diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..74a7a24288
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+Eddie Hebert
+fawce
+Thomas Wiecki
+Stephen Diehl
+scottsanderson
+Scott Sanderson
+Richard Frank
+Jonathan Kamens
+twiecki
+Joe Jevnik
+Delaney Granizo-Mackenzie
+Tobias Brandt
+Ben McCann
+John Ricklefs
+Jenkins T. Quantopian, III
+Jeremiah Lowin
+jbredeche
+Brian Fink
+David Edwards
+Matti Hanninen
+Ryan Day
+llllllllll
+David Stephens
+Tim
+Dale Jung
+Jamie Kirkpatrick
+Jean Bredeche
+Wes McKinney
+jikamens
+Aidan
+Colin Alexander
+Elektra58
+Jason Kölker
+Jeremi Joslin
+Luke Schiefelbein
+Martin Dengler
+Mete Atamel
+Michael Schatzow
+Moises Trovo
+Nicholas Pezolano
+Pankaj Garg
+Paolo Bernardi
+Peter Cawthron
+Philipp Kosel
+Suminda Dharmasena
+The Gitter Badger
+Tony Lambiris
+Tony Worm
+stanh
diff --git a/etc/create_authors_file.sh b/etc/create_authors_file.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..97e98975a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/create_authors_file.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+git shortlog -ns master | awk '$1 >= $THRESHOLD {$1="";print $0}' | \
+    cut -d" " -f2- > AUTHORS