In 1940 the American Society of Genealogists was organized by
three renowned genealogists - Dr. Arthur Adams, John Insley Coddington, and
Meredith B. Colket. The reason for the formation of the society was to
"foster the training of genealogists, eliminate improper and unethical
practices, elevate the profession of genealogy to the same literary and
scientific level enjoyed by history, and establish a code of ethics and
standards for the governing of the profession.… Membership was to be
restricted to fifty persons selected for the excellence and volume of their
published works that would demonstrate ability to discover facts from original
source material and to evaluate and present evidence."
There are currently 47 fellows in the ranks of the American Society of
Genealogists. Each have been nominated and elected by their peers.
Clifford L. Stott was elected a fellow in 1998.
(Henry B. Hoff and Malcom H. Stern, "The American Society of Genealogists, the First Fifty Years: 1940-1990" Philadelphia, 1990).