A 50-year history of the Southern Division American Fisheries Society

We evaluated the accomplishments of the past 50 years of the Southern Division American Fisheries Society (SDAFS). We used minutes from the Southern Division annual meetings and various records to view past issues addressed by the division and activities of the SDAFS technical committees and chapters, and the evolution of the SDAFS annual meeting. Since its formation in 1952, the SDAFS has grown to about 2,000 members with 8 active technical committees, 20 chapters, and 8 student units. Issues addressed by the SDAFS have included a diversity of conservation and management issues including support for some concepts that would likely not be popular today such as intentional introduction of exotic fishes and proposing the sale of game fishes. The technical committees were the primary source of interstate coordination within the SDAFS with work including large-scale field projects, published symposia, and many compilations of data and reports. Due to the many products and accomplishments over the past 50 years, the SDAFS has set a high standard of excellence in the profession. Recruiting new anglers from urban areas may be among the greatest challenge facing fisheries managers in the next 50 years.