| | | | Establishment of an Association  The American Academy of Ophthalmology was originally founded as the Western Ophthalmological, Otological, Laryngological, and Rhinological Association in 1896. Treatment of the eye was generally linked at that time with the treatment of the ear, nose and throat. Therefore, Dr. Hal Foster invited both ophthalmologists and otolaryngologists from the central and southern parts of the United States to participate in the first meeting held in Kansas City. The meeting lasted for two days and included a program of scientific papers.
The new association grew quickly and in 1898 changed its name to the Western Ophthalmic and Oto-Laryngologic Association. Membership to the Association was still drawn primarily from western states and the south due to numerous similar groups in New England.
Over the next four years membership continued to grow, and the Association acquired a broader base and scope. In 1903 the constitution was changed to allow membership from all over the United States and the Association adopted the more universal name of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Oto-laryngology (AAOO).
In 1973 the AAOO began to consider splitting into two associations, one strictly for ophthalmologists and one for otolaryngologists. Among other reasons, the size of the combined association made it difficult to hold joint meetings. Separation was approved by the membership in 1978 and the AAOO formally dissolved as a single corporation in April 1979.
The result of this separation was two new organizations, one of which is today’s American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), headquartered in San Francisco, California. The other organization is the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
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