"Our mission is to preserve and make known the history of modern physics and allied fields including astronomy, geophysics, optics, and the like. The history of a community offers invaluable guidance. It shows what has worked well in the past, and what has not; it tells us what we are like, and how we became that way. History not only aids the physics profession in its work, but attacks misconceptions that the public holds about the nature of the scientific endeavor. Myths can be put to rest only by facts and informed analysis. Recognizing the pressing need for reliable history, in 1961 the American Institute of Physics established a Center for History of Physics. It is located in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland."