British Association

April 1872.

British Association for the Advancement of Science

1831 Founded as a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between scientific workers.

The founder was the William Vernon-Harcourt, following a suggestion by David Brewster, who was disillusioned with the elitist and conservative attitude of the Royal Society. Another founder was J. F. W. Johnston.

Read an article in The Engineer 1881/08/26 about the founding of the Association.

1842 The 12th meeting was held in Manchester - see 1842 British Association Mechanical Exhibition

1862 William Fairbairn - President.

1869 Roderick I. Murchison - Chair.

1882 Sir J. Lubcock as the retiring President, welcomed Dr. C. William Siemens F.R.S., C.E.

1899 Professor J. H. Poynton FRS was President of Section A

1921 Presidents of Sections for 1921 Meeting:

• Engineering Section - Professor A. H. Gibson.
• Economics Section - Mr William Lionel Hichens (Chairman of Cammell, Laird and Co.)
• Education Section - Sir W. H. Hadow.
• Mathematics and Physics Section - Professor O. W. Richardson.
• Chemistry - Dr M. O. Forster.

1926 Sir Alfred Yarrow presented a donation of £ 10,000 to the funds of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Sir Alfred believed that the present needs of the association in its work for science should receive precedence over provision for the distant future, and had accordingly made it a condition of his gift that the whole of the sum, both as regards capital and interest, should be expended within a period of twenty years. Sir Charles Parsons, gave a donation of the same amount to the Association a few years ago.

2009 The Association now uses the trading name British Science Association instead of the BA.

See Also

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