ISA presidents and their presidential addresses

The ISA was founded in 1949, and its presidents have served three- or four-year terms from one World Congress to the next. Below, some systematic material is provided on each president and presidential address separately. This introduction explains the wider setting, and looks at some features of the group as a whole. (For the general history of the ISA up to 1997, see Platt 1998). The addresses are given in a formal and highly structured context, so they cannot be regarded simply as individual performances, although they are that too. Some relevant features of World Congresses and their organisation, which have changed over time, are described; how presidents have been elected, and some characteristics of the successful candidates, are sketched. It is shown how the form of the presidential address has emerged from this combination of factors.