American Association for the Advancement of Science

Creation

The American Association for the Advancement of Science was created on September 20, 1848, at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was a reformation of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists with the broadened mission to be the first permanent organization to promote science and engineering nationally and to represent the interests of American researchers from across all scientific fields The society chose William Charles Redfield as their first president because he had proposed the most comprehensive plans for the organization. According to the first constitution which was agreed to at the September 20 meeting, the goal of the society was to promote scientific dialogue in order to allow for greater scientific collaboration. By doing so, the association aimed to use resources to conduct science with increased efficiency and allow for scientific progress at a greater rate. The association also sought to increase the resources available to the scientific community through active advocacy of science. There were 78 members when the AAAS was formed. As a member of the new scientific body, Matthew Fontaine Maury, USN was one of those who attended the first 1848 meeting.

At a meeting held on September 22, 1848, Matthew Fontaine Maury gave a scientific report on his Wind and Current Charts. Maury stated that hundreds of ship navigators were now sending abstract logs of their voyages to the United States Naval Observatory. He added, "Never before was such a corps of observers known." But he pointed out the critical need for more simultaneous observations and encouraged Navies to place their log-books and sea journals at the disposal of Maury at the Naval Observatory at Washington."

William Barton Rogers, professor at the University of Virginia and later founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, suggested that a committee of five be appointed to address a memorial to the Secretary of the Navy, requesting further aid in procuring for Maury the observations of European and other foreign navigators to perfect his charts of winds and currents. The resolution was adopted and, in addition to Rogers, the following members of the association were appointed to the committee: Professor Joseph Henry of Washington; Professor Benjamin Peirce of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Professor James H. Coffin of Easton, Pennsylvania, and Professor Stephen Alexander of Princeton, New Jersey. This was scientific cooperation, and Maury went back to Washington with great hopes for the future.

In 1850, the first female members were accepted: astronomer Maria Mitchell and entomologist Margaretta Morris. Science educator Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps was elected in 1859.

Early growth and post-Civil War dormancy

By 1860, membership increased to over 2,000. Although the AAAS became dormant during the American Civil War (their August 1861 meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, was postponed indefinitely after the outbreak of the first major engagement of the war at Bull Run), the association recovered after the end of the hostilities.

In 1866, Frederick Barnard presided over the first meeting of the resurrected AAAS at a meeting in New York City. The AAAS permitted all people, regardless of scientific credentials, to join. The AAAS did, however, institute a policy of granting the title of "Fellow of the AAAS" to well-respected scientists within the organization.

At the same time, the AAAS faced competition from several newly established learned societies, such as National Academy of Sciences (founded in 1863), the American Chemical Society (1876), Archaeological Institute of America (1879), Modern Language Association (1883), American Historical Association (1884), Geological Society of America (1888), National Geographic Society (1888), American Physical Society (1899). Also, the reputation of the AAAS was somewhat tarnished, because its 3rd president Alexander Dallas Bache used the Society as a lobbying tool for his agency, the US Coast Survey. Several prominent scientists lost interest in the AAAS, and the society's influence declined.

Twentieth century

The next turning point in AAAS history was the partnership with journal Science, which became the society's official publication in 1900, and provided the AAAS with some revenue through subscription and advertising. The AAAS become the sole owner of Science in 1946. The post–World War II big science, driven by major scientific and technical breakthroughs (such as space flight, nuclear power and the discovery of DNA) brought in an increased public interest in science in the USA, and thus growing sales of the journal, which were further multiplied by shrewd businesses decisions by its editors Dael Wolfle (1954-1970) and William D. Carey (1974-1985). Another important event for the society was the establishment of its Congressional Fellowship program in 1973, which was kick-started by a US$10,000 donation from William T. Golden.