Historical Highlights From 75 Years of SSSA.

From its official founding on November 18, 1936 to the present day, SSSA has developed a rich and diverse history. Our society began with 190 members grouped into six sections: 1) physics, 2) chemistry, 3) microbiology, 4) fertility, 5) morphology, and 6) technology. Today we have over 6,000 members who can choose from any of 11 divisions, S1 Soil Physics, S2 Soil Chemistry, S3 Soil Biology and Biochemistry, S4 Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, S5 Pedology, S6 Soil and Water Management and Conservation, S7 Forest, Range, and Wildland Soils, S8 Nutrient Management and Soil and Plant Analysis, S9 Soil Mineralogy, S10 Wetland Soils, and S11 Soils and Environmental Quality to represent their primary area(s) of interest. The Society has also gone from being largely agriculturally focused to an eclectic mix of individuals with interests in agriculture, the environment, earth sciences, human interactions, and other diverse areas. At its founding, our society sponsored one publication, the Soil Science Society of America Proceedings. Today, we sponsor its descendent, the Soil Science Society of America Journal, as well as Vadose Zone Journal, the Journal of Environmental Quality, Soil Survey Horizons, and the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Science Education. In short, our Society’s history has been one of continued growth over the last 75 years. The future holds many challenges for our Society. There are increasing calls to meet with groups other than or in addition to ASA and CSSA, groups like the Geological Society of America and the Ecological Society of America. Members in SSSA now work in university departments, government agencies, and businesses representing biology, geology, geography, and archeology, among others, in addition to the traditional agricultural sector. How SSSA handles this diversification of the field and its membership will influence the future of the Society.