Houston Philosophical Society Records

Collection

Identifier: UA 0076

Staff Only

Finding aid note: Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information. Box 17 stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Scope and Contents

The Houston Philosophical Society Records consist of minutes from the Executive Committee and general meetings, notices to members, treasurer's reports and other financial records, rosters and directories, new member nominations, constitutions and procedure guidelines. There is one roll of microfilm minutes for 1964-May 1974. One binder belonging to President W. T. Cannady, 1998-99 is included. These documents are divided in to 7 series as identified below.

Until April 2000, the documents were filed by subject, i. e., Minutes, Notices, Treasurer's Report, etc. in chronological order. Beginning April 2000 the documents are kept together by meeting number and date. A new series was started at that point.

Dates

Creation: 1808 - 2004
Creation: Majority of material found within 1940 - 2004

Creator

Houston Philosophical Society. (Organization)

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Stored offsite at the Library Service Center and require 24-hour notice for retrieval. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at 713-348-2586 or woodson@rice.edu for more information.

Box 17 stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from the Houston Philosophical Society Records must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Historical Sketch

The first meeting of the Houston Philosophical Society was held on January 18, 1920 at the University Club in downtown Houston. It was organized to bring together the intellectual community both on and off campus. Its purpose was to "stimulate interest in modern developments in science and philosophy." The word "philosophical" is used in its broadest sense and members of the society represent all departments of the arts, sciences, and letters.

At that first meeting Professor H. A. Wilson was elected as president, Professor G. C. Evans as secretary, and Mr. S. G. McCann (the registrar at Rice) as treasurer. Three additional members were elected to serve on the executive council: Professors C. W. Heaps, H. B. Weiser, and R. A. Tsanoff. The persons listed here, whose main work was respectively in physics, mathematics, history, chemistry, and philosophy, indicate the wide range of interests that has characterized the Society from the beginning.

The monthly meetings held during the academic year normally consist of a dinner, followed by a business session and then the address of the evening by either a member of the Society or an invited guest speaker. Time is reserved for questions or discussion after the address.

The members of the Society are elected based on their high intellectual and professional achievements. Originally an all male organization, in 1987 the bylaws were changed so that they did not imply that one had to be male to be a member. By the next year several women had been elected. Today the Society has no gender or racial restrictions and has a maximum membership of 240 members divided into eight sections as follows:

Astronomy, Engineering, and Mathematics

Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics

Medicine

Business and Economics

Education, Health, and Physical Education, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, and Social Science

History, Journalism, Language, Literature, and Library Science

Architecture, Fine Arts, Music, and Theater

Government and Law

Extent

9 Linear Feet (18 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract:

The Houston Philosophical Society was established in 1920 at the University Club in downtown Houston to bring together the intellectual community both on and off campus. Many members of the Rice University community have been invlode as leaders in the society. These records consist of minutes from the Executive Committee and general meetings, notices to members, treasurer's reports and other financial records, rosters and directories, new member nominations, constitutions and procedure guidelines.

Acquisition Information

These records have been placed with the Woodson Research Center by various members of the Society over a number of years-S. W. Higginbotham, K. Kolenda, John A. S. Adams, John Boles, Harold Raley received in 1974, 6/1984, 10/1988, 2/1989, 6/1992, 9/1993, 11/1993, 7/1995, 6/1996, 12/1996 and 2/2003.