922, and V.M. Slipher 1919-1922.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: None
Old Committees: Committee on Stellar Parallaxes; Meteor Committee; and the Committee on Variable Star Observations.
Held in Conjunction With: the American Mathematical Society (AMS), and the Mathematical Association of America (MAA)
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Twenty-third Meeting of the AAS was held on Tuesday to Friday, September 2-5, 1919, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The scientific Sessions took place in the auditoriums of Natural Science Hall, and the Physics Laboratory. Members and guests of the AAS, the AMS, and the MAA were housed in the Newberry Residence, and the Michigan Union. The arrangements, where members live close together for several days, demonstrated once again the ideal conditions for a scientific meeting. Ample opportunity existed to visit the Detroit Observatory. On Thursday afternoon, there was a Joint Meeting of the three Societies with the following program: Retiring address of the President of the MAA, Professor E.V. Hutton of Harvard University, on "Mathematics and Statistics"; "The Work of the National Research Council with Reference to Mathematics and Astronomy," by Professor Ernest W. Brown of Yale University; and "Reports on the International Conference of Scientists at Brussels," by Dr. Frank Schlesinger of Allegheny Observatory, and by Dr. L.A. Bauer of the Carnegie Institution. The most important item of business was an amendment to the Constitution regarding the election and terms of Officers which, among other things, limited the President to a single term of three years, and did away with the designation of first and second Vice-President. A Resolution was passed mourning the death of E.C. Pickering, who had served as President for the past 13 Years. Charles L. Doolittle, who had acted as Treasurer from 1899 to 1912, also passed away. A rule was announced that only one contributor could present a paper until all those wishing to present had done so. The Society also voted to return dues to those who had served during the war. The Parallax Committee Reported that observations were going forward, although the war has interfered with international cooperation. The Meteor and Variable Star Committees likewise report progress, although the former emphasizes the need for instrumentation to supercede the human eye.
Dates: September 14, 1920
Place: Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, and Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts
Number of Members in Attendance: 72 Total (70 According to AIP Archives); 17 Female (?? Female According to AIP Archives); 55 Male (?? According to AIP Archives)
Number of New Members Admitted: 15 Total; 4 Female; 11 Male
Total Membership: ??
Number of Papers Presented: 58 (54 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Frank Schlesinger 1919-1922
Vice-President, Walter S. Adams 1919-1921
Vice-President, Otto Klotz 1920-1922
Secretary, Joel Stebbins 1918-1921
Treasurer, Benjamin Boss 1920-1921
Councilors, S.I. Bailey 1919-1921, W.J. Hussey 1919-1921, H.N. Russell 1919-1922, V.M. Slipher 1919-1922, Caroline E. Furness 1920-1923, and John A. Miller 1920-1923.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: When the Research Council was reorganized in 1919, the Council nominated Messrs. H.N. Russell, W.W. Campbell, and Joel Stebbins to serve for one, two, and three years respectively as representatives on the Division of Physical Sciences. Since then, Messrs. Russell and Campbell have been re-nominated to succeed themselves for full three year terms. Henceforth, there will be one new member each year who, by action of the Council, will be elected in the same manner as the regular Officers of the Society; the Membership of the Executive Committee of the American Section of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Is Presently: W.W. Campbell, Chair, W.S. Eichelberger, H.N. Russell, Frank Schlesinger, and Joel Stebbins, Secretary.
New Committees: None
Old Committees: Eclipse Committee; Meteor Committee; and the Committee on Variable Stars.
Held in Conjunction With: None
Honorary Member(s): Sir Frank Watson Dyson, Astronomer Royal, Greenwich Observatory.
Notes of Interest: The Twenty-fourth Meeting of the AAS was held on Wednesday to Saturday, September 1-4, 1920, at Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges upon the joint invitation of the Directors of the Observatories, Misses Harriet W. Bigelow and Anne S. Young. This is the first meeting to be held at womens' colleges. The Members and their guests were headquartered at Gillett House, a Dormitory of Smith College. Besides Exploring the Smith and Mount Holyoke College campuses, visits were also made to Old Deerfield and Mount Tom. The Eclipse Committee Reported that the Mexican Government is going to cooperate in the September 10, 1923 Solar Eclipse by providing meteorological data along the eclipse path for the first fifteen days in September until 1923.
The Committee on Meteors Reports the formation of a major committee, "Committee on Meteors," by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) under the Chairmanship of W.F. Denning. It also requests that more observations be carried out by experienced observers. Similarly, the Committee on Variable Stars requests the aid of the society in carrying out future observations, particularly by observers with telescopes with apertures greater than four inches.
Dates: December 28-30, 1920
Place: University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Number of Members in Attendance: 60 Total; 5 Female; 55 Male
Number of New Members Admitted: 11 Total (12 Total According to AIP Archives); 2 Female (?? Female According to AIP Archives); 9 Male (?? Male According to AIP Archives)
Total Membership: Greater than 350
Number of Papers Presented: 47 (48 According to AIP Archives)
Officers:
President, Frank Schlesinger 1919-1922
Vice-President, Walter S. Adams 1919-1921
Vice-President, Otto Klotz 1920-1922
Secretary, Joel Stebbins 1918-1921
Treasurer, Benjamin Boss 1920-1921
Councilors, S.i. Bailey 1919-1921, W.J. Hussey 1919-1921, H.N. Russell 1919-1922, V.M. Slipher 1919-1922, Caroline E. Furness 1920-1923, and John A. Miller 1920-1923.
Ex-president(s),
Members/representatives/delegates: None
New Committees: None
Old Committees: None
Held in Conjunction With: AAAS
Honorary Member(s): None
Notes of Interest: The Twenty-fifth Meeting of the AAS took place on Tuesday to Thursday,
December 28-30, 1920 at the University of Chicago in affiliation with the AAAS. The Society
Sessions were held in the Ryerson Physical Laboratory, and most of the Members stayed at the
Great Northern Hotel, the Headquarters of the Mathematicians. On Wednesday morning, the
Society met in Joint Session with the American Physical Society and with the Optical Society of
America; it was at this Joint Session that the most important astronomical paper was read,
namely, the announcement by A.A. Michelson that he had measured the diameter of (Alpha)
Orionis, using his new interferometer at Mt. Wilson.