0 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁Fif ty - se ven ▁scient ists ▁attended ▁the ▁meeting , ▁which ▁was ▁cha ired ▁by ▁Alfred ▁E . ▁Em erson . ▁George ▁Gay l ord ▁Sim pson ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁the ▁Society ' s ▁first ▁President , ▁with ▁E . ▁B . ▁Bab cock , ▁Em erson , ▁and ▁J . ▁T . ▁P atter son ▁as ▁his ▁Vice - pres idents ▁and ▁Ernst ▁May r ▁as ▁secretary . ▁This ▁society ▁grew ▁as ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁National ▁Research ▁Council ' s ▁Committee ▁on ▁Common ▁Problem s ▁of ▁Gen et ics ▁and ▁Pale ont ology ▁( l ater ▁renamed ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Common ▁Problem s ▁of ▁Gen et ics , ▁Pale ont ology ▁and ▁System at ics ). ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁annual ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁society ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁Boston , ▁December ▁ 2 8 – 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁A ▁grant ▁from ▁the ▁American ▁Philosoph ical ▁Society ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁journal ▁E volution . ▁ ▁Comm only ▁known ▁as ▁' e volution ▁meeting ,' ▁the ▁annual ▁conference ▁is ▁often ▁held ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁Society ▁of ▁System atic ▁Bi olog ists ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Society ▁of ▁Natural ists . ▁ ▁The ▁society ▁has ▁an ▁official ▁journal ▁E volution . ▁It ▁was ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁and ▁is ▁published ▁by ▁John ▁W iley ▁& ▁S ons . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁it ▁launched ▁a ▁second ▁journal ▁E volution ▁Let ters