Founded in 1898, the Academy serves as the umbrella organization for about 60 scientific societies in the Washington DC area. The Academy may be the only organization in the United States that brings together the entire panoply of local scientific societies, giving our members the opportunity not only of face-to-face interaction with a wide variety of scientists but also affords the opportunity of society-to-society interaction as often as desired. This differentiates the Academy from national umbrella organizations where face-to-face interaction is usually limited to annual meetings. The calendar on our website makes it easy for members to keep informed of Washington's Science Related activities and to engage in professional networking. We are a completely volunteer organization.