It was officially established on December 29, 1937,[1] in order to promote the development of rural sociology through teaching, research and extension.
Membership in the RSS includes persons professionally employed in the field of rural sociology, or those interested in the objectives of the Society.
Since its founding in 1937, the RSS has traced changes in rural life, demography, community structures and economies, technologies, environmental conditions, agriculture and food systems.
That same day, a provisional constitution and by-laws were established by the founding RSS members; they still guide activities, although both have been amended through the years as membership and issues have changed.
That changed in 1938, when Rural Sociology became the official journal of the RSS; it has been published continuously since.