American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an organization dedicated to scholarship and the advancement of learning, particularly in areas of political science.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and John Hancock founded the Academy in Boston during the American Revolution. Their objective, as stated in its charter, was to "cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honour, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people." They were joined by Robert Treat Paine and 58 local community leaders to charter the organization in 1780. Other prominent men soon joined, and early members included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
The modern academy is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It sponsors conferences, research, and publishes a quarterly journal, the Daedalus. Today's Academy boasts 4,000 fellows and several hundred honorary foreign members. Throughout the academic year, members are invited to regularly scheduled talks and meetings in Cambridge and at other regional centers around the country.