The Lepidopterists' Society
The Lepidopterists' Society was the idea of Charles L. Remington and Harry K. Clench when they were both students in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In March 1947, they mailed a letter to many lepidopterists of their acquaintance announcing the organization of an association to "promote the scientifically sound and progressive study of Lepidoptera by: (1) distributing a periodical on Lepidoptera; (2) facilitating the exchange of specimens and ideas by both the professional worker and the interested amateur in the field." The association was proposed to be called The Lepidopterists' Union, but the word "Society" was soon substituted for "Union."
Within a month the first issue of the periodical was printed at facilities of the Harvard Biological Laboratory and distributed to interested persons and the Society came into being. The initial membership list contained 220 names. Soon thereafter, Harry Clench left Cambridge for further studies at The University of Michigan and Charles Remington carried on the organizing of The Lepidopterists' Society. A Constitution and By-Laws for the Society were adopted at the first annual meeting in December 1950. The first president was James H. McDunnough of Canada. The international flavor of the Society is indicated by the fact that seven countries were represented by the first twenty five presidents.
The Society has always placed much emphasis on the science associated with Lepidoptera. As stated in our Constitution, "It shall be the purpose of the Society to promote internationally the science of lepidopterology in all its branches; to further the scientifically sound and progressive study of Lepidoptera; to publish periodicals and other publications on lepidoptera; to facilitate the exchange of specimens and ideas by both the professional worker and the amateur in the field; to compile and distribute information to other organizations and individuals for purposes of education and conservation and appreciation of Lepidoptera; and to secure cooperation in all measures tending to that end."
There are now members in over 60 countries (the majority being from all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces). The Lepidopterists' Society embraces a wide range of interests and viewpoints concerning the study and appreciation of moths and butterflies. The Society has always boasted dedicated amateurs among its ranks, often in leadership roles.
Presidents of The Lepidopterists' Society
The following is a list of the persons serving as President of The Lepidopterists' Society (compiled by John Calhoun).
1951: James H. McDunnough, Nova Scotia Museum of Science, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
1952: Heinrich E. Karl Jordan, Zoological Museum, Tring, Hertfordshire, England
1953: William T. M. Forbes, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
1954: Alexey Diakonoff, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden, Netherlands
1955: Lauro P. Travassos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1956: Thomas N. Freeman, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
1957: Alexander B. Klots, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
1958: Norman D. Riley, British Museum (Natural History), London, England
1959: Eugene G. Munroe, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
1960: E. Walter Forster, Munich, Germany
1961: Takashi Shirozu, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
1962: John A. Comstock, Del Mar, California, USA
1963: Henry B. D. Kettlewell, Oxford University, Oxford, England
1964: John G. Franclemont, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
1965: Frederick H. Rindge, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
1966-67: Don B. Stallings, Caldwell, Kansas, USA
1968: F. Martin Brown, Fountain Valley School, Fountain Valley, Colorado, USA
1969: David F. Hardwick, Canada Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
1970: Edmund B. Ford, Oxford University, Oxford, England
1971: Charles L. Remington, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
1972: Lloyd M. Martin, Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, California, USA
1973: John F. Gates Clarke, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA
1974: Harry K. Clench, Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
1975: André Blanchard, Houston, Texas, USA
1975/76: Ronald W. Hodges, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., USA
1976/77: Stanley S. Nicolay, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
1977/78: James W. Tilden, San Jose, California, USA
1978/79: Ian F. B. Common, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Res. Org., Canberra, Australia
1979/80: Theodore D. Sargent, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
1980/81: Carlos R. Beutelspacher, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
1981/82: Lincoln P. Brower, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
1982/83: Charles V. Covell, Jr., University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
1983/84: Lee D. Miller, Allyn Museum of Entomology, Sarasota, Florida, USA
1984/85: Donald R. Davis, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA
1985/86: Clifford D. Ferris, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
1986/87: Douglas C. Ferguson, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA
1987/88: Jerry A. Powell, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
1988/89: Julian P. Donahue, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA
1989/90: Jaqueline Y. Miller, Allyn Museum of Entomology, Sarasota, Florida, USA
1990/91: Ron Leuschner, Manhattan Beach, California, USA
1991/92: Floyd W. Preston, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
1992/93: Ray E. Stanford, Denver, Colorado, USA
1993/94: Paul A. Opler, National Biological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
1994/95: Frederick W. Stehr, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
1995/96: John M. Burns, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA
1996/97: Eric H. Metzler, Columbus, Ohio, USA
1997/98: James P. Tuttle, Tucson, Arizona, USA
1998/99: Michael J. Smith, Roseville, California, USA
1999/2000: John W. Brown, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA
2000/01: Robert K. Robbins, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA
2001/02: J. Donald Lafontaine, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
2002/03: Lawrence F. Gall, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
2003/04: Susan J. Weller, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
2004/05: James K. Adams, Dalton State College, Dalton, Georgia, USA
2005/06: Felix A. H. Sperling, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2006/07: William E. Conner, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
2007/08-2008/09: John Acorn, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2009/10-2010/11: John A. Shuey, Nature Conservancy, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
2011/12-2012/13: Andrew D. Warren, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Gainesville, Florida, USA
2013/14-2014/15: Todd M. Gilligan, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
2015: Jonathan P. Pelham, Lynnwood, Washington, USA
2016/17: John V. Calhoun, Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
2017/18-2018/19: Brian Scholtens, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
2019/20-2020/21: Alma Solis, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
2021/22-2022/23: Jean-François Landry, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Canada
2023/24-2024/25: Ivonne J. Garzón Orduña, Colección Nacional de Insectos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico