The American Society for Nutritional Sciences (1979–2003): Years of Action and Change

In September 1928 five nutrition scientists, incorporating as an educational organization in the state of New York, founded the American Institute of Nutrition (AIN). They invited six other scientists to join them in forming an editorial board for The Journal of Nutrition. The first issue of The Journal was published that month. In the year 2003 the American Society for Nutritional Sciences (ASNS), the successor to the AIN, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The first name of the society was retained by the AIN until 1996, when it became the ASNS. Originally the purpose of the society was simply to publish The Journal of Nutrition, but at the urging of several of their colleagues the corporate members voted to enlarge the membership of the society and to sponsor an annual scientific meeting. In April 1933 they held an organizational meeting with 70 persons in attendance and, with Henry Sherman of Columbia University presiding, 172 individuals were declared charter members of the enlarged society. The qualifications for membership paralleled those of the American Physiological Society and the American Society of Biological Chemists. Of the charter members, 112 were already members of one of those societies (1). The first scientific meeting was held in New York City at the Cornell Medical School in March 1934, a time and location that coincided with the annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). In 1941 the FASEB Board voted to accept the AIN as the fifth member society of that association. Meetings were not held during 1943–1945 because of wartime considerations; therefore, the 50th annual meeting of the society occurred in 1987 instead of 1984. In 1958 the society celebrated the 25th anniversary of the organizational meeting with a special symposium (2) and an anniversary dinner sponsored in part by the Wistar Institute and the Williams-Waterman Fund. At the 1978 annual meeting the society celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding with a symposium commemorating the founding of The Journal (3). For that anniversary Harold Williams prepared a 50-y history of the society, which was subsequently published by the AIN with support from the National Dairy Council (1). Although it is no longer in print, A History of the First 50 Years: 1928–1978 by Harold H. Williams may be accessed later this year at the website www.nutrition.org. The present article is intended as a brief update of the society’s history from its 50th to its 75th year, including a description of organizational changes, changes in the annual meeting, some of its activities and cooperation with other societies, its journal and newsletter and its sense of future directions.