Science for the People records

The group eventually known as Science for the People originated at the January 1969 meeting of the American Physical Society (APS). Originally named Scientists for Social and Political Action (SSPA), the name was soon changed to include “Engineers” (SESPA) as industrial and other scientific workers joined. SESPA was formed by APS members who felt that the Society was unresponsive to their demands that it formally declare itself against the Vietnam War. In 1969, members of SESPA were involved in the "March 4" panel discussions and talks at MIT.

In 1969, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) decided in February that it wanted students to be involved in the annual meeting, to be held that December in Boston. Professor Anthony Oettinger of Harvard and Professor Harvey Sapolsky of MIT invited Harvard graduate students to arrange a student symposium at the meeting. The two-session symposium, "The Sorry State of Science-A Student Critique," included presentations by MIT and Harvard graduate students. It was intended to expose the misuse of science and technology. The first session was a discussion of the social and economic framework of technological innovation, the second session a discussion of the role of scientists and engineers in relation to the misuse of their work and abilities.

Believing AAAS should interact more with the public, days before the annual meeting was to begin SESPA called for AAAS to open the program to the public. This demand was highly publicized by the press and met by AAAS. The students continued to organize political actions at AAAS through the formation of the Scientist Action Group, which included the student scientist symposium participants, SESPA, and MIT's Student Action Coordinating Committee (SACC). Activities included non-disrupting demonstrations and the creation of lists of questions to be asked of AAAS scientists during panel discussions. SESPA addressed the political nature of science and put out a call for people to "challenge the misuse of science and technology." (See box 1) SESPA's slogan, "Science for the People," soon became their name. SESPA drafted three political resolutions for AAAS to pass: immediate withdrawal from Vietnam; an end to the oppression of Black people; and equality for women in science. The resolutions were not passed.

As a result of the momentum gained through the activities at the AAAS meeting, the Boston group Scientists and Engineers for Social and Political Action/Science for the People (SESPA/SftP) formed. Local chapters formed across the US, but the national office and the steering committee remained in Boston. SESPA developed from a group with a primarily anti-war focus to one concerned with a broader critique of science. StfP believed radical change was needed to create more socially responsible science and technology. Membership in the group was not limited to scientists; part of the goal of the organization was to take the discussion outside of the academic/scientific community to the people. They took a collective approach through a broad-based, non-hierarchical organization.

Vital to the organization was the bi-monthly magazine Science for the People, an outgrowth of the SESPA newsletter. It served as the main form of communication among SftP members and as a way to reach non-members through its sales at newsstands and bookstores. The first issue of Science for the People was published in 1970. Articles and letters included in the magazine were chosen by a collective editorial committee from those submitted. Reflecting the group's “non-elitist approach,” the publication was meant to be accessible and comprehensible to a non-scientific community.

In addition to protesting at professional organizations such as AAAS, the American Chemical Society, and the National Science Teachers' Association, SftP organized local activities such as "Scientists at Shopping Malls." (See box 4) The focus of the group centered on the control of research and development, a national health system, issues of racism and sexism relating to science, and making science and technology more socially responsible.

SftP was composed of various chapters, regional groups, and activity groups across the US. The national office was in Boston, and much of SftP's activities, including the magazine, came out of Boston. A recurring challenge throughout the group's existence was unity. While the charters and activity groups individually may have been strong, the unification of purpose seemed difficult to maintain at a national level. In 1974, the Internal Discussion Bulletin was begun to provide a forum for members to discuss problems and vent frustrations about the group. The group faced serious financial problems in the late 1980s and disbanded in 1992.