News from the AOA's Blog

Irving Bennett, O.D., highlights an example of the gems that can be found in the Archives and Museum of Optometry.

The very first concerted attempt to increase optometry’s scope of practice occurred in 1937 in Pennsylvania. Yes, 1937, some 39 years before the state of West Virginia passed its therapeutic pharmaceutical agent law and 34 years before the state of Rhode Island passed its diagnostic pharmaceutical agent legislation.

The effort in 1937 was headed by Albert Fitch, the founder and first president of the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry, later named the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Fitch was a forceful, dynamic and enthusiastic advocate for extended privileges for optometrists and, according to many of his contemporaries, the most outstanding visionary for the profession of optometry. Fitch was inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in 2000. Read the rest of this entry ?

 As the new year is fast approaching and you begin to determine how you will allocate your end-of-year giving, include Optometry Cares – Your AOA Foundation on the list of organizations to support. Build upon the AOA staff’s generous contributions, who through its annual workplace giving campaign have already pledged nearly $11,000.

Check your mailbox, return the pledge form or visit www.aoafoundation.org to show You Care!

Through your generous donations, Optometry Cares can continue to expand access to eye health and vision care to everyone in the United States in order to enhance human performance and quality of life.

 Nominations are still being accepted for Class of 2011 inductions into the National Optometry Hall of Fame.

The deadline for this year’s consideration is Dec. 31, 2010.

Nominations should include a statement in support of the nominee’s qualifications, letters of support and an overview of the individual’s career-long contributions to the profession.

Nominations may be e-mailed to Foundation@aoa.org or mailed to National Optometry Hall of Fame, 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., First Floor, St. Louis, MO, 63141.