Did you ever hear of the Lethbridge Scientific Society? It operated for a few years from the late 1920s to the early 1930s but little is known about the group. All information found to date comes from the society itself as we only have articles the society contributed to the Lethbridge Herald.
The society was a group of people who got together to learn about modern science. Various topics they discussed included rotor planes, modern rocketry, the science of the future, and the discovery of new rays.
The society held a dance in March 1931 which was also a way to celebrate the 19th birthday of the society’s president, Clinton Constantinescu.
Clinton Constantinescu was also one of the society’s speakers and in April 1931 he spoke on the Scientific World of the Future. In the article based on his presentation, Constantinescu was described as a “specialist in astrophysics.”
The ideas of Constantinescu and, perhaps other members of the society, can be discovered through these presentations and articles. In the April 25, 1931 Lethbridge Herald, Constantinescu describes what he believed is the future of science and in it he foresaw sky-scrapers “which reach up from 1,000 feet to perhaps 5,000 feet or more above the ground level. “
Constantinescu went on to describe multiple bridges between the buildings that would help with traffic congestion. He predicted that each type of bridge would be for a different type of pedestrian. He also predicted that there would be amazing roof-top gardens for the buildings where there would be grass, trees, shrubs and even waterfalls. Constantinescu also predicted moving sidewalks that would run along entire blocks.
In June 1932 it was noted that Clinton Constantinescu had been attached to the science department laboratory staff at University of Alberta and was back for a vacation so the Society was entertaining him.
The Scientific Society is one of many small organizations that have operated in Lethbridge over the many years. Does anyone know of others?