CHAPTER IV.

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STATE INSTITUTIONS, SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS.

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.

   The University of Nebraska, located at Lincoln, was founded by an act of the legislature passed in 1869. It was opened and students received in 1871. The various acts of the legislature providing for its organization authorized the establishing of various departments, and laid the ground work for one of the greatest educational institutions in the union. Allen R. Benton, Ph. D., was the first chancellor.
   The university comprises the graduate school, the college of literature, science and the arts, the industrial college, the college of law, schools of agriculture, mechanical arts and domestic science. Collegiate courses preparatory to law and journalism and medicine, as well as the special teachers' course and summer sessions, are offered. The regents of the university have also entrusted to their care the U. S. experiment station, and the central office of the Nebraska section of the climate and crop service of the U. S. weather bureau is located within its grounds. Courses in university extension, including farmers' institutes, are given as a means of education to those beyond the bounds of the university. Admission to the university is by certificate from about seventy-five accredited schools or by examination. The degrees are A. B.; B. Sc.; B. Sc. in engineering courses; LL. B.; A. M.; and Ph. D. Tuition is free except in the professional and special courses, where a nominal fee is charged. A matriculation fee of five dollars is provided by statute. A system of fellowships and scholarships exists, and in each county maintaining a first-class three or four year high school a scholarship is awarded the student passing the best competitive examination. Several prizes are offered along certain lines of college activity, such as oratory and literature. The university has a campus in the center of the city of Lincoln of twelve acres, and an experiment station farm of three hundred and twenty acres. There is a score of buildings, the most prominent being university hall, the chemical laboratory, Grant memorial hall containing the armory and gymnasium, library building, Nebraska hall, mechanic arts hall, the library, the Pathotriological laboratory, dairy hall and soldiers' memorial hall.
   The college farm (including the experiment station farm) was secured by the exchange of state land and the payment of about $20,000 out of state funds. The property is now valued at about a quarter of a million dollars. On the farm are the buildings for the use of the experiment station. The total value of the entire property of the university is now estimated at over one million dollars.

   The fifth territorial legislature, in an act opproved [sic] October 14, 1858, providing for the organization of county agricultural societies, established a territorial board of agriculture to receive and digest reports from, and of the several organizations, and to hold annual meetings for the purpose of deliberating and consulting as to the wants, prospects and conditions of the agricultural interests throughout the territory. This board as originally constituted, consisted of Thomas Gibson, Harrison Johnson, A. D. Jones, E. Estabrook, J. M. Thayer, Christian Bobst, Robert W. Furnas, Jesse Cole, S. A. Chambers, Jerome Hoover, Mills S. Reeves, Broad Cole, J. C. Lincoln, Harlan Baird, Joel T. Griffin and B. H. Chaplin, duly created a body corporate, with perpetual succession, empowered to fill vacancies in its membership, and to elect officers in its discretion.
   The first meeting of the board was held in Omaha, October 30, 1858, the election of officers for the ensuing year resulting as follows: President, R. W. Furnas; secretary, A. D. Jones; treasurer, J. M. Thayer; board of managers, E. H. Chaplin, H. Baird, M. S. Reeves, Broad Cole and C. Bobst. It was determined at this meeting that the first annual fair be held three days in succession, in September, 1859, in such county as offered the largest donations, privileges and best accommodations. Under this arrangement Otoe county was selected as the location and the first territorial fair was held at Nebraska City, September 21, 22 and 23, 1859. The amount actually awarded in premiums was $355, in addition to a gold watch, saddle and bridle, and two sets of jewelry valued at $115, and a goodly number of diplomas. The address of the occasion was delivered by J. Sterling Morton. At the end of the report of the fair to the next legisla-

ture, the committee "beg leave to say that this first territorial fair of Nebraska, though not a complete success, was far from a failure. Taking all things into consideration, it is a marvel that one half so well."
   This was the only territorial fair ever held in Nebraska, no decided effort appearing to have been made toward another exhibition until 1868, when the board having been changed to a state organization by the admission of the territory, held a second annual fair, also at Nebraska City, October 7, 8 and 9, 1868. Under the state organization the number of incorporated members increased from sixteen to twenty-eight. In early days of the state's history, the state fairs were held at various places, including Nebraska City, Brownville, Omaha and Lincoln.
   The state board of agriculture embraces all the minor kindred organizations - the horticultural society and others, - reports of which are incorporated in the official statements of the board to the legislature. It has since its institution as a territorial organization fostered, encouraged and developed the farming interests of Nebraska, stimulating honest rivalry. To it the state owes much of its present popularity, and to the indefatigable efforts of its officers is due in great measure the fact not that Nebraska is an agricultural state, but that she is preeminently because scientifically such. The object of the association has been and is to advertise and make known in every possible way the agricultural advantages, products, resources, possibilities and promises of the state. Of late years this has been done not only by holding annual fairs and exhibitions, but by the publication of a four-hundred-page volume of agriculture, horticultural, dairy, forestry, live stock, crop, botanical, geological, entomological, meteorological, civil engineering, zoological and other important data and information. SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB.

   The Nebraska school for the deaf and dumb was established in 1869, with Professor William M. French as principal. The object of the institution as set forth in the law and in the first report of the superintendent, is "to promote the intellectual, physical and moral culture of the deaf and dumb by a judicious and well-adapted course of instruction, that they may be reclaimed from their lonely and cheerless condition, restored to society and fitted for the discharge of the duties of life." The object of the organization has remained the same and in many instances has been accomplished. The first year there were enrolled twelve pupils, and the school was housed in a rented building. This institution is doing excellent work in carrying out the intent of the law and the object of the school. An exhibit was made at the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of the work from all departments of the school which attracted marked attention. The exhibit was awarded a diploma and gold medal by the exposition, and the committee appointed to judge of the work done in the education of the defective classes, awarded the Nebraska School for the Deaf a diploma for first rank. This committee awarded but one of first rank.

THE NEBRASKA INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND.

   This institution, which is located at Nebraska City, was opened in 1875. To secure the institution, Nebraska City donated $3,000 and ten acres of ground just north of the city limits. On this site substantial buildings have been erected, and the institution is admirably conducted and doing good work. The school was first opened in rented rooms March 10, 1875. At the beginning there were only three students, but the enrollment reached twenty-one by the close of the first two years. Samuel Bacon was the first superintendent.

STATE PENITENTIARY.

   The Nebraska state penitentiary is located at Lancaster, about three miles south of the city of Lincoln. Under grants from the congress of the United States, by acts of 1864 and 1867, the state of Nebraska received 32,044 acres of land for penitentiary purposes. The act providing for the building of the state penitentiary on the site donated for that purpose by Captain W. T. Donavan and Mr. Hilton, was passed March 4, 1870. W. W. Abbey, W. W. Wilson and F. Tlemplin were appointed prison inspectors to attend to selling the land granted by the government for prison purposes and to superintend the building, $5,000 being appropriated for the erection of a temporary prison. The first warden of the penitentiary was Henry Campbell. The institution has always ranked high among the penal institutions of its class in the country.

NEBRASKA HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE.

   This institution is located at Lincoln. As early as 1865 it was found necessary to make provision for the insane in the territory of Nebraska. Four cases were already being cared for in an Iowa hospital. The legislature authorized the governor to make some arrangement with the state of Iowa by which they received and cared for the insane at the expense of Nebraska. Under this arrangement fifty patients were sent at various times to the hospital at Mount Pleasant. Soon after Nebraska became a state the governor, secretary of state and auditor of public accounts were appointed a board of commissioners to locate a site for a state lunatic asylum near the city of Lincoln. The first building was completed at a cost of $137,000 in the fall of 1870, and the first patient was admitted November 26 of that year. Early in the following December seventeen patients were brought over from Mount Pleasant to the new institution, and four were admitted who

had been confined in the Pawnee county jail. Dr. N. B. Larsh was the first superintendent. In April, 1871, the institution was destroyed by fire. Five patients were reported missing and were never afterwards accounted for. The remaining patients were taken to Lincoln and cared for in rented houses until a temporary building was erected on the asylum grounds. As there was no appropriation available and the citizens of Lincoln were fearful lest the institution should be removed to some rival city, they advanced the funds necessary to build a temporary frame structure, which did service as a hospital until a new stone building was erected the following year. Since that time the institution has been enlarged by the erection of additional buildings until today it is one of the most modern institutions of its kind in the country. As the population of the state increased, the number of insane persons likewise increased, thereby making it necessary to increase the capacity of the hospital. The congestion was also relieved by the erection of other institutions at Hastings and Norfolk. The first patients were sent to the Norfolk hospital February 15, 1888, and to the asylum for the chronic insane at Hastings August 1, 1889. Originally the state guaranteed the expense of caring for insane patients and when possible collected the amount so expended from the estate of the patient or from his or her natural guardians. Later the superintendent certified to the auditor the number of patients from each county, and the auditor of public accounts certified to the commissioners of the several counties the amounts due for the maintenance of their insane. In 1883 this was changed, and the state assumed the entire expense of caring for this class of persons.
   No effort has been spared to bring the hospital service up to the highest standard of efficiency, and the citizens of Nebraska may well be congratulated on the excellent reputation which the Nebraska hospital for the insane bears in the surrounding states. ASYLUM FOR THE CHRONIC INSANE.

   The asylum for the chronic insane was located near the city of Hastings in the year 1888, the first building being erected from an appropriation allowed by the legislature of 1887. The capacity of the building at the time was one hundred and eighty patients. The institution was opened for the admission of patients in August, 1889, Dr. M. W. Stone being the first superintendent, having been appointed by Governor Thayer. The object of the institution is to care for the more quiet and those found to be chronic after treatment in the asylums of the state for the acutely insane. The legislature has since from time to time made large appropriations for additional buildings for enlarging the scope and usefulness of the institution.

NORFOLK HOSPITAL FOR INSANE.

   The Norfolk hospital for insane owes its origin to an act of the legislature of 1885 appropriating $75,000 to build an insane hospital within three miles of the city limits of Norfolk, provided the city should donate three hundred and twenty acres of good land upon which to locate said institution. The three hundred and twenty acres were donated, commanding a most beautiful view of the lovely valley of the Elkhorn, its tributary the north fork, and the surrounding country. The first building was completed in November, 1886. The legislature has from time to time made liberal appropriations to extend and enlarge this institution, and it ranks among the most important eleemosynary institutions of the state.

NEBRASKA INSTITUTION FOR FEEBLE MINDED YOUTHS.

   This institution is located at Beatrice, Gage county. It was established by the state of Nebraska in 1885 for the benefit of feeble-minded children between the ages of five and eighteen years, who are by reason of their affliction denied the educational advantages of the public schools, and who likewise, because of their physical weakness, are necessarily dependent. We quote the following from the act of the legislature creating this institution, viz: "Besides shelter and protection, the prime object of said institution shall be to provide special means of improvement for that unfortunate portion of the community who were born or by disease may become imbecile or feebleminded, and by a well-adapted course of instruction reclaim them from their helpless condition, and through the development of their intellectual faculties fit them as far as possible for usefulness in society. To this end there shall be furnished them such agricultural and mechanical education as they are capable of receiving." Children who are residents of Nebraska, who are feeble-minded, and those who have such marked peculiarities or eccentricities of intellect, or those who by reason of their being backward are unable to receive the benefits of the common schools and ordinary methods of instruction, are entitled to care and training free of charge, except the expense of necessary clothing and transportation to and from their homes. Since the institution was founded, about one thousand applications have been made for admission, about half of which have been received as patients. The work of the institution covers a useful scope. Aside from the school duties, the girls are taught sewing, house work, cooking and all branches of domestic employment, while the boys are instructed in brush making, carpenter work, farm work and such other branches of employment as may be useful to them after leaving the school.

THE HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS.

   This institution is located at Lincoln. In 1876

some of the charitable women of Nebraska organized a society known as the "Home for the Friendless," the object of which was to furnish a refuge for friendless children, girls, young women and old ladies. This society was duly incorporated under the laws of the state of Nebraska, and has been managed continuously from the time of its corporation by a board of ladies who have served without pay, mileage or financial recompense whatever. Absolutely non-sectarian, as every religious organization has been represented, and absolutely non-political. In 1881 the state appropriated the sum of $5,000 to aid the society in the erection of a permanent building. As the state has grown, this charitable work has increased and several legislative appropriations have been made to assist the society in carrying on their great work. It can safely be said 'thousands of friendless children have been received within the shelter of this institution and permanent homes have been found for them among the substantial citizens of the state. A record is kept of each child, and a useful future is assured to these unfortunate children who otherwise would have contributed to the haunts of vice and swell the roll of criminals. Over a thousand wives and mothers have been cared for by the home, besides caring for many aged inmates. The magnitude of this work can only be appreciated by those who intimately acquaint themselves with the work of the society. Christian women have devoted much of their time and contributed of their substance to the caring for these unfortunates for years. Auxiliary societies have been organized by the charitable women of many towns throughout the state, and the foundation has thus been laid for great charitable work in the future. SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' HOME - GRAND ISLAND.

   The soldiers' and sailors' home at Grand Island was established under an act of the legislature of 1887. This act constituted the board of public lands and buildings a commission to locate and establish a home for honorably discharged soldiers, sailors and marines and hospital nurses who served in the United States army or navy or hospitals during the war of the rebellion, and who by reason of such service, old age or otherwise have become disabled from earning a livelihood, providing such applicants have been actual bonafide residents of Nebraska for two years next preceding such application. This commission approved and accepted a site near the city of Grand Island, containing six hundred and forty acres of land, which was donated to the state by the citizens of Grand Island. The management of the home is vested in a visiting and examining board consisting of five persons, appointed by the governor, three of whom must be honorably discharged volunteer soldiers, and two of whom must be either wives, sisters or daughters of honorably discharged soldiers and members of the Woman's Relief Corps of Nebraska.

SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' HOME - MILFORD.

   A branch of the soldiers' and sailors' home was established by an act of the legislature, which took effect April 9, 1895. This home is located near Milford, on the banks of the Blue river, and the site comprises about thirty-five acres. It consists of the sanitarium, park and springs, together with a brick and stone building surrounded by broad piazzas. The home is governed in like manner as the soldiers' and sailors' home at Grand Island.

THE INDUSTRIAL HOME - MILFORD.

   The industrial home at Milford was established in 1888. Its object is to protect and care for the unfortunate and homeless girls, and thus prevent crime. In this institution a home is offered and an opportunity given to commence life anew, as without this opportunity and refuge, often, if the will to reform is evident, the way is completely hedged in. The institution is doing excellent work, and is a charitable enterprise that is worthy of the support of the state.

STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

   The state industrial school at Kearney was established by the legislature of 1870 under the title of State Reform School. The sum of $10,000 was appropriated for the erection of the first building and its temporary maintenance. The first building was completed in 1881, and the records of the school show that the first boy was committed by W. H. Ely, county judge of Dodge county, July 12, 1881. Since that time nearly fifteen hundred boys have been committed to the school by the different counties of the state, besides about two hundred girls that were sent here previous to the establishing of the girls' industrial school at Geneva in 1891. In 1887 the legislature changed the title of the Kearney institution from the State Reform School to that of the State Industrial School, the name it now bears. The intention of the change in the name was to remove the school as much as possible from a penal institution to that of educational and industrial training with the sole purpose in view that as far as possible no stigma should be attached to the unfortunate and wayward youths that have received their education within its confines.

THE GIRLS' INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

   The girls' industrial school at Geneva was established in 1891, and the main building was completed during the same year. Up to this time the boys and girls were in one school at Kearney. The site for the school is located less than a mile from Geneva, Fillmore county, on a beautiful elevated tract of land containing forty acres.

   This institution has done and is doing noble work. The school is divided into classes, or families as they are called, and graded or placed according to the commitment and are assigned a certain number of demerits that must be canceled by good behavior. They are detailed regularly every three months in the industrial departments, and work one-half of each day and are in school the other half day. All are committed until they are twenty-one years old unless sooner released by the governor or the board. They have an hour and a half to play each day, and there seems to be as much happiness as is found in the ordinary boarding school. When a girl has worked out on her "honor" and has no home, one is provided for her, where she goes on trial and is reported monthly. Many such are now commanding good wages. Some have married and have homes of their own. While inmates are committed here for certain offenses, it is not a prison, nor does it resemble one in any way. It has no fences nor bars on the windows, and the surroundings are as inviting as any high school. The girls are not here to take punishment for past mistakes, but for education and protection from all harm, especially evil influences. No home has better moral training. STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS.

   The legislature of 1879 passed an act creating the board of fish commissioners for the purpose of protecting, propagating and stocking the waters of the state and to arouse interest in fish culture. Governor Garber appointed as the first board of fish commissioners William L. May of Fremont, C. W. Kaley of Red Cloud and B. E. B. Kennedy of Omaha. The present site, consisting of fifty-two acres of ground lying along the Platte river in Sarpy county, just south of the village of South Bend, was purchased in 1880, and being well watered with several magnificent springs, has proven well adapted for the purpose for which it was acquired. J. G. Romine, of South Bend, was the first superintendent, appointed at a salary of $500 per annum. The board of commissioners received no salary, but were allowed $250 per annum for expenses. The superintendent's salary is now $1,200 per annum, and he is allowed several assistants. When the station was first located considerable attention was paid to the hatching and distribution of white fish and land-locked salmon, but it soon became apparent that the waters of this state were not adapted to these kinds of fish, and this work was discontinued, and the work of hatching carp, black bass, brook, rainbow and brown trout was taken up. The scope of the work his gradually been broadened until now, in addition to the varieties named, they also propagate crappie, perch, catfish, rock bass, tench and several kinds of ornamental fish, and on the whole the work has been very successful.

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

   The Nebraska State Historical Society was organized September 25 and 26, 1878, at Lincoln, with the following as charter members.- Dr. Geo. L. Miller, Chris Hartman and J. T. Allen, Douglas county; Governor Silas Garber and H. S. Kaley, Webster county; S. R. Thompson, T. P. Kennard, W. W. Wilson and Samuel Aughey, Lancaster county; Rev. J. M. Taggart and J. H. Croxton, Otoe county; C. H. Walker, Franklin county; Hon. L. Crounse and E. N. Grenell, Washington county; Prof. C. D. Wilbur, Saline county; J. Q. Goss, Sarpy county; D. H. Wheeler and William Gilmore, Cass county; O. T. B. Williams, Seward county; L. B. Fifield, Buffalo county; Rev. L. W. B. Shryrock and E. Shugart, Gage county; William Adair, Dakota county; Robert W. Furnas, Nemaha county; H. T. Clark, Sarpy county; J. H. Brown, A. Humphrey, J. H. Ames, John Cadman and A. G. Hastings, Lancaster county; J. A. MacMurphy, Cass county; Hiram Craig, Washington county; J. J. Budd, Douglas county; F. J. Hendershot, Thayer county; S. A. Fulton, Richardson county; Theron Nye, Dodge county. A constitution was adopted, providing officers and regulations, and the first president, secretary and treasurer were respectively: Hon. Robert W. Furnas, Prof. Samuel Aughey and W. W. Wilson. The organization remained unchanged from 1878 to 1883, having a president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, treasurer and board of directors. During this time the funds of the society consisted solely of fees and dues paid in more or less irregularly, and were very small. The members first met at the old Commercial Hotel to organize, but usually thereafter the annual meetings were held in some room at the state university. The secretary, Prof. Aughey, gathered a small nucleus of a library, consisting of donations from R. W. Furnas, D. H. Wheeler, Moses Stocking and others. The society began also to carry out some of its proposed objects. These were: (1) To collect all material relating to the history of Nebraska; (2) to publish as much of it as possible; (3) to found an historical library.
   A subject of no small interest at the time the society was organized was that of the "historical block." This was block twenty-nine of the original plat of the city of Lincoln, later known as "Haymarket Square," and having the city offices on it, which was set apart by act of the commissioners and of the state legislature, February 15, 1869. It was called "State Historical and Library Association Block," and was for the benefit of the "State Historical Library Association," organized August 26, 1867. The society in question had some sessions, and its president for some time was Hon. John Gillespie. But for some reason the legislature, by act of February 24, 1875, took away this block and gave it to the city of Lincoln. On the organization of the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1878 an effort was made to

ascertain whether it was possible to recover this block for the latter society, but the attempt was abandoned.
   In 1883, by act of the legislature February 23, 1883, the society was made a state institution and a sum appropriated for its support, This opened up to the society a way to accomplish the purpose of publishing historical material. The first volume was issued in 1885, which has been followed by a number of additional volumes. The biennial appropriations of the legislature for its support have increased from time to time, but have hardly kept pace with the needs of the society. Nebraska has made a good beginning in the matter of collecting its own history, but its work does not as yet compare with that of most of its sister states. The plans of the officers of the society for the future contemplates an increase in the work and effectiveness of the organization. STATE BAR ASSOCIATION.

   The Nebraska State Bar Association was organized January 6, 1876. The constitution states the objects of the organization as follows: The association is established to maintain a high standard of professional integrity among the members of the Nebraska bar; to cultivate social intercourse and courtesy among them; to encourage a thorough and liberal legal education, and to assist in the improvement of the law and the due administration of justice to all classes of society without distinction." The constitution provided for its incorporation under the laws of the state, appointing the president to take the necessary step in the matter. Any member of a county association may become a member, and all judges of the supreme, district and federal courts of Nebraska are members by virtue of their offices, and have all the privileges of membership except voting. Its constitution provides for punishment of its members for misconduct toward the association and the administration of justice, but it is also a vigilance committee to look after and punish in the courts the misconduct of nonmembers.

NEBRASKA PRESS ASSOCIATION.

   An organization was effected on December 6, 1859, of what was know as the Editors' and Publishers' Association of Nebraska Territory. The first meeting was held at the Herndon House, Omaha, the following persons being present: Thomas Morton and M. W. Reynolds, of the Nebraska City News; R. W. Furnas, of the Brownville Advertiser; T. H. Robertson, of the Omaha Nebraskan; E. Giles, of the Plattsmouth Sentinel; Burbank & Jamison, of the Falls City Broad Axe; E. D. Webster of the Omaha Republican, and ex-editors H. D. Johnson, J. W. Pattison and S. Belden. On this occasion M. W. Reynolds was elected president, R. W. Furnas vice president and M. H. Clark secretary. Among the resolutions adopted at this meeting is one: "That a public journal is an impersonality, and should be so treated on all occasions, and that in our intercourse with each other we will neither use offensive personalities nor encourage them in others, but that we will at all times discourage their use as ungentlemanly and degrading to the profession of journalism." At this meeting Geo. A. Hinsdale and J. Sterling Morton were elected honorary members.
   The next reunion was held September 14, 1864, when the members of an "Editorial Convention" assembled at Nebraska City, the object as expressed in the call being to adopt uniform rates of advertising. T. H. Robertson was elected president, W. H. H. Waters secretary, and a committee was appointed to prepare a schedule of prices. The rates as adopted secured publishers $2.50 for weekly subscriptions, $1.00 per month for daily subscriptions, $5.00 per year for tri-weekly subscriptions. Legal and transient advertisements to be inserted at the rate of $1.50 per square for first insertion, $1.00 for each subsequent insertion, and the price of all job work advanced fifty per cent.
   In January, 1873, a preliminary meeting of the "Nebraska Press Association" was held in Lincoln, at which Major Caffrey acted as chairman and J. A. MacMurphy as secretary. With the appointment of committees the meeting adjourned until February 27, 1873, at which time a constitution and by-laws were adopted. No meeting was held in 1874, but the organization has been maintained, increasing in importance and in the number of members and with growing zeal in the profession up to the present day. Its membership is representative of all sections of the state, and its tendency the creation of personal good will and harmony.

STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY.

   The organization of the Nebraska State Medical Society was effected at a meeting held in Omaha June 24, 1868. It was then declared that such an institution "organized and conducted so as to give frequent united and emphatic expression to the views and aims of the medical profession in this state, must at all times have a beneficial influence and supply more efficient means that have hitherto been available here for cultivating and advancing medical knowledge, for elevating the standard of medical education, for promoting the usefulness, honor and interests of the medical profession, for enlightening and directing public opinion in regard to the duties, responsibilities and the requirements of medical men, for exciting and encouraging emulation and concert of action ill the profession, and for facilitating and fostering friendly intercourse between those who are engaged in it." The members of the society were by the constitution divided into three classes - delegates, members by invitation and permanent members. The constitution was signed by the fol-

lowing as the charter members: G. C. Monell, M. D.; H. P. Mathewson, M. D.; James H. Peabody, M. D.; J. C. Denise, M. D.; S. D. Mercer, M. D., of Douglas county; R. R. Livingston, M. D., of Cass county; D. Whitinger, M. D., N. B. Larsh, M. D., of Otoe county, and J. P. Andrews, M. D., and August Roeder, M. D., of Washington county. The first officers elected were as follows: Gilbert C. Monell, president; Robert R. Livingston, vice president; N. B. Larsh, second vice president; J. C. Denise, corresponding secretary; S. D. Mercer, permanent secretary; Daniel Whitinger, treasurer.
   The first annual convention was held at Nebraska City, June 1 and 2, 1869. The society is today in prosperous condition, and growing in power and influence. It has from time to time issued full and valuable reports of its proceedings, accomplishing as far as possible that which it aimed to do - elevating the standard of medical education, and promoting the usefulness, honor and interests of the medical profession.

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