Phycologia and the International Phycological Society: milestones of the first half-century

Publication of the first issue of Phycologia on 29 March 1961 (Fig. 1) marked the onset of an internationally important and respected scientific journal produced under the auspices of the International Phycological Society (IPS), itself officially founded on 1 January 1961. Now entering its second half-century, Phycologia continues to publish original research articles covering all aspects of phycology, and the IPS remains dedicated to its constitutional objectives (IPS Constitution, Art. 2): the development of phycology, the distribution of phycological information, and international cooperation among phycologists and phycological organizations. The nascence of both the journal and the Society dates from 6 September 1955 when a proposal to investigate possible establishment of an international phycological society and feasibility of initiating and supporting a phycological journal on an international basis was put fourth at the 10th annual Phycological Society of America (PSA) business meeting by then PSA President, Harold C. Bold (Silva 1955). The proposal was approved, and, as noted by Silva & Papenfuss (1981: 92), a Committee on International Cooperation among Phycologists was appointed. The Committee, consisting of George F. Papenfuss, Chm, Seymour H. Hutner, Luigi Provasoli, and Paul C. Silva, reported back to the 11th annual PSA business meeting (Silva 1956). At the 1956 meeting, it was felt that further pursuit of the project should not stem officially from the PSA but rather from individual members of the Society. The 1956 PSA President G.F. Papenfuss then appointed P.C. Silva to represent interested members of the PSA in co-opting a committee. An Organizing Committee of 11 members (Figs 2–12) had been co-opted by early 1960. On 29 April 1960, the Organizing Committee was asked by letter (Figs 13–14) to select a title for the planned journal and to approve three documents: a letter to prospective members with a memorandum on finances, Articles of Organization, and a membership application form (see Silva & Papenfuss 1981). Phycologia was the journal title chosen, and printed copies of the above named documents (Figs 15–19) were sent to several hundred prospective members on 15 September 1960. These events led the formal founding of the IPS on 1 January 1961, the date recorded in the minutes of the First General Meeting (see Phycologia 1: 188–191, 1961). Society operations are governed by a Constitution, which initially was called Articles of Organization. Successive versions of these documents, each approved by the Society membership, have appeared in Phycologia 2: 197–199 (1963), 8: 221–222 (1970), 14: 173–175 (1975), 21: 196–198 (1982), 24: 122–124 (1985), 32: 468–470 (1993), 37: 73–75 (1998), 40: 101–103 (2001), and 41: 203–205 (2002). Various milestones (Table 1) mark the first half-century of both Phycologia and the IPS, including those noted in Silva & Papenfuss (1981), Woelkerling & Mann (2001), and Wynne & Woelkerling (2001). The founding Editor-inChief, Paul Silva, was elected the first honorary member of the Society (Hoek 1985) and further honoured with an 80th birthday tribute (Mann et al. 2002); while Tyge Christensen (1918–1996; see Moestrup & Thomsen 1997), the first Assistant Editor, was honoured by the establishment of the Tyge Christensen Prize in Phycology (Guiry 1997), awarded annually for the best paper published in Phycologia (alternating between microalgal and macroalgal papers published in the preceding two years). As of 23 September 1961, the Society had 380 individual members and 17 institutional subscribers to the journal (Phycologia 1: 188–189), but the first Society membership