History
The History of the ASRS
The Vitreous Society was founded in 1982 by Jerald A. Bovino, MD, Roy A. Levit, MD, and Allen Z. Verne, MD with the idea of an open, egalitarian society that would promote camaraderie among retina specialists and free exchange of information. It was founded on a philosophy that encompasses 5 attributes: inclusiveness, education, research, fellowship, and service. The first meeting of the Society was held in Palm Springs, CA in 1983 and was attended by 44 charter members. In 2002, the name changed to The American Society of Retina Specialists. Currently, there are over 2400 members representing the United States and over 55 countries.
Read more about our history and the founding of the ASRS as told by founder Jerald A. Bovino, MD
ASRS Timeline
Read about important dates in the history of the Society below.
| 1982 | The idea for the Vitreous Society |
| 1983 | First annual meeting in Palm Springs, California |
| 1985 | First international member joins The Vitreous Society |
| 1988 | Publication requirement for membership dropped |
| 1989 | Hurricane Hugo strikes St Thomas USVI, forcing last minute relocation of annual meeting to Disney World in Orlando, FL |
| 1990 | First Vitreous Society News was published |
| 1991 | First international meeting was held in Paris, France |
| 1993 | First open board debate of board of directors structure and direction |
| 1995 | The Retina Research Foundation transfer administration of the W. H. Helmerich III Award and Lecture to The Vitreous Society |
| Founders Award conceived | |
| Awards committee formed | |
| Board of Directors restructured and Emeritus Director positions established | |
| 1996 | 14th annual meeting held aboard Alaskan cruise ship |
| The Vitreous Society Web site goes live | |
| 1997 | The ListServ goes live |
| 1998 | The Vitreous Society Foundation established |
| Club VR established | |
| 1999 | Rome meeting extravaganza |
| First PAT Survey | |
| 2001 | The events of September 11, 2001 impact the Puerto Rico meeting |
| 2002 | The Vitreous Society and the Retina Society cooperate in the “Retina Congress” in San Francisco |
| The Vitreous Society Times debuts | |
| The Vitreous Society name changes to the American Society of Retina Specialists | |
| 2003 | A blackout threatens the 2003 New York Meeting |
| First Fellow-in-Training Member inducted | |
| 2005 | The first Masters Meeting |
| 2006 | The ASRS and the EVRS cooperate in the “Cannes Retina Festival” |
| 2010 | ASRS headquarters relocates from Chico, CA to Chicago, IL |