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James G. Ravin, MD; Ronald S. Fishman, MD

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Americans live in the present but love the future. We anticipate, foresee, and prognosticate. This reflects our optimism and belief in progress, arguably the most progressive aspects of science. The fact that the future is largely unknowable does not stop us. The past, on the other hand, is knowable, at least in part, but can be a slippery thing in itself, prone to selective memory and the attitude of the historian.

Medical specialties differ in the attention they give to their past. Neurology and psychiatry have done particularly well at it, and even anesthesiology and urology have created their own historical societies. Since 1988, American ophthalmology has had its own history group. It was founded by David Cogan, MD (1908-1993), Editor-in-Chief of the Archives from 1960 through 1966. He was anticipating the centennial celebration of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 1996 . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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