was one of the five founders of the Institute in 1833. In the summer of 1833, five friends met at the public house of Isaac Hall in
Nether Providence, Pennsylvania and proposed the development of a scientific organization to be named the "Cabinet of Natural Sciences of Delaware County". The five men were George Miller, John Miller, Minshall Painter,
George Smith and the noted
ornithologist John Cassin. On September 21, 1833, the group met again and created the organization under the name Delaware County Institute of Science. On January 4, 1837, George Cummings sold a plot of land near the
Rose Tree Tavern in
Upper Providence, Pennsylvania and a two-story brick building was constructed. The Institute membership continued to increase and incorporated on February 8, 1836. The building was formally opened in September 1837 with a dedicatory address given by
Robert Maskell Patterson, the director of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. Over September 10–12, 1846, the Institute held its first public exhibition of agriculture, manufactures and other products of Delaware County at its hall in Upper Providence. The exhibition continued annually for several years until the Delaware County Agricultural Society was established in 1855 and took over the exhibitions. In 1867, the current building in
Media, Pennsylvania was constructed and the Institute moved to that location. The building was originally intended to house the Media Title and Trust Company on the first floor and the institute on the second floor, but the institute currently occupies the entire building. Other notable people associated with the Institute include the archeologist
Daniel Garrison Brinton and the botanist
Graceanna Lewis.
Presidents served as president of the institute from 1882 to 1894 Presidents of the Institute include: ==Exhibits==