Series II: Children's Fair Years, 1921-1983

After the mid-1920's, the American Institute began to focus on science programs for children. This subseries contains information on the children's programs, workshops, and clubs that were sponsored by the American Institute.

Science Fairs - The first American Institute Children's Science Fair was held in 1928 in conjunction with the School Nature League at the American Museum of Natural History. The first fairs encouraged the study of agriculture, nature, and conservation. The fairs were held in the fall from 1928-1933. In 1934, the fair was moved to the spring and, because of the shift, there was no Children's Fair for that year. The fairs became popular and the large demand for exhibit space meant that the American Institute eventually had to limit the number of entries from each school. In 1938 the fair was renamed as the Junior Science Fair, and the name was changed to the Science and Engineering Fair in 1939. These fairs were no longer affiliated with the School Nature League and the exhibits became more technical. Although it is unclear when the American Institute fairs ended, the material documents the fairs until 1983.

The fairs from 1928-1939 are well documented but there is not much information on the fairs from 1940-1983. The material includes correspondence, judges reports, booklets, regulations, entries, vouchers, lists of prize winners, information on Parents Night, descriptions of the exhibits, and details of arrangements needed to set up the exhibits.

Science Clubs - With the success of the annual science fairs, the American Institute sought to establish a way for children to pursue their scientific interests all year round. The Institute created a Junior Science Club that consisted of existing science clubs sponsored by schools or other organizations. Children could not join individually. Members would be invited to participate in lectures, field trips, meetings, workshop courses, and museum courses. The American Institute science clubs were local to the New York City region until 1938 when the American Institute established a nationwide organization of clubs.

Material pertaining to the Science Clubs includes correspondence, reports, and membership items. There is also information on the planning of events including correspondence with speakers, course descriptions, sign-in sheets, applications, schedules, and lists of participants. There is little information on the activities of clubs outside of New York City or on any club activities after 1940. Publications of the science clubs included March of Science (1932-1937), Science Leaflet (1934, 1939-1941), Amateur Scientist (1937-1938), and The Science Observer (1938-1941). These publications are located in Series 4: Pamphlets and Publications.

Science Congress - The Science Congress was an annual series of scientific meetings for members of the Junior Science Clubs. The congress was modeled on the scientific meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the adult meetings of the American Institute. Beginning in 1933, junior and senior high school students lectured, read scientific papers, and gave demonstrations of their work at the congress. In 1934, Christmas lectures modeled on the Christmas series at the Royal Institution of London became part of the congress which was held at the end of each year. Some of the Christmas Lectures were broadcast on the radio by NBC. There is no material on the Science Congress from 1940-1966. Material for a 1967 Junior Academy Science Congress is included in this subseries. It is unclear if the Science Congresses continued after that time. The Science Congress material includes applications to the congress, the topics of the talks and demonstrations of the students, ticket information, and attendance records.

Accent on Science - This was a short-lived American Institute weekly radio program that ran on WNYC in 1937. It was a fifteen-minute segment that consisted of conversations with members of the science community on various topics including chemical warfare, telescopes, the cures and causes of syphilis and gonorrhea, and the proper food to serve on airlines. The material includes transcripts of most of the shows and correspondence regarding plans for the program.

Scholastic Salon of Photography The Scholastic Salon of Photography was originally part of the Children's Science Fair, but it became a separate event in 1938 due to its popularity. Sponsored by the American Institute and several camera clubs from New York City schools, students from across the country submitted photographs to the salon and prizes were awarded to the winners. Prize winning photographs and selected entries were placed on display at the American Museum of Natural History. After the second salon, the winning photographs traveled to schools around the country for display. The Salon material includes brochures, correspondence, planning material, and publicity information for 1938-1940. Only a few photographs from the salons are in the collection.

Science Laboratory - After the success of the student laboratory at the 1939-1940 World's Fair, the American Institute started a permanent laboratory where students could experiment on their own outside of school. The lab was located in Manhattan on Fifth Avenue. By late December of 1941, the lab was closed due to a lack of funds. The material includes administrative information, correspondence, photographs, and examples of experiments performed in the laboratory.

Crime Prevention Bureau Courses - In 1933, the American Institute sponsored courses to officers of the Crime Prevention Bureau of the New York Police Department on establishing science clubs. The NYPD hoped that establishing science clubs, similar to their establishment of athletic activities, would help prevent juvenile delinquency. There is administrative material on the planning of these courses and events, with evaluations on of their progress.

This subseries contains material relating to the American Institute's adult programs from 1921 to 1941, which included lectures, exhibitions, luncheons, demonstration lectures, science roundtables, medal award (for scientific achievement) and other dinners, forums, 'get-togethers,' field trips, picnics, and movie nights (scientific topics).

The amount and type of material for each program or event varies. Common items include correspondence, speeches or lectures, invites and invite lists, announcements, work requisitions, cash statements, mailing lists, calendars, press releases, ticket records, regrets, and menus.

General subjects of various adult programs and events ranged from science and technology to health and medicine. Biology, astronomy, and psychology were also broad areas of study. From 1921 to 1929, lectures discussed agriculture, electricity, aeronautics, anatomy and health, energy, astronomy, and radiation. Some annual fair material, and items pertaining to the Centenary Dinner (1928) can also be found here.

Lecture and roundtable topics from 1930 to 1932 included criminology, aviation, monorails, heredity, animal virus diseases, rocketry, birth control, eugenics, relativity, t.v. and radio, cancer, cosmic rays, x-rays, vitamins, biology, and sterility. Programs from 1933 to 1934 discussed vitamins, geology, cells, science education, mental disorders, aviation, geometry, physics, farming, chemical engineering, crime, oxygen, population, radioactivity, and weather forecasting.

1935 demonstration meetings presented experiments with liquid air and chemicals, electricity, and steel alloys. Roundtables discussed botany, deep sea fish life, the social philosophy of race survival, chemical engineering, animal behavior, the Hayden Planetarium, insect control, and telescopes. Field trips were made to New York City subway car shops, and the American Museum of Natural History for a behind the scenes tour.

Topics for 1936 events included the scientific method, research, biology, television, telescopes, prefabricated houses, gases, cellulose, genes, blood tests and parentage, x-rays, insanity, and earthquakes. Programs and events during 1937 included discussions of mental hygiene, allergies, radioactivity, vitamins, radio, hormones, color photography, ESP, aviation, and organic chemistry. 1938 meetings dealt with air conditioning, isotopes, radio, meteors, patents, and photography.

From 1939 to 1941, a program entitled Short Courses in Science covered such topics as flying, neuroses, patents and inventions, atoms, genetics, psychiatry, bridge building, hormones, and insects. Demonstration meeting topics included lie detectors tests and roundtables discussed caffeine. Field trips were made to the Dept. of Agriculture and Western Union.

Most of the material in the this Administrative subseries consists of bills, receipts, accounts, correspondence, reports, and membership lists. The material from the period after 1980 consists almost entirely of cancelled checks, deposit lists, and bills.

Correspondence - Most of the correspondence is to and from officers and employees of the American Institute, and concerns the everyday business of the Institute, such as finances, membership, letters of thanks to speakers, etc. Some of the topics addressed throughout the period 1921 - 1940 are: the future and purpose of the American Institute, the status of the Institute's investments and its solvency, relations with the state and municipal governments, rentals of venues for events, and publications of the American Institute. Specific topics include the merger of the American Institute with the New York Electrical Society in 1930; a conflict during the same period over control of the Institute; the Chicago World's Fair of 1932; a dispute by the Institute with the American Institute for the Scientific Care of the Hair over the name of the latter organization; and the affiliation school science clubs with the Institute.

Persons represented in the correspondence include trustees and officers of the Institute, such as Dr. Morris Meister, H.T. Newcomb, L.W. Hutchins, and Dr. H.H. Sheldon. Also represented throughout the 1930s is Frances Flanagan, the Institute's secretary.

Reports - Includes Treasurers' Reports, and reports of various committees, such as the Membership Committee, and Committee on Elections.

Business and Financial Records - Includes bills, vouchers, and cancelled checks, usually for everyday expenses of the American Institute. Some material, primarily from the 1930s, deals with the investments of the Institute, and for some years, primarily in the 1930s, the material includes ledger sheets documenting the Institute's finances. Also included are time sheets of various employees of the Institute.

Minutes - Most of the minutes are of Trustees meetings. Other minutes include those of specific committees of the American Institute, such as the Finance Committee.

Membership information - This material includes applications and proposals for membership, lists of lapsed, deceased, or delinquent members, and material relating to membership drives.

This subseries contains information on the American Institute's children's exhibit in the Westinghouse Pavilion of the 1939 World's Fair, which was co-sponsored with the Board of Education of the City of New York. The activities were meant for children 12-18 years of age and included science laboratory workshops, Junior Science Congress lectures, a photography laboratory, and an amateur radio station. The exhibition consisted of a rotation of science exhibits (generally exhibits from previous science fairs) and live experiments being conducted before spectators. The American Institute created the exhibits to promote interest in the American Institute Student Science and Engineering Clubs and to generate support for science education. The theme of the exhibition was "Science Makes the World of Tomorrow."

The subseries consists of many different types of material relating to the planning, design, and running of the American Institute's exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair. The subseries contains correspondence, student applications, budget information, planning notes, reports, and photographs. It also contains two World's Fair scrapbooks containing clippings, pamphlets, letters, and photographs documenting the American Institute exhibit at the Fair. Films about the fair are also in this subseries.