Past ASP Board Presidents and Executive Directors
[compiled by Andrew Fraknoi, Jack Flynn, and Al Stern]
The Society was founded in 1889, by the first Director of the Lick Observatory, Edward Holden, (with the assistance of Charles Burckhalter, the Director of the Chabot Observatory). The founding members and officers were all from the San Francisco Bay Area, but the Society soon grew into a national and international organization. The first President from outside the Bay Area was elected in 1927, the first one from outside the U.S. in 1956. Some of the most respected astronomers in the world have served as Presidents of the ASP.
Presidents of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
2023 - Derrick Pitts (The Franklin Institute)
2021 - 2023: Sunil Nagaraj (Ubiquity Ventures)
2019 - 2021: Kelsey Johnson (University of Virginia, National Radio Astronomy Observatory)
2017 – 2019: Chris Ford (Prezi, Inc.)
2015 – 2017: Connie Walker (NSF's NOIRLab)
2013 – 2015: Gordon Myers (IBM)
2009 – 2011: Bruce Partridge (Haverford College)
2007 – 2009: James Kaler (U. of Illinois)
2005 – 2007: Dennis Schatz (Pacific Science Center, Seattle)
2003 – 2005: Catharine Garmany (U. of Colorado; National Optical Astronomy Observatories)
2001 – 2003: Alexei Filippenko (U. of California, Berkeley)
1999 – 2001: Frank Bash (U. of Texas)
1997 – 1999: John Percy (U. of Toronto)
1995 – 1997: Bruce Carney (U. of North Carolina)
1993 – 1995: Russ Genet (Fairborn Observatory)
1991 – 1993: Julie Lutz (Washington State U.)
1989 – 1991: Frank Drake (U. of California, Santa Cruz)
1987 – 1989: James Hesser (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
1985 – 1987: Sidney Wolff (U. of Hawaii, NOAO)
1983 – 1985: David Morrison (U. of Hawaii & NASA Ames)
1981 – 1983: Halton Arp (Hale Observatories)
1979 – 1981: Leonard Kuhi (U. of California, Berkeley)
1977 – 1979: Ann Boesgaard (U. of Hawaii)
1975 – 1977: Geoffrey Burbidge (U. of California, San Diego)
1973 – 1975: Ray Weymann (U. of Arizona)
1971 – 1973: Harold Weaver (U. of California, Berkeley)
1969 – 1971: George Abell (U. of California, Los Angeles)
1967 – 1969: Helmut Abt (Kitt Peak National Observatory)
1965 – 1967: Louis Henyey (U. of California, Berkeley)
1962 – 1965: Robert Petrie (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
1960 – 1962: Seth Nicholson (Mt. Wilson-Palomar Observatories; 2nd term)
1958 – 1959: Nicholas Mayall (Lick Observatory; 2nd term)
1956 – 1957: Andrew McKellar (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory)
1954 – 1955: Olin Wilson (Mt. Wilson & Palomar Observatories
1952 – 1953: Gerald Kron (Lick Observatory)
1951: Otto Struve (U. of California, Berkeley)
1950: Dinsmore Alter (Griffith Observatory)
1949: Robert Trumpler (U. of California, Berkeley; 2nd term)
1948: Ira Bowen (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1947: C. Donald Shane (Lick Observatory; 2nd term)
1946: Ralph Wilson (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1945: Ferdinand Neubauer (Lick Observatory)
1944: Roscoe Sanford (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1943: Armin Leuschner (University of California, Berkeley; 3rd term)
1942: Nicholas Mayall (Lick Observatory)
1941: Arthur King (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1940: C. Donald Shane (University of California, Berkeley)
1939: Alfred Joy (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1938: Hamilton Jeffers (Lick Observatory)
1937: Harold Babcock (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1936: Armin Leuschner (U. of California, Berkeley; 2nd term)
1935: Seth Nicholson (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1934: Sturla Einarsson (U. of California, Berkeley)
1933: Edwin Hubble (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1932: Robert Trumpler (Lick Observatory)
1931: Alfred Joy (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1930: William Meyer (U. of California, Berkeley)
1929: Frederick Seares (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1928: Joseph Moore (Lick Observatory; 2nd term)
1927: Paul Merrill (Mt. Wilson Observatory)
1926: Bernard Benfield (2nd term)
1925: Bernard Benfield (San Francisco engineer)
1924: Arthur Black (San Francisco banker)
1923: Walter Adams (U. of California, Berkeley)
1922: Exum Lewis (U. of California, Berkeley)
1921: Charles Cushing (San Francisco attorney, 2nd term)
1920: Joseph Moore (Lick Observatory)
1919: Beverly Hodghead (San Francisco)
1918: W. W. Campbell (Lick Observatory, 2nd term)
1917: Frank Cornish (San Francisco)
1916: Sidney Townley (Stanford U., 2nd term)
1915: Robert Aitken (Lick Observatory)
1914: Russell Crawford (U. of California, Berkeley)
1913: Alex McAdie (U.S. Weather Bureau)
1912: Heber Curtis (Lick Observatory)
1911: John Galloway (Berkeley)
1910: Fremont Morse (U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey)
1909: W. W. Campbell (Lick Observatory)
1908: Charles Burckhalter (Chabot Observatory, 2nd term)
1907: Charles Cushing (San Francisco attorney)
1906: Armin Leuschner (U. of California, Berkeley)
1905: Sidney Townley (Latitude Observatory, Ukiah)
1904: George Edwards (University of California, Berkeley)
1903: Otto von Geldern (San Francisco)
1902: Charles Perrine (Lick Observatory)
1901: John Dolbeer (San Francisco lumber businessman)
1900: James Keeler (Lick Observatory)
1899: George Pardee (eye doctor and Governor of California)
1898: Robert Aitken (Lick Observatory)
1897: William Hussey (Lick Observatory) and William Alvord (San Francisco bank president)
1896: Charles Burckhalter (Chabot Observatory; Co-founder)
1895: William Campbell (Lick Observatory)
1894: Eusebius Molera (San Francisco civil engineer; also served as first ASP treasurer)
1893: John Schaeberle (Lick Observatory)
1892: William Pearson (San Francisco attorney; drew up Society’s articles of incorporation)
1889 – 1891: Edward Holden (Lick Observatory; Founder)
Executive Directors of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
For the first eight decades of its existence, the Society thrived through the voluntary work of its officers and directors. But as the ASP grew, it became necessary to hire paid staff to assist in keeping track of dues, membership, publications, etc. By the late 1960s, the Board saw the need for a more formal executive officer to oversee the staff and the growing list of Society activities, and the position was established in 1971.
2024 - Current: Chris Ford
2014 – 2024: Linda Shore
2007 – 2014: James Manning
2002 – 2007: Michael Bennett
2000 – 2001: James White
1993 – 1999: Robert Havlen
1978 – 1992: Andrew Fraknoi
1974 – 1978: Richard Reis
1971 – 1974: Leon Salanave
