The
American Society of Agronomy (ASA) is a
scientific and professional society of
agronomists and scientists of related disciplines, principally in the
United States but with a large number of non-U.S. members as well. It was founded in 1907 with the objective of 'the increase and dissemination of knowledge concerning soils, crops, and the conditions affecting them.' One of its founding members was
Charles Piper, who would become its president in 1914. The first president was Mark A. Carlton and the first annual meeting was held in Washington, D.C., in 1908. Two daughter societies were subsequently formed, the
Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). These 3 societies, the Agricultural Tri-Societies, each have their own boards of directors, their own bylaws, and their own membership rosters. The societies each minimize their expenses by sharing an office and staff (who job-share between the 3 societies), and their annual meetings are generally held together.