Commission 26 History
Past and Present Officers of Commission 26
Term President Vice President Secretary
1919-1922 Robert Aitken 1922-1925 Robert Aitken 1925-1928 Robert Aitken 1928-1932 Ejnar Hertzsprung George van Biesbroeck 1932-1935 Ejnar Hertzsprung 1935-1938 Ejnar Hertzsprung 1938-1948 1948-1952 Willem van den Bos (R. Aitken, honorary) 1952-1955 Paul Muller 1955-1958 Paul Muller Peter van de Kamp 1958-1961 Peter van de Kamp Sarah Lippincott 1961-1964 Peter van de Kamp Richard Woolley Sarah Lippincott 1964-1967 Kai Strand Paul Couteau Jean Dommanget 1967-1970 Paul Couteau Jean Dommanget Sarah Lippincott 1970-1973 Jean Dommanget Sarah Lippincott Otto Franz 1973-1976 Sarah Lippincott Paul Muller Otto Franz 1976-1979 Paul Muller Otto Franz 1979-1982 Otto Franz Mario Fracastoro Jean Dommanget 1982-1985 Mario Fracastoro Karl Rakos 1985-1988 Karl Rakos Harold McAlister 1988-1991 Harold McAlister Helmut Abt 1991-1994 Helmut Abt Charles Worley 1994-1997 Charles Worley Hans Zinnecker 1997-2000 Hans Zinnecker Colin Scarfe 2000-2003 Colin Scarfe William Hartkopf 2003-2006 William Hartkopf Christine Allen 2006-2009 Christine Allen Jose Docobo 2009-2012 Jose Docobo Brian Mason 2012-2015 Brian Mason Yuri Y. Balega
Term Organizing Committee (note: the OC in each term also includes the immediate
past president)
1961-1964 O. Eggen, P. Muller, K. Strand, W. van den Bos
1964-1967 O. Eggen, P. Muller, J. Dommanget, P. Kulikovsky, R. Petrie
1967-1970 O. Eggen, P. Muller, K. Strand, P. Kulikovsky, P. van de Kamp
1970-1973 P. Couteau, P. Muller, K. Strand, A. Deutsch, P. van de Kamp
1973-1976 P. Couteau, A. Batten, K. Strand, A. Deutsch, J. Dommanget, O. Franz
1976-1979 R. Harrington, A. Batten, M. Fracastoro, C. Worley, S. Lippincott
1979-1982 R. Harrington, P. Kulikovsky, P. Muller, C. Worley, A. Poveda, C. Scarfe
1982-1985 J. Dommanget, O. Franz, W. Heintz, H. McAlister, A. Poveda, C. Scarfe
1985-1988 J. Dommanget, H. Abt, P. Couteau, M. Fracastoro, R.S. Harrington, A. Kiselyov
1988-1991 P. Bernacca, E. van Dessel, P. Couteau, R. Harrington, A. Kiselyev, K. Rakos
1991-1994 P. Bernacca, E. van Dessel, H. Zinnecker, Y. Balega, F. Fekel, C. Scarfe
1994-1997 C. Allen, W. Hartkopf, A. Tokovinin, Y. Balega, F. Fekel, C. Scarfe
1997-2000 C. Allen, W. Hartkopf, A. Tokovinin, J. Armstrong, R. Mathieu, M. Valtonen
2000-2003 F. Fekel, P. Lampens, J. Ling, J. Armstrong, R. Mathieu, M. Valtonen
2003-2006 F. Fekel, P. Lampens, J. Ling, J. Davis, E. Oblak, T. Oswalt
2006-2009* Y. Balega, B. Mason, D. Pourbaix, C. Scarfe, J. Davis, E. Oblak, T. Oswalt
2009-2012 Y. Balega, D. Pourbaix, C. Scarfe, F. Arenou, M. Scardia, V. Tamazian
2012-2015* F. Arenou, M. Scardia, V. Tamazian, T. ten Brummelaar, P. Lampens,
B. Reipurth, A. Tokovinin
* additional member due to tie in vote
Commission Membership Lists:
- 1922
- 1925
- 1928
- 1932
- 1935
- 1938
- 1948
- 1952
- 1955
- 1958
- 1961
- 1964
- 1967
- 1970
- 1973
- 1976
- 1979
- 1982
- 1985
- 1988
- 1991
- 1994
- 1997
- 2000
- 2003
- 2006
- 2009
The above figure illustrates the growth of Commission 26 membership (open circles), compared with that of the IAU as a whole (filled circles). Note the scales: the IAU scale is 50x that of C26.
Small-number statistics may be a factor here, of course, but it appears that during the first four decades of the IAU, double stars constituted a fairly significant area of research within the IAU. On the other hand, the years 1960-1976 and 1991-1997 were periods of stagnation for the commission, which at one point was in danger of dissolution. However, the last decade has seen quite significant growth, and our membership relative to the IAU is approaching numbers not seen in over 40 years.