The Algiers Congress came between the one held in London in 1948 (see Trümpy, 2004) and the one in Mexico (1956). It was the second in Africa, after the one in Pretoria, South Africa (1929). The plenary meeting was held in Algiers between 8 and 15 September, 1952. It brought together 1,129 participants (from the 2,910 who registered), coming from 82 countries. The Presidency was held by Professor Charles Jacob, a Member of the Académie des Sciences (Paris). The position of Secretary- General was in the safe hands of Robert Laffitte, Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Algiers. The scientific sessions had 17 sections. In addition to a cruise excursion held before the Congress there was a total of 44 excursions held before and after the Algiers meeting in the territories then under French administration: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and the dependencies of the Sahara region and West Africa.