The
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest
natural science research institution and
museum in the
New World. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading
naturalists of the young American republic with an expressed mission of "the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences". For over two centuries of continuous operations, the Academy has sponsored expeditions, conducted original environmental and
systematics research, and amassed
natural history collections containing more than 17 million specimens. The Academy also has a long tradition of public exhibits and educational programs for both schools and the general public.