The American Astronomical Society (AAS) was founded in 1899 as the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America. The name changed in 1914. Its purpose is the advancement of astronomy and closely related branches of science. The Society became an Associate Member of the American Institute of Physics in 1958 and has been a full Member Society since 1966. It is also affiliated with the International Astronomical Union. The Historical Astronomy Division of AAS was founded in 1980 to "advance interest in topics related to the historical nature of astronomy," which includes history of astronomy, archaeoastronomy, and the application of historical records to modern astrophysical problems.
From the description of Records of the Historical Astronomy Division Preservation Committee, 1981-1984. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 154305712
