The American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC) was founded October 1, 1993, as a national learned society for the scholarly field of teaching and curriculum. Although many universities had established departments of teaching and curriculum before the end of the 19th century, the scholarly field of curriculum and instruction was not represented in the transformation of U.S. scholarship that began during that same period. [Page 27]Thus, AATC founders John A. Laska and O. L. Davis Jr., both professors at the University of Texas at Austin at the time, sought to create a professional organization to promote the idea of the scholarly study of instruction and curriculum development at all levels of education.