ifty years ago, a small society of professionals in the field of aging had a vision: to create an organization that would support the commitment and enhance the knowledge and skills of those who seek to improve the quality of lives of older adults and their families. They called themselves the Western Gerontological Society.

Today that organization, now called the American Society on Aging (ASA), has grown in prominence and stature to become a leading force in the field of aging. Through its members, its conferences and educational offerings, and its publications, ASA is an indispensable resource for professional education and development, ensuring that providers of services in the widest range of settings and disciplines have access to state-of-the-art information and cutting-edge research in order to best serve the growing aging population.

A lot has changed in fifty years, but the vision remains the same.