ABSTRACT
Birkhoff in 1968. The early election turned out to have consequences for me, leading to my extensive activity in Academy affairs, and eventually, to my service as vice president for two terms from 19731981. In the same year, I was also elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin for “promoting useful knowledge” and is headquartered in Philadelphia. Earlier, I had become a member of the Boston-based American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
