The International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) is a worldwide organization for systems sciences. The overall purpose of the ISSS is:International Society for the Systems Sciences: Bylaws to promote the development of conceptual frameworks based on general system theory, as well as their implementation in practice. It further seeks to encourage research and facilitate communication between and among scientists and professionals from various disciplines and professions at local, regional, national, and international levels. Conceived in 1954 as the Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory, and started in 1955/56, the Society for General Systems Research became the first interdisciplinary and international co-operation in the field of systems theory and systems science.Jessica Kuper, Adam Kuper (1985) The Social Science Encyclopedia. p.330 confirms that the general systems movement was initially represented by the Society for General Systems Research. In 1988 it was renamed the International Society for the Systems Sciences.
History The society was initiated in 1954 by biologists Ludwig von Bertalanffy and Ralph Gerard, economist Kenneth Boulding, and mathematician Anatol Rapoport at the Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. They called a meeting at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Berkeley in 1954. At this meeting, attended by seventy people, the society was conceived as the Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory.Mark Davidson (1983) Uncommon sense: the life and thought of Ludwig von Bertalanffy. p.19 The next year Boulding, Gerard and Rapoport started working with James Grier Miller at the Mental Health Research Institute of the University of Michigan. There the society got underway as "Society for General Systems Research".
The statement of the mission of the society was formulated with the following four objectives:"Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory" in: General program. Vol.124. American Association for the Advancement of Science (1956) p.223 to investigate the isomorphy of concepts, laws, and models in various fields, and to help in useful transfers from one field to another to encourage the development of adequate theoretical models in areas which lack them to eliminate the duplication of theoretical efforts in different fields to promote the unity of science through improving the communication among specialists.
In the 1960s local chapters were established in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C, and Florida.Scientific and Technical Societies of the United States. Vol 8 (1968), p.159 Annual meetings were held in the winter, and annually a General Systems Yearbook was published. Periodical articles were published in the society's journal Behavioral Science, and additionally "The Bulletin" offered regional and thematic publications.
In 1971 the Society had 1100 individual and 6 institutional members, and a membership in some societies affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.National Academy of Sciences (U.S.) (1971). Scientific, technical and related societies of the United States. 9th edition. National academy of sciences, 1971. . p.171 In 1988, the society was renamed the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) to "reflect its broadening scope".
Activities Important activities of the Society are: the General Systems Yearbook the General Systems Bulletin the Special Integration Groups
A listing of the Special Integration Groups (SIGs) gives an idea of the themes of ongoing development in the Society:ISSS introduction on the ISFR website 2007.
Presidents Among the Presidents of ISSS have been foremost scientists from several fields and countries, including some Nobel laureates:International Society for the Systems Sciences: Past Presidents
Yiannis Laouris, 2025–2026 Gary R. Smith, 2024–2025 Michele Friend, 2023–2024 Roelien Goede, 2022–2023 George Mobus, 2021–2022 Delia MacNamara, 2020–2021 Shankar Sankaran, 2019–2020 Peter D. Tuddenham, 2018–2019 David Rousseau, 2017–2018 Ockie Bosch, 2016–2017 John Kineman, 2015–2016 Ray Ison, 2014–2015 Gerald Midgley, 2013–2014 Alexander Laszlo, 2012–2013 David Ing, 2011–2012 Jennifer Wilby, 2010–2011
Allenna Leonard, 2009–2010 Timothy F. H. Allen, 2008–2009 Gary Metcalf, 2007–2008 Kyoichi Kijima, 2006–2007 Debora Hammond, 2005–2006 Enrique Herrscher, 2004–2005 Kenneth D. Bailey, 2003 Alexander Christakis, 2002 Michael C. Jackson, 2001 Harold G. Nelson, 2000 Peter Corning, 1999 Béla A. Bánáthy, 1998 G. A. Swanson, 1997 Yong Pil Rhee, 1996 Ervin Laszlo, 1995 J. Donald R. de Raadt, 1994
Harold A. Linstone, 1993 Ian I. Mitroff, 1992 Howard T. Odum 1991 Len R. Troncale, 1990 C. West Churchman 1989 Ilya Prigogine, 1988 Russell L. Ackoff, 1987 Peter Checkland, 1986 John A. Dillon, 1985 Bela H. Banathy, 1984 Karl Deutsch, 1983 John N. Warfield, 1982 George Klir, 1981 Robert Rosen, 1980 Brian R. Gaines, 1979 Richard F. Ericson, 1978
Geoffrey Vickers, 1977 Heinz von Foerster, 1976 Kjell Samuelson, 1975 Gordon Pask, 1974 James Grier Miller, 1973 Margaret Mead, 1972 Stafford Beer, 1971 Bertram Gross, 1970 Lawrence Slobodkin, 1969 Milton Rubin, 1968 John Milsum, 1967 Peter Caws, 1966 Anatol Rapoport, 1965 W. Ross Ashby 1962–1964 Charles A. McClelland 1959–1961 Kenneth E. Boulding, 1957–58
Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award The Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award is an annual award in memory of Sir Geoffrey Vickers for outstanding student papers at the pre-doctoral level in the field of the systems sciences. A listing of recipients:International Society for the Systems Sciences: Student Awards
See also General Systems: Yearbook of the Society for General Systems Research List of systems sciences organizations International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) International Society for Complexity, Information and Design (ISCID) Mental Health Research Institute (Michigan)
References
External links Homepage of the International Society of Systems Science ISSS introduction on the IFSR website