"... in America before the end of 1888 there had been appreciable amount of mathematical research, some of it of first importance, even according to recent standards. There had been centers of mathematical inspiration. Such universities as Yale, The Johns Hopkins, and Harvard, had been sending out doctors in mathematics for a number of years, and many Americans had been getting degrees in Europe. The time was ripe for an organization to draw together many people scattered throughout the country who were especially interested in mathematical pursuits."