An Oxford scholar is one of the few distinguished scholars to have been elected a member of the American Philosophical Society (APS) for 2022.
Desmond KingAndrew W Mellon Professor of American Government and Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College, was honored for his “extraordinary achievements” in scholarly work comprising American politics, with specializations in welfare and public policy, racial inequality, immigration policy and political development.
Professor King said: “I am extremely delighted and honored to be elected to APS and delighted to join such a distinguished academic community whose members have contributed enormously to research and knowledge.”
Before taking up the Mellon Chair at Nuffield College, Professor King was a Tutor and Fellow at St John’s College, of which he is now an Emeritus Fellow, and previously a Lecturer at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has been a Fellow of the British Academy since 2003 and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017.
The American Philosophical Society honors and engages distinguished scientists, humanists, social scientists, and leaders in civic and cultural affairs through elected membership and interdisciplinary and intellectual fellowship opportunities.
It is the oldest learned society in the United States, having been founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge”.
Professor King is in excellent company – early members included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie and Albert Einstein.
