A Golden Time

If you were not already in the know, now you are: the American Society of Dermatopathology is nearing 50. As a human, reaching the half-century mark can be a special yet thought-provoking event – I’m acutely aware, having crossed the threshold within the last two years. At 50, it is natural for an individual to contemplate mortality, as at that moment virtually all of us are closer to the coffin than the crib. It is generally a time when one’s career has matured. The recompense of a professional livelihood can be savored and enjoyed. On the down side, at least in the United States, an inevitable reminder of elderliness arrives in the mail in the form of a membership card for the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), a lobbying organization for the aged and retired. The aging of an organization differs distinctly from the aging of an individual. It is strictly a time for celebration. There is no need to think of mortality at all. An organization may have matured, but through a long lens its middle age can still be viewed as its infancy. On the up side, the AARP does not call. From whence did we arise? The original group of nine, all members of the Committee on Pathology of the American Academy of Dermatology, first met with interested colleagues to organize a society exclusively for dermatopathology on December 2, 1962. The nine and selected others became the founding members. During 1963, other interested persons were added as charter members. The original nine blossomed into 45 attendees during the first annual meeting, which was held on a Tuesday evening during the 1963 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. Where have we gone? We have become the dominant organization shepherding the interests of the discipline of dermatopathology. From nine, we have become more than a thousand. After a decade as a Society, circumstances were such that a peer-reviewed journal dedicated exclusively to the Society’s scientific interests could be established, and that represented the birth of our beloved Journal of Cutaneous Pathology. The JCP is nearing its 39th volume of publication and will effectively turn 40 as the Society reaches half a century. The earliest Journal manuscripts were received in 1973 and the first volume was mailed in February, 1974. The first issue was created under the guidance of the Journal’s first Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Leopold Montes. The first paper published in the JCP was a brief history of dermatopathology, as it developed within the broader scope of dermatology, penned by Dr. Herman Beerman (1). The content of early volumes included a heavy emphasis on ultrastructural assessment (2,3). Much like the current JCP, there was also a mix of interesting cases, case series, and correspondence. Even in the seminal pages, manuscripts articulated the use of precise histomorphology with recognition of variations that can be seen in a broader spectrum, as exemplified by an early review of the histopathology of dermatofibroma/fibrous histiocytoma (4). Curiously, metastatic lesions, including an early report of metastatic thyroid carcinoma, were as captivating then as now (5–7). Content in early issues of the Journal was supplied in balanced fashion by both dermatologists and pathologists (4,5). Our celebratory year will begin a year from now with our 49th Annual Meeting. During our 48th Annual Meeting next month in Seattle, the groundwork for the festival year should be laid. It is my goal to have the JCP as a centerpiece in the revelry. A manuscript regarding our fine history is de rigueur, and our Society historian, Curtis Thompson, has been charged with producing this dissertation. Our finest statesmen and stateswomen will be encouraged to contribute short pieces regarding themes such as What Dermatopathology Has Meant to Me or My Biggest Contribution. Old volumes of the JCP hold a treasure trove of landmark articles, some of which may have been overlooked by younger colleagues. To reintroduce such manuscripts to a modern audience with matched commentary, a monthly segment of The JCP’s Greatest Hits will run during the celebratory year. Since the onset of my editorship, I have been searching for a way to squeeze