The AACR recognized the importance of cultivating the next generation of cancer researchers by establishing the Associate Member category of membership in 1988. The Board of Directors further sought to initiate an ongoing dialogue between Associate members and the AACR leadership to ensure that the current and future professional needs of early-career scientists would be met. The Associate Member Council was thus established by AACR President Dr. Lee W. Wattenberg in 1993 to serve as a link between the Board and Associate members, and to contribute to the development of AACR programs in a substantive way. 

Over the ensuing three years, the AACR sought nominations for positions on the newly formed Council and worked to develop a mission and goals. In 1996, the first Council took office, and was led by Co-Chairpersons, Dr. John Alton Copland of the University of Texas Medical Branch and Dr. Christopher P. Evans of the University of California, Davis. Dr. Copland's leadership was instrumental in the Council receiving the support of its charter sponsor, Aflac, Incorporated of Columbus, Georgia. Aflac, Inc. continues to lend its generous support to the AACR Associate membership through its ongoing commitment to the Associate Member Council and through the AACR-Aflac Scholar Travel Awards. Aflac is a unique company, which holds the distinction of offering one of the first cancer expense insurance policies in the world. Additional support for Associate Member Council programs has been generously given by the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation of America.

1996-1997 John Alton Copland, III, Chairperson Christopher P. Evans, Co-Chairperson Naomi S. Balzer-Haas Farayi G. Jiah Ajay K. Kakkar K. Sean Kimbro Karen S. Whittal Philip A. Witman 1997-1998 John Alton Copland, III, Co-Chairperson Christopher P. Evans, Co-Chairperson Karen S. Strange (née Whittal), Secretary Naomi S. Haas Farayi G. Jiah Ajay K. Kakkar K. Sean Kimbro Katrina L. Mealey Bryon E. Petersen Bruce C. Turner Christopher G. Wood 1998-1999 Wayne L. Monsky, Chairperson Katrina L. Mealey, Vice-Chairperson Roland S. Cooper John Alton Copland III Steven J. DiBiase Farayi G. Jiah Ajay K. Kakkar Bryon E. Petersen Luz Maria Rodriguez Karen S. Strange Bruce C. Turner Christopher G. Wood 1999-2000 Bryon E. Petersen, Chairperson Steven J. DiBiase, Vice-Chairperson Janeen R. Azare Christopher J. Barnes Roland S. Cooper Katrina L. Mealey Wayne L. Monsky Sharyl J. Nass Luz Maria Rodriguez Bruce C. Turner Christopher G. Wood Aroon Yusuf 2000-2001 Steven J. DiBiase, Chairperson Christopher J. Barnes, Chairperson-elect Bryon E. Petersen, Past Chairperson Janeen R. Azare Roland S. Cooper (resigned) Monica G. Marcu Lisa Joy McCawley Wayne L. Monsky Sharyl J. Nass Arti C. Patel Luz Maria Rodriguez Cynthia J. Wetmore Aroon Yusuf 2001-2002 Christopher J. Barnes, Chairperson Cynthia J. Wetmore, Chairperson-Elect Steven J. DiBiase, Past Chairperson Janeen R. Azare Cheryl H. Baker Monique L. den Boer Monica G. Marcu Lisa Joy McCawley Sharyl J. Nass Arti C. Patel Jean-Philippe Spano Bret Taback Aroon Yusuf 2002-2003 Cynthia Wetmore, Chairperson Arti C. Patel, Chairperson-Elect Christopher J. Barnes, Past-Chairperson Cheryl H. Baker Cherie L. Butts Monique L. den Boer Monica G. Marcu J. Terry Lim Lisa Joy McCawley Emily Anne Partridge Douglas J. Rowland, Jr. Jean-Philippe Spano Bret Taback

2003-2004 Arti C. Patel, Chairperson Cheryl H. Baker, Chairperson-elect Cynthia Wetmore, Past Chairperson Cherie L. Butts Monique L. den Boer Troy A. Giambernardi J. Terry Lim Susan E. Olivo Emily Anne Partridge Kim Robien Douglas J. Rowland, Jr. Uzma S. Shah Jean-Philippe Spano Bret Taback 2004-2005 Cheryl H. Baker, Chairperson Troy A. Giambernardi, Chairperson-elect Arti C. Patel, Past Chairperson Cherie L. Butts Donna Hansel J. Terry Lim Jeffrey P. MacKeigan Susan E Olivo-Marston Vu H. Nguyen Emily Anne Partridge Kim Robien Douglas J. Rowland, Jr. Uzma S. Shah Rohini Sharma 2005-2006 Troy A. Giambernardi, Chairperson Donna Hansel, Chairperson-elect Cheryl H. Baker, Past Chairperson Marc T. Abrams Doru T. Alexandrescu Jeffrey P. MacKeigan Susan E. Olivo-Marston Vu H. Nguyen Kim Robien Uzma S. Shah Rohini Sharma Steven C. Smith Yunguang Tong 2006-2007 Donna Hansel, Chairperson Jeffrey P. MacKeigan, Chairperson-Elect Marc T. Abrams Doru T. Alexandrescu Kimberly A. Brown Jessica M. Faupel-Badger Chi-Chen Hong Christoph Mamot Vu H. Nguyen Rohini Sharma Steven C. Smith Yunguang Tong 2007-2008 Jeffrey P. MacKeigan, Chairperson Jessica M. Faupel-Badger, Chairperson-Elect Donna Hansel, Past Chairperson Marc T. Abrams Jacobus J. Bosch Brandi C. Brandon Kimberly A. Brown Chi-Chen Hong Julia Kirshner (resigned) Christoph Mamot Steven C. Smith Yunguang Tong Krista A. Zanetti 2008-2009 Jessica M. Faupel-Badger, Chairperson Kimberly A. Brown, Chairperson-Elect Jeffrey P. MacKeigan, Past Chairperson Brian D. Adams Jacobus J. Bosch Brandi C. Brandon Knight Aime F. Franco Chi-Chen Hong Julia Kirshner (resigned) James G. Jackson Jose A. Karam Christoph Mamot April A.N. Rose Krista A. Zanetti 2009-2010 Kimberly Brown Dahlman, Chairperson Krista A. Zanetti, Chairperson-Elect Jessica M. Faupel-Badger, Past Chairperson Brian D. Adams Angela Alexander Jennifer M. Bailey Lundberg Jacobus J. Bosch Vijayvel Jayaprakash Brandi Brandon Knight Aime F. Franco James G. Jackson Jose A. Karam Freddy T. Nguyen April A.N. Rose (resigned) Paul M. Weinberger