The APS 10K

Most of us no doubt know the song, “Give me some “people” who are stout-hearted “people”, who will fight for the rights … etc., and I’ll soon give you ten thousand more … ” That might well have been the proper campaign song for the group of pioneers who created the Assembly for Scientific and Applied Psychologists (ASAP) and who subsequently founded the American Psychological Society. Five thousand was the approximate APS membership at the time of our first convention in Alexandria, Virginia. The song might also have been sung at that convention, for now, just one year later, APS membership is approximately ten thousand!

This is a remarkable achievement for an organization that is less than two years old. But, other accomplishments of APS in this brief period are no less remarkable. The APS office in Washington, DC, which was established only a few months ago now publishes the Observer, performs all responsibilities formerly handled by the Logistics Office, and has made its presence known in Washington. APS has sponsored the second Summit Meeting and has begun to plan the third APS Convention. Committees of the APS (which are few in number and small in size) have worked effectively to deal with important matters such as publications, membership, graduate education insurance and scientific honors. And, several issues of our journal, Psychological Science, have now been published. All of these activities have been stimulated by the work of a dedicated and enthusiastic (but, again, small) APS Board.

My guess is that many psychological scientists have been watching the development of APS to see whether it is “for real.” Well, APS is clearly “for real.” APS is not only viable, it is now a major scientific organization. Our rapid growth and our many achievements give us every reason to expect that “… we’ll soon have ten thousand more!”