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           The American Astronomical Society (AAS) - consideringitself primarily as an organization of research astronomers - has had an ambivalentrelationship with the world of astronomy education. While some members have feltthat it was important for the Society to play an active role in this arena, many otherslooked upon educational work with disinterest and even disdain. Some officers bf theSociety occasionally advocated significantly greater AAS involvement in education, butthe Council rarely followed up with the sustained political will or the resources neededto bring about effective change.

Our examination of Society records and publications shows that enthusiasm forastronomy education seems to have come in cycles - with periods of more concentratedactivity alternating with stretches of unmourned inactivity. Some education committee or task force would generally begin with great enthusiasm to reform or revive some aspects of education, only to fade away after a few years as its leaders became tired or felt that they did not have the support of the community. Then, often after a dormant period, a new generation of "reformers" would tackle the same issues (occasionally even using the same language and the same suggested solutions as their rallying cry), only to fall prey to the same problems or lack of support. And when Society leaders did take a more active interest in educational matters, it was often motivated (as it appears to be at the time we are writing this history) by concerns over jobs for astronomy graduates, and whether there were too few or too many astronomers to fill the positions then available to them.

Such ambivalence may be natural for a Society whose primary aim is encouragingresearch, but it also means that the kind of national coordination that has helped manyof the research branches of astronomy become more effective has frequently beenabsent in the field of astronomy education. Despite many good educational initiativesfrom the AAS over the years, such lack of coordination continues to hamper efforts toimprove astronomy education even today. We note that there has never been a journalor magazine devoted to astronomy education, and that some of the most importantsymposia in the field have been organized outside the aegis of the AAS (although theyfrequently obtained AAS co-sponsorship later for the prestige it afforded).

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