Morgan was born January 5, 1925 in Pontardulas, South Wales. He passed away peacefully on August 6, 2001 in Everett, Washington. He is survived by his beloved wife, Muriel, his three daughters Siobhan, Myfanwy, and Sine, his son, Michael, and four grandchildren. After his early schooling in South Wales, Morgan enlisted and served five years in the Royal Air Force during and after World War II, receiving his commission and his wings as a navigator. After demobilization in 1947 he attended Queens University in Belfast where he graduated with honors in 1951. He earned a Ph.D. in geography at Queens in 1954. After teaching and research appointments at the University of Michigan and Montana State University where he chaired the geography department, Morgan was invited to the University of Washington in 1959. He quickly won recognition here and abroad as an expert in the fields of economic geography and regional science with many of his research papers published in American and European journals. He was active for more than three decades in the Regional Science Association, serving a term in the 1970s as their international president. At the University of Washington, in addition to his teaching duties and graduate student supervision, Morgan was an administrator in the graduate school, in the provost's office and in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was chairman of the department of geography from 1983 to 1990. One of Morgan's most notable achievements was the supervision of masters and doctoral students, leading them to their degrees with his sage advice and direction. His former students and faculty colleagues hold him in great esteem, valuing his friendship and intellectual guidance. Morgan will be sorely missed by his loving family and good friends.

About 1980, the Rare and Manuscript Collections of Cornell University Library became the official repository for the records and papers of what is now the Regional Science Association International. At that time, the Library had accumulated a noteworthy collection of papers of early academic urban planners and architects. The Regional Science Archives were established as an extension of this activity through the efforts of Professor Barclay G. Jones of Cornell's Department of City and Regional Planning. Hence, Professor Jones was the Founding Archivist of the RSAI.

Presently, the Regional Science Archives consists mainly of the collected papers of Professors Walter Isard and Barclay Jones. Professor Isard donated about 100 cubic feet of material to the Archives when he moved to Cornell University in 1979. Professor Jones's papers consisting of about 42 cubic feet were transferred to the Archives following his death in May 1997. In addition to these collections, smaller research files have been contributed by several past presidents of the Association.

After David Boyce became the Archivist of the RSAI in January 1998, he worked with the staff of the Rare and Manuscript Collections to define appropriate and realistic long-term objectives for the Regional Science Archives. The following objectives for the Regional Science Archives were discussed and endorsed by the RSAI Council at Montreal on November 11, 1999:

1. collect, organize and preserve materials pertaining to the founding, development and influence of the Regional Science Association International (newsletters, conference programs and abstracts, financial reports, directories, etc.).
2. advise individual regional scientists on placing their papers in appropriate archives. For academics, the likely archival repository is their own university archives; for practitioners, local and regional historical societies may have an interest in preserving examples of their work; similarly, academic programs in regional science should preserve materials in their own university archives.
3.  advise individuals concerning what materials are worth preserving in archives; generally, published books and articles available in library collections are not placed in archives; however, other printed items of a more temporary nature such as course outlines, printed notes, and significant correspondence is appropriate for archiving. It helps greatly if the materials are in good order and well labeled. Likewise, it is desirable for someone who understands manuscript materials to sort through the papers and discard items of short term interest, as appropriate.

Inquiries from individuals and academic programs should be directed to the current Archivist, who will attempt to offer advice, after consulting with the Curator of Rare and Manuscript Collections of Cornell University Library. 

The RSAI Archivist is also a general resource for historical and reference information about Regional Science. The Archivist routinely receives requests concerning the whereabouts of published and unpublished papers in our Regional Science field. However, as can be seen from the above discussion, this activity is not the main function of the Archivist.

David Boyce This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. served as RSAI Archivist from 1998, following the death of Professor Jones, until late 2017. At the time, Peter Batey This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. became the RSAI Archivist. Inquiries concerning the Regional Science Archives should be sent to Peter Batey. On matters of historical interest, a copy can also be sent to David Boyce.

The four superregional organizations recognized by RSAI are:

• The European Regional Science Association (ERSA), comprising sections in the European realm;
• The North American Regional Science Council (NARSC), comprising sections from North America;
• The Pacific Regional Science Conference Organization (PRSCO), comprising sections in Asia (East, South East and South), Australasia and the Pacific Rim facing parts of the Americas;
• The Latin American Regional Science Association (LARSA), comprising sections from Latin America and the Caribbean.

RSAI Sections

Argentina Section	Armenian Section	ARSC Section	Australia & New Zealand Section	Baltic Section
Bangladesh Section	Brazilian Section	British & Irish Section	Bulgarian Section	Canadian Section
Chilean Section	Chinese Section	Colombian Section	Croatian Section	Dutch Section
Ecuadorian Section	French Speaking Section	German Speaking Section	Greek Section	Hungarian Section
Indian Section	Indonesian Section	Israeli Section	Italian Section	Japan Section
Korean Section	Malaysian Section	Moroccan Section	Mexican Section	Mid-Continent Section - USA
Nordic Section	Northeastern Section - USA	Polish Section	Portuguese Section	Romanian Section
Russian Section	Slovak Section	Southern Section - USA	Spanish Section	Thailand Section
Turkish Section	Western Section - USA

New RSAI Sections

Background

To retain its position as the worldwide leading organization of scientists and practitioners in regional science, RSAI has the ambition to take the lead and promote regional science in parts of the world not yet covered by RSAI sections. The main reason is to welcome scientists and practitioners in regional science in parts of the world not covered by existing RSAI sections to the RSAI network, congresses, workshops, journals, and other meetings organized by RSAI sections. RSAI also has the ambition to, through its sections, organize congresses, workshops, and other meetings in parts of the world not yet covered by RSAI sections in order to spread regional science and recruit both scientists and practitioners to the field of regional science. Therefore, RSAI welcomes initiatives to form new RSAI sections. In order to facilitate the formation and long-term viability of new sections, some initial financial support is available from the RSAI central office to these new sections. Specific details are outlined below.

It is important to stress that all new sections must meet the following three prerequisites:

• The section must be ruled by a democratically elected board;
• The section must have organized at least a regional science conference in the recent past;
• The section must be ruled by a constitution, laying down clear rules for its functioning.

Applications

Time schedule

1. Deadline for applications: August 15 each year.
2. At the ERSA meeting in August each year, the RSAI council will evaluate applications and decide either to reject the application right away or invite the applicants to make an oral presentation at the NARSC meeting in November. If the NARSC meeting is too far away for the new section representative to attend, the council is willing to consider a presentation at a PRSCO, RSAmericas, or ERSA meeting.
3. After the oral presentation the RSAI council makes a final decision.

Applications should be organized as follows:

1. Background (max 1 pages)
2. Motivation for a new RSAI section (max 2 page)
3. Estimate of the number of new members (max 1 page)
   1. PhD students
   2. Professors
   3. Practitioners
4. Organization (max 2 pages)
5. Planed activities during the first 3 years (workshops, congresses, meetings, networking) (max 2 pages)
6. Financial plan for the first 3 years including the financial support asked for from RSAI. A brief plan for how the financial support from RSAI could be repaid. (max 1 page)

Evaluation criteria

Each application is treated individually. The main evaluation criteria are:

• The need for a new section in the region from RSAI’s perspective
• The number of potential new RSAI members in the region – PhD students, Professors, and practitioners
• The estimated ability for the new section to organize workshops, congresses, meetings and to create a member network
• The financial plan

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Article I. Name

The name of the organization shall be the Regional Science Association International (known by the acronym RSAI). 

Article II. Objectives and Scope

RSAI is an international association set up to advance for the benefit of the public, regional analysis and related spatial and areal studies.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Members 

The principal criterion of eligibility for membership shall be a mature and deep interest in the field of regional science.  Membership of RSAI is normally obtained through membership of a local Section. In exceptional circumstances direct individual membership may be considered by the Executive Director (an officer defined by Article V. section 3d).

Membership shall be renewed annually by payment of dues. This may be through a capitation levied on a section and/or collected through one of the superregional organizations established by the Association (see Article IV and By-law 1). If a member shall fail to pay dues within six months after the date of official renewal notice, the membership shall be considered terminated and the name shall be removed from the roster of members.

Section 2. Membership Rights

All members shall have full voting and office-holding rights.

Section 3. Misuse of Affiliation

Any member or associate who makes use of his affiliation with the Association in a manner considered improper by the Council (a body defined by Article V, Section I) may be suspended by the Council. After opportunity has been given to the individual for a hearing before the Council the member may be expelled from the Association by a vote of the Council.

Section 4. Limitation of Liability

No member or officer shall be individually liable for the debts, contracts, and other obligations of the Association, other than the dues paid for membership. This proviso shall appear in all contracts entered into by, and behalf of, RSAI.

Article IV . Organizational Structure

Section 1. Superregional Organizations

RSAI comprises superregional associations which, in turn, comprise affiliated local sections/associations (see Section 2 of this Article). The superregional associations and their sections are specified in By-law 1 of this Constitution.

Superregional organizations shall actively promote the establishment of affiliated sections/ associations within their territory of responsibility.

Superregional organizations, in addition to promoting their own branding and that of their member sections, also promote the branding of RSAI (See By-law 2 of this Constitution).

Section 2. Affiliated Sections/Associations

1. Definition. An affiliated section/association of RSAI shall consist of a grouping of regional scientists defined on a geographic, language, or cultural basis who desire to organize scholarly meetings, publications, and other activities that contribute to the advancement of regional science.
2. Recognition of Existing Sections. RSAI shall recognize all existing, approved sections of the Regional Science Association which, individually or through an arrangement with a superregional organization to which they belong, participate in the universal membership of RSAI and thus contribute an annual capitation fee.
3. Creation and Recognition of New Sections/Associations. Any additional group of regional scientists meeting the criteria specified in Section 2a may propose to organize an affiliated section/asso­ciation by adopting a constitution for consideration and approval by RSAI. Sections/associations located within the territory commonly associated with one of the superregional organizations specified in Section 1 of this Article shall seek approval through the procedures specified by that organization. Applicant sections/associations not located within any such territory shall seek recognition through RSAI Council (a body defined in Article V, Section I). The approving body (the superregional organization or International Council) shall take care to approve names which will not unnecessarily preclude the future formation of affiliated sections/associations with related interests.
4. Articulation of Membership. Membership in an affiliated section/association does not, in all cases, grant membership rights in RSAI. Affiliated sections/asso­cia­tions that do not make membership in RSAI a criterion for membership in the section/association shall actively encourage voluntary membership in RSAI according to the provisions of Article III, Section I of this Constitution.

Section 3. Limitation of Liability

RSAI and its officers shall not be liable for the debts, contracts, and other obligations of superregional organizations or affiliated sections/associations. 

Article V. Administration

Section 1. Council

RSAI shall be administered by a Council consisting of nineteen (19) voting members; this number shall include voting officers. The voting members of the Council and the election rules of the RSAI Council members and officers are specified in By-law 3 of the Constitution.

Section 2. Duties of the Council

RSAI Council shall take a global view of the objectives of the Association set out in Article II. Once appointed or elected, each member of the Council shall represent the best interests of the regional science community throughout the world rather than those exclusive to any world region, including that in which the member is normally resident. The Council shall actively encourage the institutionalization of regional science throughout the world.

Section 3. Officers

1. President. The President of RSAI represents the Association and is responsible for its business. The President is a regular, voting, and working member of the Council. The presidency is not a ceremonial position. The President shall serve a two-year term of office, succeeding to the position immediately upon completion of a term of office as Vice-President and President-Elect. The President shall provide active and aggressive leadership in the areas of program and policy development. During the initial year of implementation of this Constitution, the existing President of the Regional Science Association shall assume the duties of President of RSAI and shall subsequently succeed to the position of Immediate Past-President, as specified in paragraph c below.
2. Vice-President and President-Elect. The President-Elect of RSAI acts as the Vice President. He/she is a regular, voting, and working member of the Council. The President-Elect shall serve a one-year term of office, which shall be followed immediately by a two-year term as President. The Vice-President and President-Elect shall act for the President in the President's absence.
3. Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President shall serve a two year term of office, normally succeeding to the position immediately upon completion of the term of office as President. The Immediate Past President shall act for the President in the President's absence, there being no Vice-President and President-Elect in years in which this office shall be filled. Unless the Immediate Past President shall be serving, during the term of office, an unexpired term as a regular member of the Council, the Immediate Past President shall be considered an ex officio, nonvoting member of Council.
4. Executive Director. The Executive Director shall serve a three-year term of office. He/she shall be the chief executive officer in charge of setting and managing programs. The Executive Director shall be the chief operating officer in charge of implementing the policies of the Council, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Association and establishing contacts with new regional science organizations throughout the world. The duties of the Executive Director shall encompass those normally associated with the positions of Secretary but would have joint authority with the Treasurer for the finances of the RSAI and issuing cheques to cover the Association's operating expenses and the preparation of a financial statement to be submitted, by March 31 of each year, to the Council’s standing Finance Committee, in charge of financial planning and budgeting. The Executive Director shall oversee the production  and distribution of a newsletter to the membership, shall maintain the roll of members and the association’s web site, shall oversee the collection of annual dues and the conduct of elections, and shall serve as international conference coordinator, keeping a calendar of regional science meetings and events throughout the world, providing advice on their scheduling, and monitoring the dates of other meetings so as to minimize scheduling conflicts. The Executive Director shall also have responsibility, as designated by the Council, for the organization and operation of the World Congresses of the Association.
5. Other officers and ex officio, nonvoting members of the Council. The Council may appoint additional officers, such as an Archivist, a Publications Coordinator, and Editors of the journals of RSAI as it deems appropriate. Individuals holding such positions shall be considered officers of the Association and ex officio, nonvoting members of the Council. The terms of office for such positions shall be specified by the Council.

Section 4. Long Range Planning Committe 

The Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) shall provide advice, as requested, to the President and the Council on issues relating to the strategic development of regional science and the affairs of RSAI. The membership of the Long Range Planning Committee comprises the Past Presidents of RSAI, plus two members of the Council, appointed by the Council, who are voting members of the LRPC. The appointed members are part of the LRPC as long as they are members of the Council. When their term as members of the Council expires, their role in the LRPC also ends. The Council immediately elects a new member.

Section 5. Sub-Committees of the Council

The Council may from time to time establish Sub-Committees to perform specific functions as determined by Council. One Sub-Committee to be established by the Council is the Finance Committee comprising the President, the Immediate Past President and/or the President Elect, the Executive Director, the Treasurer (a non-voting member), and two Council voting members chosen by the Council to serve for a period of two years. The Finance Committee elects a Chair, who regularly reports to the RSAI Council. Financial Accounts are checked once a year, before the external audit of the accounts, by an internal Audit Committee, comprising two Council members who are not members of the Financial Committee, appointed by the Council, and are appointed for a period of three years.

Section 6. Term of Office for Council Members

1. Standard term. Except as otherwise provided for in this Constitution, the standard term of office for members of the Council shall be three years. All Council terms and terms of officers shall normally commence on January 1 and end on December 31.
2. Limitation on consecutive terms. Normally, no person shall serve more than two consecutive terms or a total of six years on the Council. Persons appointed to fill uncompleted or other special terms shall be considered to have served a full term on the Council if such a term shall be for more than twelve (12) full months in duration. Persons elected to be President or Executive Director may serve more than 6 years on the Council (but no more than 9 years).

Section 7. Uncompleted Terms of Office

In the event that voting positions of the Council become available through death, resignation, or other reasons, they may be refilled following the procedures as specified below:

1. Council member appointed by a superregional organization. If the position is one which was occupied by a member appointed by a superregional organization, that organization shall have the option of appointing a replacement to: (a) complete the unexpired portion of the term, (b) serve a full three-year term of office, or (c) serve a special term of office of less than three-year duration. In choosing from among these options the organization shall be requested to select that most consistent with the desirable staggering of the terms of office for its three Council positions
2. Council member elected at-large. If the position is one which was occupied by a member elected at-large, unless the position shall then become encumbered through the provisions of Article V, Section 5, the Council shall have the option of selecting a replacement to (a) complete the unexpired portion of the term, (b) serve a full three-year term of office, or (c) serve a special term of office of less than three-years duration. The regular election schedules shall be followed when replacing councilors who are not officers. In choosing among these three options, Council shall select that most consistent with the desirable staggering of terms of office for the Council positions filled by election at-large
3. Vice-President and President-Elect. If the position is that of Vice-President and President-Elect, the Council shall initiate steps to fill the vacancy in a timely fashion through a special election. The new Vice-President and President-Elect shall take office immediately upon certification of election results and shall succeed to the office of President on January 1 of the year following the initiation of the special election. If necessary to ensure continuous occupancy of the presidency, the current President of the Association shall remain in office until replaced by the new Vice-President and President-Elect. If the current President is unable or unwilling to agree to such extension of term of office, the Council shall appoint an Acting President from among its current membership.
4. President. If the position is that of President, the Immediate Past President shall serve as Acting President during the first year of the presidential term and the Vice-President and President-Elect shall succeed to the Presidency during the second year of the uncompleted term. The regular two-year term of office as President to which the Vice-President and President-Elect was elected to succeed shall remain unchanged.
5. Executive Director. If the position is that of Executive Director, the position shall be filled by the Council following regular procedures. The President shall carry out the duties of Executive Director until a replacement assumes office.
6. Immediate Past President. If the position is that of Immediate Past President, the Executive Director shall perform the duties of Immediate Past President.

Section 8. Quorum

If the number of voting Council members at any meeting of the Council is less than 50 percent of the total voting membership of the Council any decisions taken shall not be considered final until they have been:

1. submitted by the Executive Director to the full Council in written form and approved by ballot, or
2. formally voted upon at the next meeting of the Council at which a quorum is present.

Article VI. Meetings

Section 1. International Meetings of the Association

Regular European, North American (from 2008 The Americas), and Pacific meetings of the Association shall be held under the direction of the respective superregional organizations. In addition, World Congresses may be held periodically with arrangements to be specified by the Council.

Section 2. Council Meetings

The Council normally shall meet in conjunction with each of the three regular, major meetings of the Association and with each World Congress. Additional meetings of the Council may be called, in exceptional circumstances, by the President. Attendance at meetings of the Council shall be open only to its members and other individuals expressly invited by the President.

At the discretion of the President, other meetings of the Council may be held through teleconferencing to deal with a matter of urgency.

Article VII – By-laws

The names of superregional associations, the rules for the elections of the President, the Executive Director and the members of the RSAI Council are specified in by-laws. Moreover, by-laws regulate: i) the branding of RSAI by the three superregional associations and by all local associations, and ii) the role of specific Committees. Amendments to the by-laws may be proposed by any member of Regional Science Association International Council and shall be adopted upon affirmative vote of the majority of the Council.

Article VIII. Amendments to This Constitution

Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed either by action of the Council or by petition of at least 50 active members of the Association and shall be adopted upon affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members voting. Such voting shall take place by mail ballot

Article IX. Dissolution

If the members resolve to dissolve the organization the Committee and Trustees of the Charity will remain in office as Charity trustees and be responsible for winding up the affairs of the organization and the Charity in accordance with this clause.  The Trustees will collect in all the assets of the charity and must pay, or make provision, for all the liabilities of the charity. The Trustees must apply any remaining property or money:

1. directly for the objects of the Charity
2. by transfer to any charity or charities for purposes the same as or similar to the Charity
3. in such other manner as the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales (‘the Commission’) may approve in writing in advance.

The members may pass a resolution before or at the same time as the resolution to dissolve the organization and the Charity specifying the manner in which the Trustees are to apply the remaining property or assets of the Charity and the Trustees must comply with the resolution if it is consistent with paragraphs a-c above.

In no circumstances shall the net assets of the Organization and Charity be paid to or distributed among the members of the Organization or Charity

The trustees of the Charity must notify the Commission promptly that the charity has been dissolved. If the Trustees are obliged to send the Charity’s accounts to the Commission for the accounting period which ended before its dissolution they must send to the Commission the Charity’s final accounts.

The Regional Science Association was organized in December 1954 at the annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations in Detroit, Michigan. The founder of the association was Walter Isard, who served as chairman in the formative years. In 1957 elections were held for the first time. The following is a list of persons who held the office of President, the term and the scholarly field of the president, generally defined as the field of their highest degree.

Presidents, Terms & Fields

Hiroyuki Shibusawsa  2025-2026, Urban and Regional Economic System (VP2024)

Hans Westlund Sweden, 2023-2024, Urban and Regional Studies (VP 2022)

Eduardo Haddad Brazil, 2021-22, Economics (VP 2020)

Mark Partridge USA, 2019-20, Economics  (VP 2018)

Budy Resosudarmo Indonesia/Australia, 2017-18, Economics (Jacques Poot, VP 2016)

Andrés Rodríguez-Pose Spain/UK, 2015-16, Geography (VP 2014)

Jean-Claude Thill Belgium/USA, 2013-14, Public Policy  (VP, 2012)

Yoshiro Higano Japan, 2011-12, Environmental Science  (VP 2010)

Roberta Capello Italy, 2009-10,Regional Economics  (VP 2008)

Roger R. Stough USA, 2007-08, Geography and  Environmental Engineering  (VP 2006)

Robert J. Stimson Australia, 2005-06, Geography  (VP 2004)

Antoine Bailly France/Switzerland, 2003-04, Geography  (VP 2002)

Geoffrey J.D. Hewings UK/ USA, 2001-02, Geography  (VP 2000)

Hirotada Kohno Japan, 1999-00, Economics (VP 1998)

Peter Batey UK, 1997-98, Regional Planning (VP 1996)

Kingsley E. Haynes USA, 1995-96, Geography (VP 1994)

Lay Gibson USA, 1993-94, Geography (VP 1992)

Peter Nijkamp Netherlands, 1991-92, Economics (VP 1990)

In 1989, the Regional Science Association was reorganized as the Regional Science Association International. Beginning in 1991, Presidents serve two-year terms.

The main objectives of the Association are the fostering of exchange of ideas and the promotion of studies focusing on the region, including the utilization of tools, methods and theoretical frameworks, specifically designed for regional analysis as well as concept, procedures and analytical techniques of the various social and other sciences. These objectives are supported through the acquaintance and discussion among its members and with scholars in related fields, by the encouragement of publication of scholarly studies and by performing services to aid the advancement of its members and the field of regional science. Minutes of the RSAI meetings are in pdf format for your convenience.

RSAI Minutes

Select the appropriate minutes to open the PDF file in a new window:

An interdisciplinary, international organization focusing on understanding the growth and development of urban, regional, and international systems.

Ex-officio

Immediate Past President

Hans Westlund

Treasurer

Serena Serrano

Financial Officer

Elisabete Martins

Archivist

David E. Boyce

Peter Batey

Editors 'Papers in Regional Science':

Editor in Chief: Rosella Nicolini 

Editors 'Regional Science Policy & Practice':

Editor in Chief: Andrea Caragliu 

U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau mission is to be the preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States.

The Regional Science Association was founded in 1954 to provide intellectual leadership in the study of social, economic, political and behavioural phenomena with a spatial dimension. Consequently, the Association brings together scholars from a large number of fields, including economics, geography, urban and regional planning, civil engineering, sociology, finance and political science. Members are found in academic institutions, in government, in consulting organizations and a variety of private firms. In 1990, the Association changed its organizational structure to better reflect the growth and development of the field; the Regional Science Association International now serves as an umbrella organization overseeing three major superregional organizations in North America, Europe and the Pacific.

The main objectives of the Association are the fostering of exchange of ideas and the promotion of studies focusing on the region, including the utilization of tools, methods and theoretical frameworks, specifically designed for regional analysis as well as concept, procedures and analytical techniques of the various social and other sciences. These objectives are supported through the acquaintance and discussion among its members and with scholars in related fields, by the encouragement of publication of scholarly studies and by performing services to aid the advancement of its members and the field of regional science. For more information contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Traditionally, the RSAI honoured its leading members through their election to the office of President. This practice changed in 1990, when the President became principally a leadership position in the Association. In 1978, the Association honoured its founder, Professor Walter Isard, by establishing the Founder's Medal. Today, this award remains the only honour conveyed by the Association as a whole, although its three supraregional organizations have established annual awards.

The Founder's Medal was established to recognize lifetime contributions to the field of Regional Science and to the Association. The criteria established for the award are as follows:

• The recipient should be a senior scholar who has contributed in an important way to the field of Regional Science in a scholarly sense;
• The recipient should have been active in the RSAI for a sustained period, but not necessarily active at the time of the award; also, the award is not given posthumously;
• The recipient should be a person with whom many members can identify; his/her contributions could be a major work in one area or many works in several areas;
• The contribution need not be limited to one type of contribution; it might be theory, method or policy, for example;
• It is recognized that the native country and language of scholars affect the extent to which they are known by the membership, and an effort should be made to take this into account.

The recipients of the Founder's Medal:

1. Walter Isard, Professor of Economics, Regional Science and Peace Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; in 1979, Professor Isard became Professor of Economics (Regional Science and Peace Science), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; awarded in 1978 at the North American Meetings, Chicago.

2. Martin J. Beckmann, Professor of Economics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA, and Professor of Applied Mathematics (Operations Research), Technical University, Munich, Germany; awarded in 1983 at the North American Meetings, Chicago.

3. William Alonso, Saltonstall Professor of Population Policy, Center for Population Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; awarded in 1991 at the North American Meetings, New Orleans (deceased, 1999).

4. Jean H. P. Paelinck, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Rotterdam School of Economics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; awarded in 1996 at the World Congress, Tokyo.

5. David E. Boyce, Professor of Transportation and Regional Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; awarded in 2000 at the World Congress, Lugano.

6. Peter Nijkamp, Chair and Professor of Regional and Urban Economics and Economic Geography, Free University, Amsterdam, and President of the governing board of the Netherlands Research Council; awarded in 2004 at the World Congress, Port Elizabeth.

7. Antoine Bailly, Born in 1944, Antoine Bailly is professor emeritus of economic geography at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He is the president of the IGU Applied Geography Commission, of the Scientific Committee of the INRA PSDR (France) and of the Forum Sante Gesundheit (Switzerland). He was presented with the Founder's medal at ERSA conference Liverpool, August 2008. 

8. Arthur Getis is a Distinguished Professor of Geography, Emeritus, at San Diego State University. He holds BS and MS degrees in Geography from The Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Washington, and his areas of research include spatial statistics, pattern analysis, urban geography, disease and crime clustering, and geographic information sciences. He was presented with the Founder's medal at the 9th World Congress in Timisoara, Romania, May 2012.

9. Manfred M. Fischer is Chair Professor of Economic Geography at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He was co-founder of the prominent interdisciplinary journal Geographical Systems (Gordon & Breach) and is now editor-in-chief of its successor, the Journal of Geographical Systems (Springer), and is a member of the editorial boards of several other peer-reviewed journals. He also co-founded the Springer book series, Advances in Spatial Science, and served for eight years as Chair of the IGU Commission on Mathematical Models. He was presented with the Founder's medal at the 56th ERSA Congress in Vienna, Austria, August 2016.

10. Geoffrey Hewings was the founding Director of REAL and served in this position until August 2016. He obtained a B.A. from the University of Birmingham (UK) and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington (Seattle). Prior to coming to Illinois in 1974, he was on the faculty of the University of Kent at Canterbury (UK) and the University of Toronto (Canada). He is also a recipient of the Fulbright and the Woodrow Wilson awards and, in 2003, he has also been nominated Fellow of the Regional Science Association International. He is also Fellow of the International Input-Output Association (since 2010) and the Western Regional Science Association (also since 2010). Geoffrey has also served as President of the North American Regional Science Council, the Regional Science Association. He was presented with the Founder's medal in 2020.

11. Jacques Thisse a Fellow of the Econometric Society, of the Regional Science Association International and of the Centre for Economic Policy Research, is professor Emeritus of economics and regional science at the Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and a member of CORE. He has published over 150 articles in different international journals (Econometrica, American Economic Review, Journal of Economic Theory, Operations Research, etc) and in different disciplines such as industrial economics, spatial economics, international economics and management science. He is the co-author of Discrete Choice Theory of Product differentiation and of Economics of Agglomeration. He is particularly interested in product differentiation, heterogeneous consumers and firms in various types of market structure and spatial settings, as well as in the spatial organization of economic activities. He has been a Visiting Invited Professor in many departments, most recently at Columbia economics department and has received many prestigious awards, amongst which the Solvay price of the Belgian Science foundation in 2006.