What the AAS Quasquicentennial Means to Me

AAS President's Message

My great-grandmother, Ms. Geneva S. Peterson, was born in Woodstown, New Jersey, in 1901, just two years after the founding of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). She died in 1996, while I was a graduate student at the University of Washington, so the early part of the 20th century has never seemed far away from my own life. I often think about all the changes that my great-grandmother lived through while reflecting on both what has changed and what has stayed mostly the same, over my lifetime, and even over my career as a member of the AAS.   
 
The AAS is celebrating its 125th anniversary as a society dedicated to the mission of enhancing and sharing humanity's scientific understanding of the universe. That is an amazing feat for an organization that thrives and prospers primarily through the dedication of its membership and the willingness of members to volunteer time, effort, and other resources to move the Society forward.  

Looking at those old black and white pictures from the AAS archive, I am struck by how the demographics of the membership (not to mention the clothes and style) have changed, but also by the thought that, fundamentally, those long-departed astronomers were motivated to be members of the Society for the same reasons we are now: an interest in and a curiosity about our universe, the fundamental properties of the bodies that make it up, and how it all evolved, ultimately to bring us to this time and in this space, to gather and discuss our own findings and contributions to the knowledge base!  

Ticking through the timeline of science milestones, it becomes hard to believe all that we have come to learn about our universe in 125 years: that galaxies exist outside the Milky Way, that we can chart the evolution of different types of stars from birth to death, that planets exist beyond Jupiter and even beyond our sun, that the Milky Way harbors a black hole at its center, and even that the universe is not only expanding but accelerating in that expansion. And all these amazing discoveries have been advanced by members of the Society that we are all part of and that we all invest in.  

This lifetime of the AAS is a span of time that has not only seen significant milestones in astronomical discovery but also unprecedented events in US and world history. This includes the evolution and advancement of technology, which has, in some cases, been vital to the ability to build on earlier achievements. However, this time also spans breakthroughs in human and civil rights that have opened up our workforce to more broadly include the experiences and insights of researchers from across different identities, classes, and cultures. (These are changes that, in her youth, my great-grandmother might only have dreamed about.)  

Those old pictures are both a symbol of where we have been and also how far we have come with respect to who is included in our work. Likewise, our more current photos remind us of how much farther we still have to go to truly realize a fully thriving community where all are included, feel that they belong, and have the opportunity to continue this legacy of discovery.  

This anniversary of the AAS is an opportunity for all of us to reinvest in the Society that supports our curiosity and our scientific aspirations. The committees and working groups of the AAS have dedicated themselves to various aspects of the work we do as researchers, educators, and citizens interested in science and keeping it thriving. Membership in the AAS represents opportunities to teach and be taught, to hear and be heard, to see and be seen. This is all made possible through the AAS, because we are the AAS. Together we make the Society what it has become, what it is, and where it is going. We are the custodians of a Society that we hope to keep strong for another 125 years and beyond. And who knows what new discoveries await! 

I encourage you to visit the AAS website, not just to find out when abstracts are due for the next meeting or how to submit a publication, but to check out all of the work that the committees and working groups are doing and how you might get involved with a group to promote and expand your science, your curiosity, and your passion. Come join us!