Ornithology, Evolution, and Philosophy 123

124 3 The New York Years (1931–1953)
A leading voice among those demanding change and modernization in North
American ornithology was Ernst Mayr (Barrow 1998: 190–195). As shown above,
he played a key role in furthering both ornithological practice and the rigor with
which it was pursued. The editor of the Auk was replaced in October 1936 and Mayr
immediately sent to the incoming new editor Glover M. Allen a list of suggestions
for improving the journal. Several other changes were also approved at that time. In
preparation of the next annual meeting Mayr circulated a list of suggestions to his
colleagues (Friedmann, Grinnell, Boulton, Taverner, Griscom) entitled Proposed
Amendments to the Constitution and the By-Laws of the American Ornithologists’
Union (7 pages including his detailed reasoning): (1) Election of Fellows should
be based exclusively on outstanding ornithological accomplishments, (2) Inactive
Fellows (who have not published technical papers in five consecutive years) should
be transferred to the status of Emeritus Fellows, (3) Appointment of an editorial
committee to support the editor of the Auk, (4) Secretary and Treasurer should
hold honorary positions without receiving remuneration (except reimbursement
for traveling and other expenses); this would reduce the overhead and enable the
editor to publish colored plates, distribution maps and possibly even monographs
as supplements to theAuk, (5) Publication in the Auk of the balance sheets presented
by the treasurer at each annual meeting, (6) Nomination of a Program Committee
at each annual meeting to prepare next year’s meeting and to balance technical
and more popular topics, etc. Mayr here also suggested that at annual meetings,
symposia should be organized on particular topics, e.g., “The Species Problem,
Genetics and Taxonomy, the History of the American bird fauna, Climate and
Distribution, the Life History of shore birds (or other bird families), the Ecology
of North American habitats, Bird Migration and Climatic Factors, Bird Migration
and recent physiological investigations, Bird Behavior, Bird Sociology, etc. […]
In short, the program for the annual meeting should be a work of art and not
an accident!” (quoted from an attachment to a letter from E. Mayr to J. Grinnell
dated 14 October 1937; archives of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University
of California, Berkeley).
Some of these proposals were accepted at the 1937 meeting and most of the rest
in one form or another during the next 5 years. On 5 December 1937 Mayr wrote
to E. Stresemann (transl.):
“Iwasafraidtobeoutlawedbutinsteadhalfofmyproposalshavebeenaccepted,
Palmer was brought down and Mrs. Nice and myself elected as Fellows. Friedmann
is President, Chapin and Peters Vice Presidents […]. All in all very pleasing. I now
work toward next year; I wish that Elliot Howard will be elected as Honorary Fellow
Fig.3.11. Ernst Mayr as President of the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU), 75th
anniversary meeting in New York (14–19 October 1958). Persons in the front row from
right to left are: (NN), Hoyes Lloyd, Dean Amadon, Ernst Mayr, George H. Lowery, Eugene
Eisenmann, Charles Sibley, Finn Salomonsen, Austin Rand, Vesta and Erwin Stresemann
(AMNH Department of Ornithology archives)
◮