Founded in 1960 by Morris Janowitz, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, the IUS provided a much-needed focal point for communication and criticism among those independently engaged in research on the armed forces at widely scattered universities and research centers. In this, our 50th anniversary year (2010), the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society today constitutes an "invisible college" for nearly 600 Fellows in over 35 countries. Fellows who make up the IUS include academics, military officers, students, and researchers in a variety of institutional settings, both private and public. Our Fellows represent various disciplines, including political science, sociology, history, psychology, economics, international relations, social work, anthropology, law, criminology, psychiatry, and human relations, to name just a few.