Original 1870 Charter

 

 

Section 1. Lucius Fairchild, Nelson Dewey, John W. Hoyt, Increase A. Lapham, Alexander Mitchell, Wm. Pitt Lynde, Joseph Hobbins, E. B. Wolcott, Solon Marks, R. Z. Mason, G. M. Steele, T. C. Chamberlin, James H. Eaton, A. L. Chapin, Samuel Fallows, Charles Preusser, Wm. E. Smith, J. C. Foye Wm. Dudley, P. Engelmann, A. D. McDill, John Murrish, Geo. P. Delaplaine, J. G. Knapp, S. V. Shipman, Edward D. Holton, P. R. Hoy, Thaddeus C. Pound, Charles E. Bross, Lyman C. Draper, John A. Byrne, O. B. Smith, J. M. Bingham, Henry Baetz, Ll. Breese, Thos. S. Allen, S. S. Barlow, Chas. R. Gill, C. L. Harris, J. C. Squires, George Reed, J. G. Thorp, William Wilson, Samuel D. Hastings, and D. A. Baldwin at present being members and officers of an association known as “The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters,” located at the city of Madison, together with their future associates and successors forever, are hereby created a body corporate by the name and style of the “Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters,” and by that name shall have perpetual succession; shall be capable in law of contracting and being contracted with, of suing and being sued, of pleading and being impleaded in all courts of competent jurisdiction; and may do and perform such acts as are usually performed by like corporate bodies.

 

Section 2. The general objects of the Academy shall be to encourage investigation and disseminate correct views of the various departments of science, literature arid the arts. Among the specific objects of the Academy shall be embraced the following:

Section 3. Said Academy may have a common seal and alter the same at pleasure; may ordain and enforce such constitution, regulations and by-laws as may be necessary, and alter the same at pleasure; may receive and hold real estate and property, and may use and dispose of the same at pleasure: provided, that it shall not divert any donation or bequest from the uses and objects proposed by the donor, and that none of the property acquired by it shall, in any manner, be alienated other than in the way of an exchange of duplicate specimens, books, and other effects, with similar institutions, and in the manner specified in the next section of this act, without the consent of the legislature.

 

Section 4. It shall be the duty of the said Academy, so far as the same may be done without detriment to its own collections, to furnish, at the discretion of its officers, duplicate typical specimens or objects in natural history to the University of Wisconsin, and to the other schools and colleges of the State.

 

Section 5. It shall be the duty of said Academy to keep a careful record of all its financial and other transactions, and, at the close of each fiscal year, the President thereof shall report the same to the Governor of the State, to be by him laid before the Legislature.

 

Section 6. The constitution and by-laws of said Academy now in force shall govern the corporation hereby created, until regularly altered or repealed; and the present officers of said Academy shall be officers of the corporation thereby created, until their respective terms of office shall regularly expire, or until their places shall be otherwise vacated.

 

Section 7. Any existing society or institution having objects embraced by said Academy may be constituted a department thereof, or be otherwise connected therewith, on terms mutually satisfactory to the governing bodies of the said Academy and such other society or institution.

 

Section 8. For the proper preservation of such scientific specimens, books and other collections as said Academy may make, the Governor shall prepare such apartment or apartments in the Capitol as may be so occupied without inconvenience to the State.

 

Section 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.