Founded in 1952 and incorporated in 1954, the American Scientific Glassblowers Society began as a professional, not-for-profit organization of scientific glassblowers and suppliers associated with the field. The objectives of the Society are to further the education of its membership through the gathering, promotion, and dissemination of technical and scientific information concerning all aspects of scientific glassblowing.
Today the ASGS comprises approximately 650 members and a variety of affiliate members. Regional Sections offer local members an opportunity to meet with other glassblowers in their area.
Organized and staffed with an all volunteer workforce, countless hours are dedicated to the exchange of techniques and knowledge through paper presentations, seminars, and workshops at the annual ASGS Symposium and Regional Section meetings. The publication Fusion, Journal of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society and The Proceedings of the ASGS Annual Symposium document this collection of papers and presentations. Significant emphasis by senior glassblowers is placed on the advancement of young or apprentice glassblowers through the ASGS Junior Member Training Program and the Mentor Program. These programs help assure that future generations of glassblowers will benefit from the experience of others.