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SEIPER, THOMAS, 1824

MANAGERS-(Continued)

SELLERS, COLEMAN, 1862-1866, 1875

1905

SELLERS, COLEMAN, JR., 1906-1911 SELLERS, WILLIAM, 1857-1861, 18671892

SHAIN, CHARLES J., 1884-1887
SHINN, Earle, 1836-1837

SLOAN, SAMUEL, 1864

SMITH, CHARLES E., 1852-1855
SOUDER, JACOB, 1828

SPANGLER, HENRY W., 1891-1893
STEVENSON, WILLIAM, JR., 1828
STEWART, THOMAS S., 1842-1850,

1852-1863

STRICKLAND, WIlliam, 1828
STRUTHERS, JOHN, 1827-1849
TABER, GEORGE, 1839-1842
TATHAM, WILLIAM P., 1870-1878,
1886-1887

THOMPSON, AMbrose W., 1839-1843
THOMSON, ELIHU, 1878-1881
THORNE, WILLIAM H., 1881-1897
THORNLEY, JOHN, 1851
TILGHMAN, BENJ. C., 1871-1875
TOPPAN, CHARLES, 1831-1832
TOWNE, JOHN H., 1840-1857, 1869
TOWNSEND, EDWARD Y., 1866-1867
TRACY, ELIASHIB, 1851
TRAUTWINE, JOHN C., 1834, 1844,
1852-1857

TRAUTWINE, JOHN C., Jr., 1891-1895
TREGO, CHARLES B., 1837-1846
TREVOR, JOHN B., 1832

TROTH, HENRY, 1837-1841

TRYSON, GEORGE W., 1831-1833
TYLER, RUFUS, 1826-1837

VAUCLAIN, SAMUEL M., 1898, 1906
VAUX, GEORGE, JR., 1898-1899
WALTER, JOSEPH S., JR., 1834-1837

WALTER, THOMAS U., 1829-1831, 1840-1851

WARDER, WILLIAM S., 1825-1827
WARNER, JOHN S., 1837-1843
WEAVER, JACOB, 1856-1857
WEAVER, JOHN J., 1880-1891
WEIGHTMAN, WILLIAM, 1862-1863
WETHERILL, CHARLES, 1835
WETHERILL, J. P., 1902

WETHERILL, JOHN P., 1824-1825
WETHERILL, WILLIAM, 1832
WETHERILL, WILLIAM C., 1916-
WEYGANDT, THOMAS J., 1851-1863
WHARTON, WILLIAM, JR., 1871
WHITAKER, GEORGE P., 1851-1852
WHITE, CHARLES H., 1828-1835
WHITE, SAMUEL S., 1864-1867
WHITNEY, ASA, 1846-1850
WHITNEY, GEORGE, 1858-1860
WHITNEY, JAMES S., 1862-1863,
1865-1869

WHITNEY, JOHN R., 1861
WICKHAM, M. T., 1824
WIEGAND, JOHN, 1831-1853
WIEGAND, S. LLOYD, 1864, 1890-1893
WILLIAMS, EDWARD H., 1871-1872
WILLIAMS, ISAAC S., 1846-1850,

1852-1863

WILSON, JOSEPH M., 1869-1886
WILSON, O. HOWARD, 1864-1869
WOLBORN, CORNELIUS A., 1844-1850
WOLF, OTTO C., 1897-1913
WOOD, ALAN, 1845-1863

WOOD, SAMUEL R., 1824-1825
WOOD, WALTER, 1903-1912

WOOTTEN, JOHN E., 1860-1862

YARDLEY, WILLIAM, JR., 1829
YEAGER, JOSEPH, 1832

YOUNG, ANDREW, 1828-1830

THE INSTITUTE'S ACTIVITIES

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE was organized in the year 1824 to meet a demand in America for an Institution similar to that founded by Count Rumford in London in 1799. The founders intended it not only as an appropriate memorial to the name of Franklin, but as means of continuing for all time a work which throughout his long life he perhaps regarded as his best, namely, the discovery of physical and natural laws and their application to increase the well-being and comfort of mankind.

The Hall of the Institute is located on the east side of Seventh Street, between Market and Chestnut Streets, and was built from plans furnished by John Haviland, architect. The corner-stone was laid with appropriate Masonic and other ceremonies, on the eighth day of June, 1825, at noon. The funds for the purchase of the lot and the erection of the building were provided by the issue of a building loan, which was freely taken by members and friends of the enterprise, and has long since been repaid. The building was completed, and the Institute took possession of all except the second floor (which was occupied by the United States Courts until 1830) in 1826. Upon the first floor are located the lecture-room (capable of accommodating about 300), and laboratories and offices. The second floor is occupied by the library, to which special attention is paid elsewhere. The third floor is given up entirely to the use of the School of Mechanic Arts.

THE LIBRARY

The plan of the founders contemplated "the formation of a library of books relating to science and the useful arts, and the opening of a readingroom;" and, accordingly, in 1827, the first Committee on Library was appointed.

The books forming the nucleus of the library were stored in the residence of a member of the committee until early in the year 1829, when the first reading room was opened. During the next year a special committee of twenty issued an appeal for books and contributions of money in aid of the library.

The founding of the JOURNAL, in 1826, by opening the way to the establishment of exchange relations with other societies and with the leading maga zines and periodicals devoted to science and the useful arts, proved an invaluable help in promoting its growth, and thus, early, gave to the library the distinctive character which it has since maintained. From the nucleus formed by this useful agency has grown a reference library of scientific literature, in some branches unique, and, in extent and completeness, second to none in the United States, embracing the publications of the principa scientific and technical societies of the world, and the leading periodicals devoted to science and the arts.

Several of the foreign governments have deposited with the library complete sets of their patent office publications. There are on the shelves for reference files of the specifications of the patent office of Great Britain since the year 1617, of France since 1791, of Switzerland since 1888, of the United States since 1790. Abstracts of the patents granted by Germany, Russia, Canada, Australia, Hungary and Austria can also be consulted.

The library is annually enriched, also, by the gift of numerous technical publications of a miscellaneous character from foreign governments, and from States and municipal authorities and corporations. These embrace publications relating to public works; official reports relating to geology, the mining and metallurgical industries, agriculture, public health, municipal engineering; reports of railway and other transportation companies, manufacturing corporations, etc.

For many years it has been the policy of this committee to increase the value of the collection as a library of reference, and to this end it has devoted systematic effort to the task of completing the files of its important serial publications. In this work, the committee, with the substantial assistance of several liberal contributions of money from generous friends of the Institute, has been notably successful.

At the present time the collection consists of 73,323 volumes and 15,051 pamphlets.

To inventors and manufacturers seeking for information respecting the state of the arts and manufactures, the extensive collection of patent literature which the library places at their disposal is indispensable, and the library is constantly resorted to by attorneys and their clients for the purpose of consulting these volumes; while, to the professional man and the student, the scientific and technical serials in which the library is so rich are no less indispensable as an aid in pursuing their investigations.

THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND THE ARTS

A branch of the Institute's work, which, perhaps, more obviously than any other, illustrates the spirit which animated the founders, and which their successors have worthily perpetuated and striven to improve and extend, is that which is now conducted by the Committee on Science and the Arts.

One of the things that was, apparently, uppermost in the thoughts of the founders, was the need-as urgent then as to-day-felt by inventors and discoverers, of some competent, trustworthy and impartial body, to whom they could safely appeal for advice, and on whose judgment they could confidently rely for an opinion, as to the usefulness of their inventions and discoveries.

One of the first acts of the Board of Managers was to appoint a Board of Examiners, whose duty it was to examine and make report upon all new and useful machines, inventions and discoveries submitted to them. Subsequently the name of the Board of Examiners was changed to the "Committee on Inventions."

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This organization continued in existence until the year 1834, when, by act of the Institute, it was abolished, and in its place there was established the Committee on Science and the Arts," with enlarged powers and a wider field of labor. As originally constituted, membership in this committee was open to all members of the Institute in good standing who chose to enroll their names, and who by thus voluntarily associating themselves with the committee, pledged themselves to perform the duties assigned to them.

Under this form of organization the committee continued for more than fifty years, and its usefulness during this long period is attested by its records, containing the results of the examination of a great number of inventions, and of its investigations of many subjects of importance entrusted to it by the Institute.

In the year 1886, the Institute adopted an amendment to its by-laws, by which this committee was reorganized on an elective basis, thus abolishing the plan of voluntary association which had heretofore been a distinguishing feature. By this amendment the Institute established a Committee on Science and the Arts, to be composed of forty-five members of the Institute, to be chosen at the annual election (fifteen each year), and "who shall pledge themselves by their acceptance of membership to perform such duties as may devolve upon them, and to sustain by their labors the scientific character of the Institute."

Some years later the membership of the committee was increased from forty-five to sixty and by a provision recently adopted the members are elected by the Board of Managers, twenty each year.

During the past twenty-five years the committee has investigated over 900 discoveries, processes, and inventions.

THE JOURNAL

The publication of a journal for the diffusion of knowledge on all subjects connected with science and the useful arts, was embraced in the plan of the founders, and was undertaken shortly after the organization had been effected. This publication has been continued without interruption to the present time, and has proved most useful, not only in directly promoting the aims and objects of the Institute, but also in extending the sphere of its influence beyond the limits of its local habitation.

The first step to secure a publication was taken by the Institute as early as 1825, when, by arrangement with C. S. Williams, publisher, a magazine bearing the title The American Mechanics' Magazine, and which had been founded by him in New York at the beginning of that year, was acquired by Dr. Thomas P. Jones, who had recently been elected professor of mechanics in The Franklin Institute. At the outset the responsibility of this venture appears to have been assumed by Dr. Jones, after he had received assurances of active co-operation and support from the members of the Institute, who were warmly interested in its success.

The prospectus of the new publication, which was issued August 1, 1825, announced the fact that "shortly will be published

THE

FRANKLIN JOURNAL

AND

MECHANICS' MAGAZINE,

Under the Patronage

of the

FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE
MECHANIC ARTS. EDITED BY DR. THOMAS P. JONES, Professor of
MECHANICS IN THE INSTITUTE."

The object of The Franklin Journal, as defined in the prospectus, was, "to diffuse information on every subject connected with useful arts."

In the prospectus of The Franklin Journal attention is called to the fact that it was intended to give a list of patented inventions, with remarks upon their utility and originality. This proposition was literally maintained and continued as a prominent feature of the JOURNAL to the close of 1859, save that the "Remarks," which were in many cases of the greatest value to those interested in the progress of the arts and manufactures, were discontinued on the death of Dr. Jones. His accession to the position of Superintendent of the Patent Office naturally caused him to devote special attention to the preservation of the record of patents in the pages of the JOURNAL. This circumstance has since proved of considerable value to all who have need to refer to the early patents of the United States, as will appear from the following explanation:

In the official Patent Office publications, issued by the Government prior to the year 1843, the publication of the claims was omitted; while, for a considerable period, the JOURNAL published an abstract of the specifications and the claims in full. The JOURNAL, consequently, is the only source at present available for reference to the specifications and claims of patents issued by the United States, from 1828 to 1842, inclusive. The JOURNAL can also be used, in place of the official publications, as a source of reference to the patents granted during the period 1826-1859 in which the patent lists were published therein.

The complete file of the JOURNAL embraces The Franklin Journal, 1826– 1827, and the JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, 1828 to the present time, 188 volumes in all, with a General Index, 1826 to 1885, and three decennial volumes covering the years 1886 to 1915, inclusive.

In its present form, the JOURNAL is an octavo of over 100 pages. It is published monthly, the twelve impressions being divided into two volumes yearly January to June and July to December, each separately paged, and supplied with title-page and index.

THE SCHOOL OF MECHANIC ARTS

The first Board of Managers of the Institute provided for the establishment of a standing Committee on Instruction, charged with the duty of directing its educational work.

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