National Academy of Sciences
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Act of Incorporation on the 3rd of March 1863. This single document created the National Academy of Sciences as an independent institution. The law named fifty charter members to begin the work. These founders included Alexander Dallas Bache and Charles Henry Davis. They were part of a group known as the Scientific Lazzaroni. This network operated mostly in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Senator Henry Wilson introduced the bill during the final hours of a Senate session. Lawmakers approved it without debate or examination. Lincoln signed it into existence while Congress rushed to adjourn. The act stated that the academy would receive no compensation for its services. It required the government to pay actual expenses from specific appropriations instead. This structure ensured the organization remained non-governmental despite its federal charter.
Current membership numbers reached 6,892 by late 2024. Of these, 3,218 are living members who participate in elections. Up to 120 new members can be elected each year through this process. Foreign citizens may also join as international members with a limit of thirty annually. Elections begin with formal nominations followed by a vetting period. A final ballot occurs at the annual meeting held every April. Members serve for life once elected. They affiliate with one of six scientific classes covering physical sciences to environmental studies. Harvard University holds the record with 331 total members including medical school affiliations. Berkeley follows closely with 255 members excluding medical schools. These top ten institutions account for nearly twenty-eight percent of all members ever elected. Only fourteen institutions maintain fifty or more living members today. They represent thirty-two percent of the current living membership base.
The academy has had exactly twenty-two presidents since its foundation. Alexander Dallas Bache served as the first president from 1863 until 1867. Joseph Henry took office next and led from 1868 to 1878. William Barton Rogers followed him between 1879 and 1882. The list continues through Othniel Charles Marsh, Wolcott Gibbs, and Alexander Agassiz. Ira Remsen served from 1907 to 1913 while William Henry Welch led from 1913 to 1917. Charles Doolittle Walcott presided over the organization from 1917 to 1923. Albert Abraham Michelson held the role from 1923 to 1927. Thomas Hunt Morgan served from 1927 to 1931 before William Wallace Campbell took over. Frank Rattray Lillie led from 1935 to 1939 while Frank Baldwin Jewett served from 1939 to 1947. Alfred Newton Richards was president from 1947 to 1950. Detlev Wulf Bronk served from 1950 to 1962. Frederick Seitz led from 1962 to 1969. Philip Handler served from 1969 to 1981. Frank Press was president from 1981 to 1993. Bruce Michael Alberts served from 1993 to 2005. Ralph J. Cicerone led from 2005 to 2016. Marcia K. McNutt became the current president in 2016 and is the first woman to hold this position. Her term expires on the 30th of June 2026.
By 1989, only fifty-seven women had joined among fifteen hundred sixteen male members. Florence R. Sabin broke barriers when she became the first lifetime woman member elected in 1924. David Blackwell made history as the first African-American elected in 1965. Ben Barres became the first openly transgender scientist elected in 2013. Peter Ungar was the first Arkansan elected in 2024. These milestones mark slow progress over more than a century of existence. The academy admitted that adding women continued at a dismal trickle during the late twentieth century. Current membership includes international scientists alongside domestic researchers. The organization now counts six thousand eight hundred ninety-two total members including past and present figures. Living members number three thousand two hundred eighteen as of late 2024. This demographic shift reflects decades of changing standards for inclusion within scientific communities.
The National Academy Building stands at 2101 Constitution Avenue in northwest Washington D.C. Architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue designed this neoclassical structure dedicated in 1924. It sits on the National Mall adjacent to the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building. Artists Albert Herter, Lee Lawrie, and Hildreth Meière created interior embellishments celebrating science history. Approximately one hundred fifty staff members work inside this historic building. A major restoration project reopened it to visitors in June 2012 after two years of upgrades. More than one thousand staff members operate from The Keck Center located at 500 Fifth Street. This facility houses meeting space and the National Academies Press Bookstore. The Marian Koshland Science Museum previously occupied 525 E St., N.W. before closing in 2017. Conference centers exist in California and Massachusetts as well. The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center serves Irvine, California near UC Irvine campus. The J. Erik Jonsson Conference Center operates at 314 Quissett Avenue in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. These facilities support lectures, symposia, exhibitions, concerts, and annual meetings for all three academies.
The academy distributes numerous medals and prizes across multiple scientific disciplines. The John J. Carty Award recognizes advancement in general science fields. William O. Baker Award honors initiatives in research while Public Welfare Medal addresses broader societal impact. Astronomy awards include the Henry Draper Medal and James Craig Watson Medal. Behavioral sciences receive recognition through the Atkinson Prize and William and Katherine Estes Award. Biology and medicine categories feature the Jessie Stevenson Kovalenko Medal and Richard Lounsbery Award. Chemistry divisions offer the NAS Award in Chemical Sciences and NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society. Earth and environmental sciences honor work via the Alexander Agassiz Medal and Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal. Engineering awards include the Gibbs Brothers Medal for naval architecture and marine engineering. Mathematics and computer science recipients earn the Arctowski Medal or Comstock Prize in Physics. Membership itself constitutes a prestigious award alongside these specific recognitions. Over one hundred ninety members have won Nobel Prizes throughout history. These accolades highlight contributions ranging from molecular biology to early earth sciences.
In 2005, national science academies of G8 forum countries signed a joint statement on global warming. Brazil, China, and India joined this declaration as three largest developing world emitters. The document stressed that scientific understanding justified prompt action by nations. On the 7th of May 2010, two hundred fifty-five academy members published a letter in Science magazine. This correspondence criticized political assaults against climate change scientists following investigations into Michael E. Mann. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli had demanded documents from Mann regarding his research at University of Virginia. Investigations later cleared Mann of charges falsifying data despite allegations of fraud. Agencies fund approximately eighty-five percent of the academy's activities through government appropriations. Private foundations and industrial organizations provide additional funding sources. The organization provides independent advice whenever called upon by any federal department. It enriches resources available to all branches rather than serving single executive agencies exclusively. This structure allows the academy to maintain objectivity while influencing policy decisions across multiple domains.
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Common questions
When did President Abraham Lincoln sign the Act of Incorporation for the National Academy of Sciences?
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Act of Incorporation on the 3rd of March 1863. This document created the National Academy of Sciences as an independent institution with fifty charter members.
Who is the current president of the National Academy of Sciences and when does her term expire?
Marcia K. McNutt became the current president in 2016 and is the first woman to hold this position. Her term expires on the 30th of June 2026.
How many total members are there in the National Academy of Sciences as of late 2024?
Current membership numbers reached 6,892 by late 2024. Of these, 3,218 are living members who participate in elections.
Where is the National Academy Building located and when was it dedicated?
The National Academy Building stands at 2101 Constitution Avenue in northwest Washington D.C. Architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue designed this neoclassical structure which was dedicated in 1924.
When did Florence R. Sabin become the first lifetime woman member elected to the National Academy of Sciences?
Florence R. Sabin broke barriers when she became the first lifetime woman member elected in 1924. This milestone marked slow progress over more than a century of existence for women in the academy.