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No. 453.

VOL. XIX. BOSTON, 1899 JANUARY 16. NO. 21

THE BENJAMIN APTHORP GOULD FUND.

On Nov. 17, 1897, the sum of twenty thousand dollars was given to the National Academy of Sciences, as Trustee, to establish a fund to be known as the Benjamin Apthorp Gould Fund, in memory of the father of the donor, Miss Alice Bache Gould, the income to be used to assist the prosecution of researches in astronomy, the administration of this income, in accordance with the terms of the Trust and of a letter of instructions from the donor, to be under the direction of the undersigned. A sufficient available income has now accrued from the Fund to warrant beginning its distribution, and the Directors are prepared to receive and consider applications for appropriations. As a guide in framing such applications it is desirable to present briefly, but in close adherence to the exact terms of the Trust and of the letter of instructions accompanying it, the principal provisions to be regarded in the administration of the Fund. The objects of the institution are, first, to advance the science of Astronomy; secondly, to honor the memory of Dr. Gould by ensuring that his power to accomplish scientific work shall not end with his death. In recog- nition of the fact that during Dr. Gould’s lifetime his patriotic feeling and ambition to promote the progress of his chosen science were closely associated, it is preferred that the Fund should be used primarily for the benefit of investigators in his own country or of his own nationality. But it is further recognized both by the donor and the Directors that sometimes the best possible service to American science is the maintenance of close communion between the scientific men of Europe and of America, and that therefore, even while acting in the spirit of the above restriction, it may occasionally be best to apply the money to the aid of a foreign investigator working abroad. The wish was also expressed by the donor that in all cases work in the astronomy of precision should be given the preference over any any work in astrophysics, both because of Dr. Gould’s especial predilection and because of the present existence of generous endowments for astrophysics. Finally the Benjamin Apthorp Gould Fund is intended for the advancement and not for the diffusion of scientific knowledge, and is to be used to defray the actual expenses of investigation, rather than for the personal support of the investigator during the time of his researches, without absolutely excluding the latter use under the most exceptional circumstances. Application for appropriations from the income of this Fund may be made informally by letter to any of the Directors undersigned, stating the amount desired, the nature of the proposed investigation, and the manner in which the appropriation is to be expended. If favorably considered, a blank for formal application will be forwarded for signature, with the rules adopted by the Directors for the administration of the Fund, and to which the applicant will be expected to subscribe. LEWIS BOSS, SETH C. CHANDLEB, ASAPH HALL. 1899 January 1. (165)