Prefacing his remarks with the statement that “no agency has been so potent in the advancement of American historical scholarship” as the association, Dr. Jameson points out the conditions of historical research and pedagogy in the year 1884, in which the association was founded. There was but one general historical journal. In all the universities and colleges of the country there were apparently only fifteen professors and five assistant professors who gave all their time to history. The subject was in many cases subordinated or annexed to other topics, including political science, English literature, geology, German and French. Yet, despite the small numbers of those engaged in teaching history, Dr. Jameson points out that there were giants in those days, men who were trained when the German system of history teaching was at its best, or who, like the great national literary historians, had advanced far in their labors. The specific details of the organization of the association at Saratoga, September 10, 1884 will be of much interest to the younger history workers. With kindliness for diverging views, Dr. Jameson shows how early in the life of the association problems arose, the successful settlement of which had much to do with the future of the organization. Should the association be a small one, made up of forty or more “Immortals,” or should the appeal be made to a wider constituency, and all interested in history be invited to join? Should the association accept incorporation by the nation and government aid in its work? Should the meetings be held continuously in Washington? Should the annual meetings with the papers read at such meetings be the sole form of activity entered into by the association? The solution of these and other questions, Dr. Jameson points out, giving credit in passing to the past and present workers in the association. He names particularly as steps in advance the gaining of a charter from the national government, and incidentally the placing of the papers of the association in the hands of the government for publication. Taking the year 1895 as a critical point, he shows that the association had $8,000 in its treasury and current expenses of not over forty per cent. of its income, and yet that its work did not seem to prosper. From that year, however, the adoption of a new policy broadened the activities of the association. The support of the association was given to “The American Historical Review”; the American Society of Church History was affiliated with the main organization: a Committee of Seven on the Teaching of History in Secondary Schools was appointed, and several years afterwards made its famous report.