History of the IAU : The Birth and First Half-Century of the International Astronomical Union

This History has its origin in a suggestion, made in September 1990 by former IAU General Secretary Derek McNally, who felt "that a 75 year history of the Union was needed before the col­ lective memory of those who knew the Union before the Second World War vanished. It would then be a preparatory volume to a centennial history in 2019. " Indeed, of those who knew the Union that long ago, few are still with us. Six years ago, at Baltimore on August 2, 1988, listening and reminiscing at the Inaugural Ceremonies of the Union's 20th General Assembly, I realized that it was almost exactly half a century ago that, at the age of 24, I attended the Inaugurations at my "first" Assembly: on August 3, 1938 in Stockholm. Now, in 1994, this is almost 56 years ago, three quarters of the Union's age. Only vague recollections - no better than that -lead me back to this event, just before World War II. And so, this is not a history based on recollection, far from it. Recollection was helpful in that it allowed me, better perhaps than a younger author, to appreciate circumstances under which the letters and reports which form the basis for this History were written. The account is largely based on archival documents, collected from a wide variety of sources. This book describes the birth and early development of the International Astronomical Union, the world-wide union of professional astronomers that over the past 75 years played an important role in the development of astronomy. However, much attention is also paid to the Union's successful bridging political controversies and maintaining the ties between astronomers in times of war or heavy political tension. The book therefore is of interest not only to astronomers -- professional as well as amateur -- but also to students of the history of modern science in general. The author (born 1914), who earlier published a study of the history of the European Southern Observatory, is an emeritus professor of astronomy of the Universities of Groningen and Leiden, and has witnessed the development of the Union over the past 55 years, the years 1976--1979 as its President. Front Matter....Pages i-xix Birth and Consolidation; 1919–1922....Pages 1-14 Earlier 20th Century Developments; World War I....Pages 15-53 The IRC and the “Neutral” States; Suspicion and Resentment....Pages 55-68 1922–1928: First General Assemblies; IAU Becomes Fully International....Pages 69-102 The Years 1928–1938....Pages 103-119 The IAU and Political Persecutions in the 1930’s....Pages 121-128 1938–1948; World War II: Interruption and Recovery....Pages 129-150 1948–1958; Flourishing Science and Disturbing Politics....Pages 151-188 The China Conflict....Pages 189-204 1958–1964; Reforms, Berkeley 1961, and Hamburg 1964....Pages 205-238 1964–1969; Reforms Continued, the Astronomer’s Handbook, Prague 1967, and the 50th Anniversary....Pages 239-252 Financing in the Union; A Review over 75 Years....Pages 253-267 Back Matter....Pages 269-296