Uncovering the Achievements of the Southwestern Science Society
By Chloe Corley
In examining the history of science at Southwestern University, it would be difficult to overlook the Southwestern Science Society (SSS). Founded in 1915 and originally called the “Chemistry Club”, this organization expand its membership to students and faculty from the departments of physics and biology in 1925. The society would continue to grow in scientific disciplines, with geology, mathematics, and astronomy being represented in coming years[1], as well as student and faculty membership. One of the SSS’s greatest achievements was its affiliation with the Texas Academy of Science (TAS) and by extension the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) from the 1930s to the 1980s. The Southwestern Science Society became affiliated with the TAS and AAAS in order to further student and faculty knowledge of the sciences and expand the influence of faculty members on the sphere of American science. The society’s interest in and creation of a collegiate division of the Academy, as well as their close involvement in Academy operations, showcases their desire to fulfill these goals.
This paper approaches scientific societies in American universities from the small example of the SSS. It aims to highlight the benefits of affiliation with these societies with an emphasis on the expansion of scientific opportunity. In examining the role of socialization in the transmission of scientific knowledge, here among university students, the channels and benefits of socialization can more easily be seen.
Before their affiliation with the TAS and AAAS, the Southwestern Science Society aimed to gather scientific knowledge and faculty influence through close professional discussion with field experts. One example of this is a meeting the Society held in 1929 with Dr. Herbert Jennings, “...an undisputed leader in the field of biological science”. A prominent American Zoologist, Geneticist, and Eugenicist, he spoke on “What We May Expect of Eugenics”. After his lecture, he joined SSS student and faculty members for an informal dinner and conversation.[3]. These opportunities allowed students to have a closer interaction with professional. In the interest of expanding these opportunities, the Science Society became affiliated with the Texas Academy of Science in 1936 after successfully advocating for the creation of a collegiate division[4]. Upon receiving the first charter, the Society’s meetings with field professionals greatly increased. In the spring immediately after the SSS induction, the society hosted the TAS Central Texas Region annual meeting at Southwestern University. Forty speakers presented at the meeting, although their topics are unknown. Over the weekend, they had a formal dinner and a field trip to Longhorn Cavern.[5] Students and faculty alike had opportunities to engage in professional scientific discussion through their affiliation, therefore expanding their scientific knowledge and the presence of faculty members. This trend would continue as their affiliation grew stronger.
The 1940s brought greater exchanges of information in the sphere of American science. Improved transportation facilitated attendance of members to scientific conferences.[6] This spread of scientific conferences also allowed for greater one-on-one communication in the time between lectures. This made it easier for the Society to interact with scientific professionals. In 1940 they attended the annual meeting of the TAS and held five collegiate sessions in addition to the general member sessions. Collegiate sessions were presumably limited to university students, which allowed peer interaction in addition to the professional interaction seen in general member sessions. Around 100 collegiate delegates were reported to have attended[7]. This experience was echoed in 1941 when the Society attended a meeting of the AAAS in Dallas, Texas[8]. Rather than the limited opportunities coming from hosting professionals on a small college campus, the Society was able to travel to meetings themselves and therefore speak with a larger variety of professionals in different fields of science. Through affiliation with these state-wide and nation-wide scientific organizations, the Southwestern Science Society was able to expand student knowledge beyond the walls of the university and offer faculty a chance to expand their influence on the sphere of American science. Informational lecture topics offered knowledge of new scientific findings to students, expanding their knowledge; and offered faculty a chance to network with peers. These opportunities would also allow for a closer relationship between the Science Society and the Academy.
The close involvement the Southwestern Science Society had with the TAS and AAAS can be attributed to the pursuit of their goals. Students and faculty alike ran for and held leadership positions in the societies, and attended annual meetings in large numbers[9]. In the 1941 AAAS meeting, student James Allen was elected president of the collegiate division of the TAS[10]. Collegiate division officers were intimately involved in the planning of annual meetings along with Academy leadership. This was seen in 1949 when collegiate and Academy officers met at Southwestern University to plan the program for the annual meeting of the Academy, held at Rice University[11]. Southwestern faculty notably held a large variety of positions in the Academy this year: Dr. Godbey served on the board of directors and executive council, Dean Ulrich served as chairman of the resolutions committee, and Dr. Luksa served as chairman of section three. Godbey and Ulrich had also previously served as president of the Academy[12]. The previous annual meeting saw two students presenting to the collegiate division and two faculty to the general session[13]. It is not recorded when these leadership positions were held, but they all came about due to the SSS’ involvement with their affiliates. These leadership positions highlight how the Science Society was involved with their affiliates beyond a surface-level relationship. Rather than being passive attendees, members pursued both leadership and presentation positions. They also sent a large number of both student and faculty delegates to conferences. Their level of involvement in these operations shows why they reaped the benefit of attaining leadership positions. This can be seen as one product of their dedication.
Beyond holding a large number of leadership positions, Southwestern University faculty were also represented in presentations and publications. While faculty could have gained this expansion of influence through their own relationships with the TAS and AAAS, the creation and upholding of the collegiate division was greatly beneficial to their reputation. Godbey’s presentation of the paper “The Organization of a Collegiate Division of the Texas Academy of Science” at a 1941 meeting of the AAAS[14] was praised in the school newspaper, noting that “...leading scientists from other states are rapidly setting up similar college groups”[15]. This is supported by the increase in membership of the collegiate division[16]. A 1949 issue of The Texas Journal of Science tells a similar story: the included list of membership notes many Southwestern University professors. This list shows professors representing the subjects of chemistry, mathematics, sociology, history & government, and economics & business administration, as well as some non-specific members. This particular issue published a Southwestern University biology professors’ article on “Food Studies of Black Crappie Fry[17]”. The collegiate division’s impact reached even beyond scientific departments, allowing many of the university’s faculty to benefit from the close relationship and expand their influence on the sphere of American science. This close relationship was beneficial to students and faculty alike in the impact it had on the Southwestern Science Society.
Student expansion of scientific knowledge can be demonstrated well in other Society functions. In an effort to give back to the campus and teach their peers, a 1947 issue of the school newspaper notes how the Science Society held an “assembly” for the campus. Students of the Society demonstrated their academic knowledge through presentations, most notably “...four short sketches on the contribution of the various fields of science to modern everyday life”. Other presentations included an overview of recent developments in the field of chemistry and a presentation on new inventions in the field of physics, including “...radio transmitters the size of a lipstick tube and receivers which would fit on a playing card”[18]. The university certainly held them in high esteem, with the school newspaper recounting the assembly and commenting that the Society “...has been one of the most outstanding groups on this campus. Not only has it been influential here…”[19]. Through their close relationship with the TAS and AAAS, the Science Society was able to showcase the results of their efforts: improved scientific knowledge. Their affiliation with these organizations was vital to both student and faculty gains in the Science Society.
Through affiliation with the Texas Academy of Science and American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Southwestern Science Society effectively increased their scientific knowledge and expanded faculty influence on the sphere of American science. Their effort to create a collegiate division of the TAS brought them invaluable opportunities, including greater communication and networking with American scientists. Through these connections, students and faculty were able to increase their scientific knowledge while faculty also expanded their scientific influence. Member’s improvements can be seen through increased interaction with the Academy as well as campus events. The improvements members of the Southwestern Science Society experienced happened thanks to their affiliation and close relationship with the TAS and AAAS.
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[1] “Science Society Holds Barbecue,” The Megaphone, June 1, 1948, 2-3, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620874/m1/3/; “Science Soc. Meets, Honor Dr. Godbey,” The Megaphone, October 14, 1947, 1, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620529/m1/1/. This is an estimate based on SSS appearance in school literature.
[2] University of North Carolina, “Proceedings of the Forty-First Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Academy of Science,” Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 58, no. 2 (1942): 103-144, JSTOR; “Give the Gift of Life: SU Blood Drive,” The Megaphone, March 9, 1989, 9, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth634528/m1/9/.
[3] Rayburn Brown, “Dr. Jennings Entertained by Science Society,” The Megaphone, January 22, 1929, 2, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620705/m1/2/; “Herbert Spencer Jennings Papers,” Johns Hopkins University, accessed May 4, 2022, https://aspace.library.jhu.edu/repositories/3/resources/71.
[4]. UNC, “Proceedings of Annual Meeting,” 103-144.
[5] Don Scarbrough, “Science Academy Takes Thirty One Applicants,” The Megaphone, May 5, 1936, 1, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth601331/m1/3/.
[6] Gibson, Sarah S. “Scientific Societies and Exchange: A Facet of the History of Scientific Communication,” The Journal of Library History 17, no. 2 (Spring 1982): 144–63, JSTOR.
[7] Burt A. Frederick. “The Texas Academy of Science,” Science 92, no. 2400 (1940): 607, JSTOR.
[8] Frank E. E. Germann, “The Southwestern Division of the AAAS,” Science 108, no. 2801 (1948): 224-26, JSTOR.
[9] “Southwestern Science Society Attends Science Meeting at Rice Institute,” The Megaphone, December 7, 1949, 4, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620265/m1/4/; “Texas Academy of Science Convention Held in Austin,” The Megaphone, January 13, 1948, 1, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620758/m1/1/.
[10] “A.A.S. Convention Holds Interest of S.U. Scientists,” The Megaphone, February 7, 1942, 4, The https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620395/m1/4/
[11] “Science Society,” The Megaphone, October 19, 1949, 4, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620473/m1/4/.
[12] “SSS Attends Meeting,” 4.
[13] “TAS Convention Held,” 1.
[14] UNC, “Proceedings of Annual Meeting,” 103-144.
[15] “A.A.S. Convention,” 4.
[16] UNC, “Proceedings of Annual Meeting,” 103-144.
[17] The Texas Academy of Science. The Texas Journal of Science 1, no. 1 (1949). https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/254559#page/7/mode/1up.
[18] “Science Society Sponsors Assembly,” The Megaphone, May 13, 1947, 1, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth620236/m1/1/.
[19] “Society Holds Barbecue”, 2-3.
