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| Abbreviation | The American Academy; The Academy |
|---|---|
| Formation | May 4, 1780; 245 years ago (1780-05-04) |
| Type | Honorary society and independent research center |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 42°22′51″N71°06′37″W / 42.380755°N 71.110256°W /42.380755; -71.110256 |
| Membership | 5,700+ active members |
President | Laurie L. Patton[1] |
| Subsidiaries | Daedalus |
| Website | www |
TheAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldestlearned societies in theUnited States. It was founded in 1780 during theAmerican Revolution byJohn Adams,John Hancock,James Bowdoin,[2]Andrew Oliver, and otherFounding Fathers of the United States.[3] It is headquartered inCambridge, Massachusetts.
Membership in the academy is achieved through a nominating petition, review, and election process.[4] The academy's quarterly journal,Dædalus, is published by theMIT Press on behalf of the academy,[5] and has been open-access since January 2021.[6] The academy also conducts multidisciplinary public policy research.[7]
Laurie L. Patton has served as President of the Academy since January 2025.[8]
The Academy was established by theMassachusetts legislature on May 4, 1780, charted in order "to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people."[9] The sixty-two incorporating fellows represented varying interests and high standing in the political, professional, and commercial sectors of the state. The first class of new members, chosen by the Academy in 1781, includedBenjamin Franklin andGeorge Washington as well as several international honorary members. The initial volume of AcademyMemoirs appeared in 1785, and theProceedings followed in 1846. In the 1950s, the Academy launched its journalDaedalus, reflecting its commitment to a broader intellectual and socially-oriented program.[10]
Since the second half of the twentieth century, independent research has become a central focus of the Academy. In the late 1950s,arms control emerged as one of its signature concerns. The Academy also served as the catalyst in establishing theNational Humanities Center inNorth Carolina. In the late 1990s, the Academy developed a new strategic plan, focusing on four major areas: science, technology, and global security; social policy and education; humanities and culture; and education. In 2002, the Academy established a visiting scholars program in association withHarvard University. More than 75 academic institutions from across the country have become Affiliates of the Academy to support this program and other Academy initiatives.[11]
The Academy has sponsored a number of awards and prizes,[12] throughout its history and has offered opportunities for fellowships and visiting scholars at the Academy.[13]
In July 2013, theBoston Globe exposed then presidentLeslie Berlowitz for falsifying her credentials, faking a doctorate, and consistently mistreating her staff.[14] Berlowitz subsequently resigned.[15][16]
A project of the Academy that equips researchers, policymakers, universities, foundations, museums, libraries, humanities councils, and other public institutions withstatistical tools for answering basic questions about primary and secondary humanities education, undergraduate and graduate education in thehumanities, the humanities workforce, levels and sources of program funding, public understanding and impact of the humanities, and other areas of concern in the humanities community.[17][18][19][20] It is modeled on the Science and Engineering Indicators, published biennially by theNational Science Board as required byCongress.
The following were charter members of the Academy:
Ever since the founding of the Academy, its members have been nominated and elected by peers. Members of the Academy included not only scientists and scholars, but also writers and artists as well as representatives from the full range of professions and public life. Throughout the Academy's history, more than 10,000 fellows have been elected. Notable members include:
The Academy has also had multiple international honorary members, including:
AstronomerMaria Mitchell was the first woman elected to the Academy, in 1848.[23]
The current membership encompasses over 5,700 members based across the United States and around the world. Academy members include more than 250Nobel laureates and more than 60Pulitzer Prize winners.[24]
Of the Academy's 14,343 members since 1780, 1,406 are or have been affiliated with Harvard University, 611 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 433 with Yale University, 425 with the University of California, Berkeley, and 404 with Stanford University. The following table includes those institutions affiliated with 300 or more members.[25]
| Institution | Members (1780–2021) |
|---|---|
| Harvard | 1,406 |
| MIT | 611 |
| Yale | 433 |
| Berkeley | 425 |
| Stanford | 404 |
| Chicago | 367 |
| Columbia | 344 |
| Princeton | 322 |
† Excludes members affiliated exclusively with associated national laboratories.
As of 2023, membership is divided into five classes and thirty specialties.[26]
Class I – Mathematical and physical sciences
Class II – Biological sciences
Class III – Social and behavioral sciences
Class IV – Arts and humanities
Class V – Public affairs, business, and administration
