Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society

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Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society
1972-2007
Fisher D 2004 A Short History of Pediatric Endocrinology in North America. Pediatric Research, 55: 716-725

The LWPES evolved from the biennial Johns Hopkins Endocrine Alumni (JHEA) reunions organized by Robert Blizzard and Claude Migeon. JHEA meetings were held in 1965, 67, and 71 in association with a Lawson Wilkins lecture and other presentations. The meetings were open to other than

LWPES History

Read more about it in:
A Short History of Pediatric Endocrinology in North America
(pdf, 318kb)

Johns Hopkins alumni and attendance grew from 35 to near 100 from 1965-71. In early 1971 Drs. Blizzard and Migeon contacted a group of 37 North American Pediatric Endocrinologists out of training for 10 years or more regarding their interest in establishing a Pediatric Endocrine Society and a sub-board of Pediatric endocrinology. All expressed interest and 24 of the 37 agreed to attend a meeting on Sunday, April 25, 1971 in Baltimore the day before the JHEA meeting. The remaining 13 were enthusiastic but were unable to attend the meeting. The attendees at the meeting voted to begin planning for a society with the objective of "the acquisition of endocrine and metabolic diseases in infancy, childhood, and adolescence."

A second larger meeting was convened on Tuesday, April 27, including 54 of the Pediatric Endocrinologists attending the JHEA meeting. Claude Migeon reviewed the discussions of Sunday and there was general interest in the concept of a new society. Possible names were discussed and a considerable number of attendees were in favor of the "The American Pediatric Endocrine Society". A committee was appointed to nominate temporary officers. A follow up meeting was convened on April 30 at the 1971 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting in Atlantic City. Seventy-five Pediatric Endocrinologists attended, and there was again widespread interest in the new society. Two names were proposed: the American Pediatric Endocrine Society and The Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society. The Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society name was chosen. A set of temporary officers was chosen: President - Claude Migeon; Vice President - William Cleveland; Secretary - Delbert Fisher; and Treasurer - Ira Rosenthal. A Membership Committee and a Constitution and By-laws Committee were appointed headed by John Crigler and Alvin Hayles, respectively.

During the following 12 months a total of 160 members were recruited, including the 37 original founders. The first official LWPES business meeting was convened May 23, 1972 at the time of the PAS meeting. The proposed constitution and by-laws were approved; officers and directors were elected; and committee members chosen. Marvin Cornblath agreed to organize the first formal scientific meeting at the time of the 1973 PAS meeting in San Francisco. During 1972-73 the society offices were established; dues were collected; the official logo was designed; and the 1973 meeting program was developed and integrated into the PAS program.

Meetings have been held yearly since 1973 as part of the annual PAS meetings. Membership in 35 years has grown to 745 active members, 231 associate members, 141 emeritus members, and 7 honorary members. Joint meetings of the LWPES and The European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology have been held every four years since 1981. The sixth joint meeting convened in Montreal, Canada in July 2001 and the seventh in Lyon, France in September 2005. These meetings are now attended by members of the Australasian Pediatric Endocrine group, the Asia Pacific Pediatric Endocrine Society, the Japanese Pediatric Endocrine Society, and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Endocrinologia Pediatrica. The Lyon meeting attracted more than 3,000 endocrinologists from 90 countries. The eighth meeting will be held in New York City, September 9-12, 2009.