A distinct Harvard atmosphere permeates the board of officers of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, every one of the men on the present board having taken a degree at the University.

At the annual meeting of the Academy, the election of officers, made last spring but just announced, resulted in the choice of the following men:

President, E. B. Wilson '99; Vice-President for Class I. A. E. Kennelly, Hon. '06; Vice-President for Class II, G. H. Parker '87; Vice-President for Class III, Professor G. L. Kittredge '82; Corresponding Secretary, Professor C. B. Gulick '91; Treasurer, Ingersoll Bowditch '97; Librarian, H. M. Goodwin, G. '92; Editor, W. S. Franklin G. '92.

The Academy of Arts and Sciences is a national organization and not a Harvard one as the above list would lead one to suppose. It is the oldest scientific society in the country, having been founded at Boston in 1780 chiefly through the efforts of John Adams 1755, later President of the United States. Its purpose was and is to "cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance interest, dignity, honor, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people."

Together with the National Academy and the American Philosophical Society, it constitutes the greatest aggregation of artists, scientists, and men-of-letters in the United States. The main function of the academy, in addition to maintaining a library of some 30,000 volumes, the distribution of funds for scientific research through its Rockford and Warren committees.

Twenty-seven of the 35 Fellows elected to the Academy at the last meeting either had Harvard degrees or are at present on the staff of the University. They are, the following:

Professor K. D. Blackfan, Professor R. P. Blake A. M. '9, W. J. Crozier A. M. '14, Professor Philip Drinkwater, W. Cameron Forbes '92, G. M. Fair '16, J. L. Gamble M. D. '10, Professor A. N. Holcombe '06, Professor E. A. Hooton, Professor P. R. Howe, I. M. Johnston Ph. D. '25, A. V. Kidder '08, D. H. McLaughlin A. M. '15.

J. H. Means '07, A. L. Melander S. D. '14, G. J. Pierce '90, F. H. Pratt '96, J. H. Pratt '01, Edwin Arlington Robinson '95, A. W. Rowe G. '09, Professor George Sarton. Professor A. W. Sellards, J. C. Slater A. M. '22, the Reverend Professor W. L. Sperry, Professor H. T. Stetson, and Langdon Warner '03.