The Association of American Universities was founded in 1900 by the fourteen American universities that then offered the Ph.d. degree. The purpose of the Association was to attempt to standardize higher education. At various stages in its history the AAU has concentrated on accrediting universities, sponsoring research and representing the interests of research universities to the federal government. This last activity is overseen by the AAU's Council on Federal Relations which was organized in 1969.

As the focus of the AAU work changed, so did the control. In the early years the AAU was run by the member universities' presidents. The presidents attended the meetings and served terms as AAU secretary. As the work of the AAU became increasingly accreditation of colleges and universities, the member institutions' deans became more involved. This was the case until the 1940s when the AAU began questioning the effectiveness and the time involved in accreditation. In 1948 the AAU voted to discontinue accrediting. At the same time they created a separate organization for the deans. The Association of Graduate Schools in the Association of American Universities is a forum for member universities' deans while the AAU itself is run by the universities' presidents.

The structure of the AAU has changed several times since its inception in 1900. In the early years the Association was co- ordinated by a voluntary secretary who was the President or the Dean of one the member universities. The "office" of the AAU moved from campus to campus with the secretary. The AAU "office" continued to move with the secretary until the 1960s when a permanent office of the AAU was established in Washington. The first paid executive secretary was Charles P. McCurdy, Jr. in 1968. He was followed by Charles V. Kidd who served from 1969 until (?). As a result of the latest re-organization based on the Bok report in 1976, the AAU is run by a paid staff headed by a President. The first president was Thomas A. Bartlett (1978?- 1982?). He was succeeded in 1983 by Robert M. Rosenzweig.

The AAU is composed of 54 American and two Canadian universities. Of the 54 American members, half are public institutions, half are private. The invitation of new members, which requires the assent of three-fourths of the membership, is considered every three years.

Each member university is represented in the AAU by its chief executive officer, one of whom serves as the AAU Chairman. The standing committees are: the Executive Committee, Graduate Education Committee, Biomedical Research Committee, Research Libraries Committee, and Science and Research Committee.

For more information on the AAU see William K. Selden, "The Association of American Universities: An Enigma in Higher Education." Graduate Journal. A copy is in Appendix 1.