International Congress of Arts and Science Part 5

Many of these buildings contained lecture halls and a.s.sembly rooms, seating from one hundred fifty to fifteen hundred people. Sixteen halls were necessary to accommodate the full number of sections running at any one time, and of this number twelve were available in the group of University Buildings; the other four were found in the lecture halls of the Education Building, Mines and Metallurgy Building, Agriculture Building, and the Transportation Building. The opening exercises, at which the entire Congress was a.s.sembled, was held in Festival Hall, capable of seating three thousand people. In the a.s.signment of halls care was taken so far as possible to a.s.sign the larger halls to the more popular subjects, but it often happened that a great speaker was of necessity a.s.signed to a smaller hall. Two of the halls also proved bad for speaking owing to the traffic of the Intramural Railway, and there was lacking in nearly all of the halls that academic peace and quiet which usually surrounds gatherings of a scientific nature. This, however, was to be expected in an exposition atmosphere, and was readily acquiesced in by the speakers themselves, and very little objection was heard to the halls as a.s.signed. Every one seemed to recognize the fact that the immediate value of the meeting lay in the commingling and fellowship, and that the addresses, of which one could hear at most only one in sixteen, could not be judged in the proper light until their publication.

SUPPORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC PUBLIC

A strong effort was made by the Organizing Committee to secure the attendance of an audience which should not only in its proportions be complimentary to the eminence of the speakers, but also be thoroughly appreciative of the addresses and conversant with the topic under discussion. Letters were therefore sent to all of the prominent scientific societies in the United States, asking that wherever possible the meetings of the society be set for the Congress week in St. Louis, and wherever this was not possible that the societies send special delegates to attend the Congress, and urge their membership to make an effort to be present. Personal letters were also sent to the leading members of the different professions and sciences, to the faculties of universities and colleges, urging them to attend, and pointing out the necessity of the support of the American scientific public.

Special invitations were also sent in the name of the Organizing Committee to the leading authorities of the various subjects under discussion in the Congress, asking them to contribute a ten-minute paper to any section in which they were particularly interested. The result of this careful campaign, in addition to the general exploitation which the Congress received, was such a flattering attendance of American scientists, as to be both a compliment to the European speakers and a benefit to scientific thought. Many societies, such as the American Neurological a.s.sociation, American Philological a.s.sociation, American Mathematical Society, Physical and Chemical Societies of America, American Astronomical Society, Germanic Congress, American Electro-Therapeutic a.s.sociation, held their annual meetings during the week of the Congress, although the date rendered it impossible for the majority of the a.s.sociations to meet at that time. The eighth International Geographic Congress adjourned from Washington to St. Louis to meet with the Congress of Arts and Science. In response to the special invitations, two hundred forty-seven ten-minute addresses were promised and one hundred two actually read.

RECEPTION OF FOREIGN GUESTS

Every effort was made by the Department of Congresses to a.s.sist the foreign speakers in their traveling arrangements and to make matters as easy and comfortable as possible. A letter of advice was mailed to each speaker prior to his departure, carefully setting forth the conditions of American travel, routes to be followed, reception committees to be met, and other essential details. The official badge of the Congress was also mailed, so that those wearing them might be easily identified by the reception committees both in New York and St. Louis. Nine tenths of the speakers came by the way of New York, and in order to facilitate the clearance of their baggage and to provide for their fitting entertainment in New York, a special reception committee was formed composed of the following members:--

F. P. Keppel, Columbia University, New York City, Chairman.

Prof. Herbert V. Abbott, New York.

R. Arrowsmith, New York.

C. William Beebe, New York.

George Bendelari, New York.

Edward W. Berry, Pa.s.saic.

J. Fuller Berry, Old Forge.

Rev. H. C. Birckhead, New York.

Dr. James H. Canfield, New York.

Rev. G. A. Carstenson, New York.

Prof. H. S. Crampton, New York.

Sanford L. Cutler, New York.

Dr. Israel Davidson, New York.

William H. Davis, New York.

Prof. James C. Egbert, New York.

Dr. Haven Emerson, New York.

Prof. T. S. Fiske, New York.

J. D. Fitz-Gerald, II, Newark.

W. D. Forbes, Hoboken.

Clyde Furst, Yonkers.

William K. Gregory, New York.

George C. O. Haas, New York.

Prof. W. A. Hervey, New York.

Carl Herzog, New York.

Robert Hoguet, New York.

Dr. Percy Hughes, Brooklyn.

Prof. A. V. W. Jackson, New York.

Albert J. W. Kern, New York.

Prof. Charles F. Kroh, Orange.

Dr. George F. Kunz, New York.

Prof. L. A. Lousseaux, New York.

Frederic L. Luqueer, Brooklyn.

R. A. V. Minckwitz, New York.

Charles A. Nelson, New York.

Dr. Harry B. Penhollow, New York.

Prof. E. D. Perry, New York.

John Pohlman, New York.

Dr. Ernest Richard, New York.

Dr. K. E. Richter, New York.

Edward Russ, Hoboken.

Prof. C. L. Speranza, Oak Ridge.

Prof. Francis H. Stoddard, New York.

Dr. Anthony Spitzka, Goodground.

Harvey W. Thayer, Brooklyn.

Prof. H. A. Todd, New York.

Dr. E. M. Wahl, New York.

Prof. F. H. Wilkens, New York.

To each foreign speaker was extended the courtesies of the Century and the University clubs while remaining in New York City. Mention should also be made of the a.s.sistance of the Treasury Department and of the courtesy of Collector of the Port, Hon. N. N. Stranahan, through whom special privileges of the Port were extended to the members of the Congress. The work of the reception committee was most satisfactorily and efficiently performed, and was highly appreciated by the foreign guests. Special acknowledgment is due Mr. F. P. Keppel, of Columbia University, for his painstaking and efficient management of the affairs of the committee in New York. Many of the speakers proceeded singly to St. Louis, stopping at various places, but the great majority went directly to the University of Chicago, where they were entertained during the week preceding the Congress by President Harper and Professor Small, of the University of Chicago. The arrivals at St. Louis were made on Sat.u.r.day the 17th and Sunday the 18th of September. Many of the partic.i.p.ants had arrived at earlier dates, and fully twenty of the speakers were members of the International Jury of Awards for their respective countries, and had been in St. Louis since September 1, the beginning of the Jury work.

A reception committee similar to that in New York was also formed at St.

Louis from the members of the University Club, and their duties were to meet all incoming trains and conduct the members of the Congress personally to their stopping-places, and a.s.sist them in all matters of detail. This committee was comprised of the following members, nearly all of the University Club, who performed their work efficiently and enthusiastically to the great satisfaction of the Exposition and to the thorough appreciation of the foreign guests:--

V. M. Porter, Chairman, St. Louis.

E. H. Angert, St. Louis.

Gouverneur Calhoun, St. Louis.

W. M. Chauvenet, St. Louis.

H. G. Cleveland, St. Louis.

Mr. M. B. Clopton, St. Louis.

Walter Fischel, St. Louis.

W. L. R. Gifford, St. Louis.

E. M. Grossman, St. Louis.

L. W. Hagerman, St. Louis.

Louis La Beaume, St. Louis.

Carl H. Lagenburg, St. Louis.

Sears Lehmann, St. Louis.

G. F. Paddock, St. Louis.

T. G. Rutledge, St. Louis.

Luther Ely Smith, St. Louis.

J. Clarence Taussig, St. Louis.

C. E. L. Thomas, St. Louis.

W. M. Tompkins, St. Louis.

G. T. Weitzel, St. Louis.

Tyrrell Williams, St. Louis.

The itinerary of the foreign speakers after leaving St. Louis at the end of the Congress took them on appointed trains to Washington, where they were given an official reception by President Roosevelt and a reception by Dr. Simon Newcomb, President of the Congress. From here they proceeded to Harvard University, Cambridge, Ma.s.s., where they were given a reception by Prof. Hugo Munsterberg, and were entertained as guests of Harvard University. Thence the great majority of the speakers returned to New York, where they were the guests of Columbia University, and were given a farewell dinner by the a.s.sociation of Old German Students. Many of the speakers, however, visited other portions of the country before returning to Europe.

The foreign speakers while in St. Louis were considered the guests of the Exposition Company, and were relieved from all care and expense for rooms and entertainment. Those who were accompanied by their wives and daughters were entertained by prominent St. Louis families, and those who came singly were quartered in the dormitory of the Washington University, which was set aside for this purpose during the week of the Congress. The dormitory arrangement proved a very happy circ.u.mstance, as nearly one hundred foreign and American scientists of the highest rank were thrown in contact, much after the fashion of their student days, and thoroughly enjoyed the novelty and fellowship of the plan. The dormitory contained ninety-six rooms newly fitted up with much care and with all modern conveniences. Light breakfasts were served in the rooms, and special service provided at the call of the occupants. The situation of the dormitory also in the Exposition grounds in close proximity to the a.s.sembly halls was highly appreciated, and although at times there were minor matters which did not run so smoothly, the almost unanimous expression of the guests of the Exposition was one of delight and appreciation of the arrangements. Special mention ought in justice to be made to those residents of St. Louis who sustained the time-honored name of the city for hospitality and courtesy by entertaining those foreign members of the Congress who were accompanied by the immediate members of their family. They were as follows:--

Dr. C. Barek Dr. William Bartlett Judge W. F. Boyle Mr. Robert Brookings Mrs. J. T. Davis Dr. Samuel Dodd Mr. L. D. Dozier Dr. W. E. Fischel Mr. Louis Fusz Mr. August Gehner Dr. M. A. Goldstein Mr. Charles H. Huttig Dr. Ernest Jonas Mr. R. McKittrick Jones Mr. F. W. Lehmann Dr. Robert Luedeking Mr. Edward Mallinckrodt Mr. George D. Markham Mr. Thomas McKittrick Mr. Theodore Meier Dr. S. J. Niccolls Dr. W. F. Nolker Dr. S. J. Schwab Dr. Henry Schwartz Mr. Corwin H. Spencer Dr. William Taussig Mr. G. H. Tenbroek Dr. Herman Tuholske Hon. Rolla Wells Mr. Edwards Whitaker Mr. Charles Wuelfing Mr. Max Wuelfing.

DETAIL OF THE CONGRESS

The immense amount of detail work which devolved upon the Department in the matter of preparing halls for the meetings, receiving guests, providing for their comfort, issuing the programmes, managing the detail of the receptions, banquets, invitations, etc., providing for registration, payment of honorariums, and furnishing information on every conceivable topic, rendered necessary the formation of a special bureau which was placed in charge of Dr. L. O. Howard of Washington, D.

C., as Executive Secretary. Dr. Howard's long experience as Secretary of the American a.s.sociation for the Advancement of Science rendered him particularly well qualified to a.s.sume this laborious and thankless task.