American Association for the Advancement of Science

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an organization that promotes cooperation between scientists, defends scientific freedom, encourages scientific responsibility and supports scientific education for the betterment of all humanity. It is the world's largest general scientific society. The AAAS is also the publisher of the well-known scientific journal Science.

History

The American Association for the Advancement of Science was created on September 20, 1848 in Pennsylvania. It was a reformation of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists. The society chose William Redfield as their first president. According to the first constitution http://archives.aaas.org/docs/documents.php?doc_id=413 which was agreed to at the September 20th 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 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.

Related Topics:
September 20 - 1848 - Pennsylvania - Association of American Geologists and Naturalists - William Redfield

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There were only 87 members when the AAAS was formed, but over the course of the next twelve years membership increased nearly 2300%. By 1860 there were over 2000 members. The course of American history, however, intervened to prevent the continued growth of the AAAS. The AAAS became dormant during the American Civil War after their August 1861 meeting in Nashville, Tennessee was postponed indefinitely just after the outbreak of the first major engagement of the war at Bull Run. The AAAS was not, however, to become a casualty of the war. In 1866, Frederick Barnard presided over the first meeting of the resurrected AAAS at a meeting in New York.

Related Topics:
1860 - American history - American Civil War - August - 1861 - Nashville, Tennessee - Bull Run - 1866 - Frederick Barnard - New York

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Following the reformation of the AAAS, the group once again experienced a period of growth. The growth, however, was not unlimited as peace brought with it the expansion of other science-oriented groups. The AAAS's focus on the unification of many fields of science under a single organization still yielded some novelty. A large subset of all new science organizations that were founded to promote a single discipline. For example, American Chemical Society, founded in 1876, promotes chemistry. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was, however, founded by the United States Congress in 1963 which provided an alternative multidisciplinary sciences organization. Unlike the NAS, which elects members, the AAAS permitted all people regardless of scientific credentials to join. The AAAS did, however, institute a policy of granting the title of "fellow" to well-respected scientists within the organization.

Related Topics:
American Chemical Society - 1876 - Chemistry - National Academy of Sciences - United States Congress - 1963

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