Microscopy Society of America Records

The Microscopy Society of America (MSA) is an American non-profit professional association dedicated to the advancement of microscopy and its applications. Its mission is to foster research, innovation, advancement, and promotion of microscopy. According to the MSA, microscopy encompasses all microscopic imaging, analysis, and diffraction techniques useful for elucidating the ultrastructure and function of material, medical, and physical sciences.

The MSA was founded in response to the development of the electron microscope, the first examples of which were introduced during the 1930s. The origins of the MSA date back to November 1942, when American chemist George L. Clark organized the first meeting of electron microscopists in North America, which was held in Chicago, Illinois. At this meeting, a new unnamed organization was formed and a temporary slate of officers elected, with R. Bowling Barnes being chosen as its first President. In 1943, the new organization was formally named the Electron Microscope Society of America (EMSA). That same year, the organization’s by-laws were written and its membership approved affiliations with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Physics. EMSA’s first annual meeting was held in New York City in January 1944.

In 1949, EMSA invited representatives of European microscopy societies to its meetings and was encouraged to start an informal association of worldwide microscopy societies. This eventually led to the formation of the International Federation of Societies for Electron Microscopy (IFSEM), which EMSA joined in 1956. During the 1950s and early 1960s, EMSA’s membership became increasingly interested in the applications of electron microscopy. In recognition of its broadening scientific scope and the cross-disciplinary nature of the applications of electron microscopy, the organization formally renamed itself the Electron Microscopy Society of America (EMSA) in 1964.

EMSA held its 50th Anniversary Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts in August 1992. This meeting was attended by many Charter Members of EMSA, Past Presidents, and other microscopy luminaries. A number of video interviews with long-time EMSA members and other notable scientists were conducted before the meeting and a special videotape of these interviews was produced. In addition, the commemorative book EMSA and Its People: The First Fifty Years, authored by Charter Member Sterling P. Newberry, was given to meeting attendees.

By the early 1990s, the scientific scope of EMSA broadened to include new and increasingly diverse microscopy and microanalysis technology and techniques. In recognition of these new developments and the organization’s broadening scope, EMSA formally changed its name to the Microscopy Society of America (MSA) on January 1, 1993.

Currently headquartered in Wakefield, Massachusetts, the membership of the Microscopy Society of America includes individual members who work in academia, government agencies, and the private sector. Its membership also includes Sustaining Members consisting of individuals, companies, and corporations wishing to advance the interests and objectives of the society. The MSA continues to hold annual meetings and certifies electron microscopy technologists through its Certified Electron Microscopy Technologist Certification Program (CERT). In conjunction with the Microanalysis Society, the MSA co-publishes the periodicals Microscopy and Analysis and Microscopy Today. The MSA also sponsors fellowships and several awards, including the Distinguished Scientist Awards and the Burton Medal.

Sources

Microscopy Society of America Records, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Microscopy Society of America Website – https://microscopy.org.

Newberry, Sterling P. EMSA and Its People: The First Fifty Years. Electron Microscopy Society of America, 1992.