PREFACE 



This edition of Scientific and Technical Societies of the United 

 States and Canada presents information collected during the summer 

 and fall months of 1960. As in earlier editions, the preparation of the 

 United States section took place in the Library of the National Academy 

 of Sciences— National Research Council in Washington, while the 

 Canadian section was compiled at the National Research Council in 

 Ottawa. 



Entries are limited to professional and selected amateur societies in 

 scientific and technical fields. Both national and local membership 

 societies are included, but the following are excluded : trade associations ; 

 institutions composed principally of paid staffs ; most county and small- 

 city medical and engineering societies ; most local chapters of national 

 - societies ; strictly undergraduate groups ; voluntary health agencies whose 

 sole membership activity is the raising of money for research or therapy ; 

 and societies whose primary interest in a subject is not scientific or 

 technical. The last named category causes to be excluded from the 

 directory those flower-growing societies which have no real involvement 

 in scientific horticulture, and also "nature study" groups whose members 

 are principally interested in the recreational or entertainment values of 

 the subject. In general, the attempt was made to exclude those societies 

 whose members are not personally involved in the scientific and technical 

 aspects of a subject field. 



Approximately 2500 questionnaires were mailed to societies in the 

 United States and Canada, and 2037 were returned. From these returns, 

 a total of 1836 were accepted for listing in the seventh edition. Although 

 this represents a slight increase over the sixth edition, the figures for the 

 two editions are not strictly comparable, since the inclusion-exclusion 

 criteria described above are partially new. Although the attempt was 

 made to identify and list as many scientific and technical societies as 

 possible, the present compilation should not be considered a population 

 subject to statistical analyses. The questionnaire method may, in itself, 

 introduce unknown biases. The National Academy of Sciences— National 

 Research Council and the National Research Council of Canada can accept 

 no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. 

 Furthermore, the listing of a society does not imply that it is approved 

 by the National Academy of Sciences — National Research Council or by 

 the National Research Council of Canada, nor does omission of a society 

 imply disapproval. 



This work could not have been compiled without the support of many 

 persons. Thanks must be given, first of all, to Mr. Robert A. Lay of 

 the National Research Council of Canada for assuming complete editorial 

 responsibility for the Canadian section, and for his cooperation in solving 

 joint editorial problems. With respect to the United States section, the 

 skillful assistance of Mrs. Mary G. Flannery is gratefully acknowledged. 

 Other persons who contributed to the compilation of the United States 

 section included : Mrs. Luisa F. Marshall, Mrs. Harriet J. Myers, Mr. 

 Page Kilgore, Mr. John Meid, and Mr. Frank M. Holz. Finally, appre- 

 ciation is expressed to the hundreds of society officers who supplied the 

 information which made this compilation possible. 



John H. Gribbin 



Librarian 



National Academv of Sciences — 

 National Research Council 



