Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology—50Th Year

Abstract

This spring the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) will celebrate its 50th anniversary. The formal celebration will take place during the Annual Spring Meeting at Sarasota, Florida, from April 30 to May 5. More than 1,500 clinical and basic scientists interested in one or another facet of visual science will gather to hear more than 900 scientific papers and presentations. What a far cry from the inception and inital years of the Association. Founded in 1928 by Conrad Berens, M.D., a prominent New York clinician interested in the scientific basis of ophthalmology, the Association was originally called the Association for Research in Ophthalmology (ARO). Initially, the membership was small, composed exclusively of ophthalmologists, only a few of whom had scientific expertise. The first few meetings lasted a half a day each and were an extension of the American Medical Association meetings. The scientific program dealt with assigned topics and discussion was limited. The meetings accurately reflected the limited scope of ophthalmic science in the United States. On a number of occasions doubts were raised about the viability of the Association. Nonetheless, Dr. Berens and a small coterie of colleagues struggled to enlarge the scope of the Association and increase its membership. Little was accomplished until the termination of World War II. The war had spurred research efforts in many directions including the visual sciences, and this impetus was sustained and magnified in the succeeding decade. Thus a larger group of individuals was available to join ARO and provide a firm scientific base for its efforts. Without question the growth and vitality of the Association accurately reflected the marked interest in the scientific aspects of visual science and the explosive increase in manpower and institutions involved in studying the ocular apparatus in health and disease.