Biological Society of Washington

The original purpose was "to encourage the study of the Biological Sciences and to hold meetings at which papers shall be read and discussed."

In May 1882 the first issue of the peer reviewed journal Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington was published.

The governing council of the society includes the elected officers and selected local members.

The first elected president was George Brown Goode and the first recording secretary was Richard Rathbun.

Later well-known presidents include Frederick Vernon Coville, Edward William Nelson, Ned Hollister, Clinton Hart Merriam, William Healey Dall, Andrew Delmar Hopkins, Theodore Gill, Barton Warren Evermann, Richard C. Banks, Leonhard Hess Stejneger, and Charles Abiathar White.