The AOS awards Life Membership to a small number of members who have made sustained contributions to optics throughout their career.

Life Members are as follows, with the year in which award was made:

• Prof. Ross McPhedran, 2016
• Prof. Jim Piper (1947-2023), 2016
• Prof. Brian Orr, 2016
• Prof. John Love (1942 – 2016), 2009
• Prof. Anthony Klein, 2001
• Prof. Emil Wolf (1922 – 2018), 2000
• Dr Parameswaran (Hari) Hariharan (1926 -  2015), 1994
• Dr W. H. (Beattie) Steel (1920 - 2004)
  
• Prof. Ben Gascoigne (1915-2010)