© 1990 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
The American Society of Zoologists, 1889–1989: A Century of Integrating the Biological Sciences1
Department of Medical History and Ethics, University of Washington Seattle, Washington 98195
Department of Biology, Manhattan College Bronx, New York 10471
The growth and development of the American Society of Zoologists (ASZ) came in an era of rapid expansion among the life sciences, as well as during a period when biologists were seeking to provide themselves with a united and effective voice. In ASZ's early years it usually remained subsidiary, overshadowed by larger organizations like the American Society of Naturalists or the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and constrained by its small enrollment to hold meetings in conjunction with these larger societies. As ASZ's numbers increased, however, new members entered from many specialized fields, and it became a focal organization for associations dedicated to such studies as ecology, genetics, animal behavior, or systematic zoology. Much of ASZ's success in achieving its integrative status can be attributed to the formation of divisions within the Society, each dedicating itself to the specialized interests of its own members under the larger umbrella of zoology. This development, of course, paralleled the interaction between ASZ and the larger social issues that have arisen during the century of the Society's history. ASZ has consistently concerned itself with just treatment for all, regardless of race or sex; with government support of science; with the education of science teachers and of young and talented biologists; and with all those issues that improve the productivity of zoologists and enhance their capacity for reaching an ever deeper understanding of animal biology.