 
THE AVMA:  
150 YEARS of EDUCATION, SCIENCE, and SERVICE  
Chapters 3 – 5

by  
American Veterinary Medical Association

Smashwords Edition
Published on Smashwords by:  
American Veterinary Medical Association  
1931 N. Meacham Road  
Schaumburg, IL 60173

The AVMA: 150 Years of Education, Science, and Service  
Chapters 3 – 5  
Copyright 2012 by American Veterinary Medical Association

ISBN 978-1-882691-26-5

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

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CONTENTS

[Chapter 3:  
MAKING IT ALL WORK: Staff](tmp_194cbf0efa552b36f6d8c037be1b6ed0_FmxPaC.ch.fixed.fc.tidied.stylehacked.xfixed_split_003.html#ch03)

[Chapter 4:  
A RECORD OF VETERINARY MEDICINE: Journals](tmp_194cbf0efa552b36f6d8c037be1b6ed0_FmxPaC.ch.fixed.fc.tidied.stylehacked.xfixed_split_007.html#ch04)

[Chapter 5:  
COMING TOGETHER: Convention](tmp_194cbf0efa552b36f6d8c037be1b6ed0_FmxPaC.ch.fixed.fc.tidied.stylehacked.xfixed_split_009.html#ch05)
Chapter 3  
MAKING IT ALL WORK

Nick DeLuca

To keep up with the demands of its growing membership, the American Veterinary Medical Association—on suggestion from then AVMA President Robert A. Archibald—first began searching for a permanent home in 1916. Four years later, during the 1920 meeting in Columbus, Ohio, AVMA President Charles Cary, remarking on the fact that the Association had had three editors and four secretaries since 1915, declared that "In addition to an all-time Secretary and Editor, we need an all-time home for this double head and heart of the organization" to provide a sense of stability and definitiveness of purpose. The idea of a permanent location for the Association was approved, and the Executive Board was directed to investigate potential locations and costs.

In 1922, Dr. Horace Preston Hoskins, son of former United States Veterinary Medical Association President William Horace Hoskins, was appointed to the position of executive secretary/editor, becoming the first full-time staff member of the Association. Shortly thereafter, the AVMA officially established its first headquarters when it leased office space in Detroit in the early part of 1923. Since moving into that first office, the AVMA headquarters has been relocated on five occasions—to three leased locations in Chicago and two AVMA-owned buildings in Schaumburg, Ill. In 2004, the AVMA also purchased a building in Washington, D.C., rather than continue renting space for the staff who work on Capitol Hill.

In mid-2012, the Association had 149 approved staff positions spread across 12 distinctive divisions—Office of the Executive Vice President, Animal Welfare, Communications, Convention and Meeting Planning, Education and Research, Finance and Business Services, Governmental Relations, Information Technology, Membership and Field Services, Publications, Scientific Activities, and Veterinary Economics—located at its offices in Schaumburg and Washington, D.C.

Staff of the 1939 AVMA Secretariat.  
Front row, left to right: Dr. H. Preston Hoskins, Dr. L.A. Merillat, Julius Shaffer  
Back row, left to right: Ruth Anderson, Cecil Harris, Adele Ray, Wanda Landwehr, Jean Weinert

AVMA staff members Karl Kessler of the Public Information Division, Dr. D.A. Price, executive vice president; and Dr. W.M. Decker, assistant executive vice president, meet with actress Carmelita Pope.

THE DIVISIONS

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

The Office of the Executive Vice President provides administrative oversight for all divisions of the AVMA and is primary staff support to the Executive Board, Board of Governors, House of Delegates, House Advisory Committee, Judicial Council, Governance Performance Review Committee, and various task forces. The office also manages human resources, corporate relations, legal review, international affairs, and the Association staff.

ANIMAL WELFARE DIVISION

The Animal Welfare Division is charged with monitoring the science of human-animal interactions and assisting the AVMA in proactively addressing issues related to animal welfare and the human-animal bond. These issues come into play when animals are used for companionship, biomedical research, education, food and fiber production, work, recreation, and exhibition. The division interacts with a variety of stakeholders—including governmental and nongovernmental organizations (veterinary and nonveterinary), educators, industries that use or provide services for animals, the public, and the media.

Some of the division's main areas of concentration are strategic planning, with a focus on meeting the Association's animal welfare goals; environmental scanning and issue identification; authoritative source development, including background information as well as documents setting industry guidelines and standards; scientific and regulatory review and advocacy regarding issue support on the local, state, and federal levels; interactions with foreign entities to help with development and implementation of international standards; and education for veterinary students, graduate veterinarians, veterinary staff, individuals in the animal-use industries, and the public.

COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

The Communications Division comprises six departments: Media Relations; State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs; Electronic Communications; Marketing; Professional and Public Affairs; and Public Affairs at the Governmental Relations office in Washington, D.C. As a result, the division works closely with all other AVMA divisions, along with AVMA councils and committees, allied organizations, and sponsors, to help them develop and implement effective member service, marketing, and communications initiatives. The division oversees the creation and distribution of more than 20 websites, newsletters, and publications and has been at the forefront of the social networking movement within the veterinary community.

AVMA staff members pose outside of the Schaumburg, Ill., headquarters building in spring 2002.

CONVENTION AND MEETING PLANNING DIVISION

The Convention and Meeting Planning Division is responsible for the planning and implementation of the AVMA Annual Convention, the annual AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, and the meetings taking place in the AVMA headquarters conference center.

In regard to the AVMA Annual Convention educational program, the division works in tandem with the Convention Management and Program Committee to plan the opening session, more than 900 educational sessions, and a host of interactive labs. The division also plans and implements activities for the exhibit hall, convention registration and housing, and social and sporting events.

Additionally, the division manages the logistics for House of Delegates and Executive Board business meetings, luncheons, receptions, and other functions held immediately prior to the convention. The division acts as the liaison to the CMPC, the Veterinary Leadership Conference Planning Committee, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which ensures that animals used on-site at the convention receive proper care and that safety regulations are met. The division supports those committees in planning the content of their respective meetings in an effort to meet the needs and expectations of members and attendees as well as to maintain the proper care and safety of animals used during the AVMA convention.

The division has overseen a tremendous growth in the AVMA Annual Convention, with overall attendance numbers for recent meetings exceeding 10,000.

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH DIVISION

The Education and Research Division provides staff support for two AVMA councils, seven committees, one task force, and two international working groups. These entities are responsible for accrediting veterinary colleges and veterinary technology programs, certifying the educational equivalence of foreign veterinary graduates, providing oversight for U.S. veterinary specialty organizations, and working collaboratively with international veterinary accrediting agencies and international veterinary specialty recognition entities. These entities are also responsible for developing policies on animal health research, advising the AVMA Executive Board on international veterinary affairs, working on issues of mutual concern with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, assessing AVMA Council on Education candidate qualifications, and developing a quality assurance plan for veterinary internships.

AVMA staff take a break at the 2012 AVMA Annual Convention in San Diego.

Dr. Gail Golab (right), director of the AVMA Animal Welfare Division, listens to primatologist Jane Goodall speak on Capitol Hill before giving her own testimony on March 11, 2008, in support of the Captive Primate Safety Act.

FINANCE AND BUSINESS SERVICES DIVISION

The Finance and Business Services Division is responsible for all the financial and accounting functions of the Association. In addition, the division provides financial support and accounting functions for the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. The division also oversees the operation of all investments and the Association's mailroom, negotiates and secures liabilities and other forms of Association insurance, and acquires equipment, furniture, and supplies. The division is also charged with overseeing the management and maintenance of the Schaumburg, Ill., headquarters and Washington, D.C., office.

GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS DIVISION

Brig. Gen. James A. McCallam established the Association's first Washington, D.C., office in March 1953. Brig. Gen. McCallam performed double duty by serving as the first administrator for the Association's capital office while toiling on the Executive Board as president-elect. A telephone answering service was used to receive messages for the general when he was away from the Washington office dealing with other Association business.

The GRD advocates for the Association's policies and positions on federal legislative and regulatory issues that influence animal and human health and advance the veterinary profession. The GRD director and assistant directors are registered lobbyists who conduct visits to congressional members and their staff as needed to advance the AVMA's legislative agenda. The GRD provides staff support to the AVMA Political Action Committee Policy Board and the Legislative Advisory Committee as well as consultative support to other committees, councils, and task forces as requested.

The AVMA is an active member of several coalitions the GRD works with—the Agriculture Coalition, Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare, and Pet Health Consortium—developed to allow small organizations to have a stronger, unified political voice while working collectively for or against legislation and regulations. In the GRD's grassroots network—the AVMA Congressional Advocacy Network—AVMA members serve as local links to veterinary medicine and the veterinary profession for legislators.

The GRD also administers the AVMA Fellowship Program and the AVMA GRD Veterinary Student Externship Program.

A copy of the 1996 Animal Drug Availability Act

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

The role of the Information Technology Division is to provide the personnel and resources to actively support the daily operations of the AVMA headquarters and Washington, D.C., offices to ensure an efficient, stable, and secure infrastructure.

The division has a strong commitment to moving the organization forward with ongoing development projects involving new applications and new technologies. Members of the division continuously work to better understand the business needs of staff to help ensure that goals and objectives are met.

The IT staff manage the AVMA network—consisting of file storage, sharing servers, program servers, user rights, and email use. The division maintains network security, support for meeting technology needs, and oversight and support of communication devices.

The IT staff develops documentation, procedures, and guidelines for the use of software applications and trains staff in the use of hardware, desktop software, phones, and voice mail systems. The division also oversees the planning and coordination of activities relating to AVMA informational databases to ensure integrity of the data.

MEMBERSHIP AND FIELD SERVICES DIVISION

The AVMA Membership and Field Services Division has four core areas of responsibility for the AVMA: membership operations, veterinary career services, student programs, and the online resource MyVeterinarian.com, which enables animal owners to search for veterinary practices. The division has also developed a staff position and committee that focus on recent-graduate initiatives for the AVMA.

Membership operations include the collection of annual dues, efforts to retain current members, and recruitment of new members as well as management of the online membership directory, collection of member data, and providing of assistance for member concerns.

Career services include the online Veterinary Career Center, the AVMA Student Externship Locator, the Veterinary Practice Resource Center, and the Working Diagnosis. The division coordinates partnerships with 30 state veterinary medical associations, seven national associations, and 27 veterinary and technician schools to form the Veterinary Career Network. Membership staff are also available to answer career-related questions.

Student programs include visiting veterinary campuses on a yearly basis, working directly with the AVMA vice president to provide direct support to the Student AVMA and the 29 student chapters of the AVMA (32 student programs in all), and coordinating student externships, scholarships, and an annual meeting with faculty advisers and student officers.

PUBLICATIONS DIVISION

The Publications Division is the Association's most heavily staffed division. It may also lay claim to the title of oldest division, in that the earliest Association staff members were hired as both executive secretary for the Association and editor of its Journal.

The division has grown from that single editor position into a staff of 32. The purpose of the division is to publish peer-reviewed research of importance to the veterinary and biomedical professions, provide news and information relevant to veterinarians across all practice sectors, and inform veterinarians and the public as to the role of organized veterinary medicine in advancing the profession and promoting animal and human health and well-being.

The division looks to fulfill its mission by publishing the world's two most revered scientific veterinary journals—the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Journal of Veterinary Research—in both print and online formats. The JAVMA has been published since 1877 (originally as the American Veterinary Review) and is the oldest continuously published veterinary journal in the world. The AJVR has been published continuously since 1940; its focus is applied biomedical research with applications to veterinary and human medicine. Together, the Journals reach an audience of more than 85,000 members and subscribers.

The division publishes news of the Association and veterinary profession on the AVMA website, in the Journals, and in the JAVMA News Bulletin. It also publishes the AVMA Annual Convention Daily News, assists in preparation of the convention program and other convention materials, and provides specialized library services to AVMA members, staff, and the public through the AVMA library.

The AVMA library maintains a collection of more than 5,000 books; subscriptions to more than 700 journals, magazines, and newsletters; and the historical collection of all AVMA-produced materials—much of which was used to gather information for this book.

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES DIVISION

The Scientific Activities Division advances the art and science of veterinary medicine in a broad range of arenas, including public health and food safety, regulatory veterinary medicine, emergency preparedness and response, one health, veterinary environmental matters, animal agriculture, aquatic veterinary medicine, and animal biologics and therapeutics.

Working with councils and committees, the division identifies and analyzes issues, helping facilitate approval and implementation of policy recommendations that are often focused on federal regulatory agencies and international standard–setting bodies. In addition, the division provides technical support to other divisions of the AVMA, specifically those that address federal and state legislative and regulatory issues and disseminate information to the public.

The division also oversees coordination of the AVMA Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams. These teams are made up of volunteer veterinarians and veterinary technicians who serve as first responders to ensure high-quality care of animals during disasters and emergencies. When requested by a state, VMATs provide operational emergency response programs to state animal health authorities and preparedness programs to animal health authorities, veterinary medical associations, and other relevant organizations. The program is funded by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation.

VETERINARY ECONOMICS DIVISION

Approved by the Executive Board in 2011, the Veterinary Economics Division is the newest of the AVMA divisions. The aim of the division is to develop and manage economics programs for the Association. Its charge is to provide staff support for economics entities and working groups; conduct economic analyses on policies, issues, and strategies; and serve as a liaison to other AVMA divisions and partners in matters regarding economics.

STAFF LEADERSHIP

The AVMA has seen 10 distinguished men assume the highest staff leadership position within the Association. The position began as a combination of executive secretary and editor, and in recent years, has developed into a CEO position.

HORACE PRESTON HOSKINS  
1922-1938

The American Veterinary Review had been the literary face of the Association for nearly a half century, but it wasn't until 1922 that the AVMA deemed its Journal a worthy enough endeavor to dedicate a full-time staff member to ensure its quality and continued publication. Dr. Horace Preston Hoskins was a learned man born in 1886. He ascended to the position of AVMA executive secretary and editor in 1922, and he ushered in the AVMA's first (leased) headquarters building the following year.

There was some objection to Dr. Hoskins' appointment, both because of his relative youth—and presumed inexperience—and because of a reluctance to replace Dr. J.R. Mohler as editor, but Dr. Hoskins had held a variety of secretaryships, had been involved in editorial work for 10 years, and had been raised in a veterinary environment (his father was former USVMA president William Horace Hoskins).

Dr. Hoskins wrote and edited scholarly papers for many medical journals throughout his life. He is credited as a co-author and editor of two early books on canine medicine ("Canine Surgery," 1949, and "Canine Medicine," 1953), and he held the post of editor-in-chief of the Association's journal until his departure in 1938.

Dr. Hoskins' literary skills were so well-regarded that the Illinois State VMA and the Chicago VMA established a scholarship award in his honor that is presented annually to the University of Illinois veterinary student "who demonstrates expertise in technical writing or editorial service for veterinary publications."

Dr. Hoskins died in 1967.

LOUIS A. MERILLAT  
1939-1940

Born in Wooster, Ohio, in 1868, Dr. Louis A. Merillat had a distinguished career in veterinary medicine before his two-year stint as executive secretary from 1939-1940. Dr. Merillat graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1888 and then moved to Chicago, where he soon built up a large and lucrative practice. In 1893, he joined the faculty of the McKillip Veterinary College as a professor of anatomy, focusing on equine dentistry and developing his penchant for veterinary literature.

Dr. Merillat published his first article in a veterinary journal in 1898 and subsequently his first of numerous books on veterinary medicine, "Animal Dentistry," in 1903. In 1900, he left McKillip to join the Chicago Veterinary College as a professor of surgery and taught there until 1913, when he rejoined McKillip, teaching there until the college closed in 1919.

Dr. Merillat joined the AVMA in 1893 and had a storied career in the Association's leadership. His first connections with AVMA leadership began in 1906 when he was elected vice president. He was elected Association secretary in 1916 and was unanimously re-elected in 1917 after bringing in an unprecedented 556 new members, but was called into military service shortly thereafter. During the Des Moines meeting in 1924, he was elected AVMA president, and he joined the AVMA headquarters staff in 1939 following a reorganization of the Association. After serving as executive secretary for two years, Dr. Merillat stayed on to work as editor-in-chief of the JAVMA and the newly established AJVR until 1950.

In 1945, Dr. Merillat received the XIIth International Veterinary Congress Prize, and in 1948—in celebration of his 60th year in the veterinary profession—he returned to his alma mater, the Ontario Veterinary College, where he was honored for his work as a "teacher, author, and champion of the veterinary profession."

The internationally known veterinary surgeon, educator, writer, and leader of the profession died, reading at his desk, in 1956.

John G. Hardenbergh  
1941-1958

Known as "Mr. AVMA," during his tenure as executive secretary, Dr. John G. Hardenbergh helped usher in never-before-seen growth in the veterinary profession. In the 18 years he served as executive secretary, the profession more than doubled in size, seven new schools of veterinary medicine were begun, and veterinary medicine assumed increasingly important roles in agriculture, public health, medical research, and the investigation of outer space.

Born in Berkshire, N.Y., in 1892, Dr. Hardenbergh received his veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1916 and become an AVMA member in 1918. He worked in corporate laboratories, as a field agent for the New Jersey Bureau of Animal Industry, and in the Division of Experimental Surgery and Pathology of the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minn., and he taught as a professor at his alma mater before becoming executive secretary of the AVMA and managing editor of its publications.

Dr. Hardenbergh's reach proved international. He served as secretary to the U.S. Committee for the 16th International Veterinary Congress and represented the AVMA at the congress, held in Madrid in 1959. He was also instrumental in organizing the Pan-American veterinary congresses and represented the AVMA at congresses in Lima, Peru, in 1951 and Kansas City in 1959.

Despite his retirement from the AVMA staff in 1958, Dr. Hardenbergh continued serving the profession. He served as secretary of the AVMA Group Insurance Trust board of trustees until his death, attending a Trust meeting only a week before he died at home in his sleep in 1963.

Harry E. Kingman Jr.  
1958-1965

Dr. Harry Kingman Jr. became the Association's fourth executive secretary in 1958.

Following his graduation from veterinary college at Colorado State University in 1933, Dr. Kingman set out for practice in Monterey, Calif. He then worked for the Bureau of Animal Industry and, later, at its pathology laboratory in Chicago.

In 1940, Dr. Kingman joined Wilson and Company of Chicago, serving as a liaison between the Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Inspection Service and the livestock industry. He also supervised plant sanitation, research, and field service programs before taking a staff position as the assistant executive secretary for the AVMA in 1953.

During his career at the AVMA, Dr. Kingman served in a variety of staff positions, including secretary to the Judicial Council, managing editor of JAVMA, director of the AVMA Foundation, and secretary to the AVMA Group Insurance Trust and Professional Liability Insurance Trust.

Dr. Kingman also served as AVMA treasurer in 1951, secretary to the World Veterinary Congress' United States Committee, and member of the Food and Drug Administration's National Advisory Food and Drug Council. As a long-standing member of the Colorado VMA, he remained active in that state until his death in 2004. He was instrumental in the support of legislation to create Colorado State's Veterinary Teaching Hospital and helped to organize the endowment fund board of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

M.R. CLARKSON  
1966-1971

Dr. M.R. Clarkson served in the newly named staff position of AVMA executive vice president from 1966 until his retirement in 1971. His career in veterinary medicine up to that point was already an impressive one.

On graduation from Washington State University in 1930, Dr. Clarkson joined the Department of Agriculture's Meat Inspection Service. During his 34-year career with the USDA, he served as assistant chief of the division, chief of the Inspection and Quarantine Division of the former Bureau of Animal Industry, and associate administrator of the Agricultural Research Service. He also served as the first director of the Food and Drug Administration's Bureau of Veterinary Medicine, which he helped originate.

Following his retirement in 1964, Clarkson was installed as president of the AVMA. In his address to the House of Delegates, he spoke about the need to attract students to food animal practice, the value of constituent associations and alliances with other learned professions, and the importance of legislative initiatives and quality continuing education.

Dr. Clarkson received the USDA Distinguished Services Award in 1956 for his role in leading the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in Mexico. He also received the AVMA's XIIth International Veterinary Congress Prize in 1962 and the American Meat Institute's Animal Agriculture Award in 1964, and in 1972, the AVMA honored Dr. Clarkson with the Public Service Award.

Veterinary medicine was not Dr. Clarkson's only passion. Having also held a law degree, he was a member of the Federal Bar Association, the National Lawyers Club, and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He died in 2002.

DONALD A. PRICE  
1972-1984

Dr. Donald A. Price served 26 years on the staff of the AVMA—14 as the chief administrative officer. His veterinary career began in research and private practice.

Following his discharge from the Air Force after World War II with a rank of captain, Dr. Price enrolled as a postwar veterinary student at The Ohio State University. On graduation, Dr. Price took a position as a veterinary research scientist at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Sonora—conducting investigational research, chiefly on diseases of sheep and cattle.

It was in 1952 that Dr. Price co-authored a report in JAVMA with Dr. W.T. Hardy describing the similarities of an emerging disease in Texas sheep to that of bluetongue, a disease not previously known in the United States. The causative agent was later confirmed to be bluetongue virus. Dr. Price also performed research on sporadic bovine encephalomyelitis and plant poisoning in cattle, produced a vaccine for contagious ecthyma, and provided veterinary extension services. In 1955, he formed a general practice partnership in San Angelo, Texas, where he worked before joining the AVMA Publications Division three years later.

Joining the AVMA staff as an associate editor, Dr. Price was appointed editor-in-chief in 1959. In 1962, he accepted the additional responsibilities of AVMA assistant secretary, and a decade later he became AVMA executive vice president.

Dr. Price's tenure was characterized by changes within the profession, steady growth of the Association, and a subsequent increase in staff size. When it became apparent that the AVMA staff was outgrowing its Chicago accommodations, Dr. Price oversaw the Association's move to Chicago's northwest suburbs and supervised construction of the first Schaumburg headquarters location.

Dr. Price was vice president of the Pan-American VMA and represented the AVMA at international congresses in Mexico, Venezuela, and Chile. He received the Award of Merit from the American Animal Hospital Association in 1983. As an author of scientific reports and editorials in a multitude of professional journals, Dr. Price was the first veterinarian elected a fellow of the American Medical Writers Association. Other honors include the Distinguished Alumnus Award from OSU in 1966 and the Kentucky Colonel Award from the Kentucky VMA in 1973.

When he retired from the AVMA staff, the Association endowed the D.A. Price Lectureship Fund in Veterinary Medicine in his honor at OSU to stimulate discussion of veterinary issues.

Dr. Price retired north of San Antonio, where he expanded his homestead and continued to help neighbors with their veterinary needs until his death in 2005.

ARTHUR FREEMAN  
1985-1989

In an AVMA career that spanned more than 30 years, Dr. Arthur Freeman saw a great deal of change. His tenure with the Association began in 1959 when he joined the staff as an assistant editor. In 1972, he was promoted to editor-in-chief and oversaw a tremendous growth in the Journals, increasing circulation by more than 60 percent and doubling the number of annual manuscript submissions. Dr. Freeman's appointment to executive vice president went into effect Jan. 1, 1985.

Before beginning his veterinary studies, Dr. Freeman had served as a bombardier in the Air Force from 1943-1946. He then spent five years in Alaska as a law enforcement agent and a member of a team of research biologists for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

He obtained his veterinary degree from The Ohio State University in 1955, receiving a citation from the Auxiliary to the AVMA for "having done the most at his school to promote the interests of veterinary medicine."

Following graduation, Dr. Freeman worked in general practice in Bellingham, Wash. As a pilot, he made calls by airplane to the islands in Puget Sound before moving on to a position as director of professional relations for Jensen-Salsbery Laboratories in Kansas City, Mo.

Dr. Freeman successfully combined his passions for veterinary medicine and journalism beginning with his veterinary college days as editor of the Speculum. He was an award-winning editor for the Jen-Sal Journal and was a long-active member of what is now called the Council of Science Editors, serving as vice president and president.

A. ROLAND DOMMERT  
1989-1996

A Louisiana native, Dr. A. Roland Dommert has had a veterinary career that included service as an educator, research scientist, and administrator. Dr. Dommert became the Association's eighth executive vice president on April 1, 1989, when he was appointed to the post from his position as associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor of veterinary microbiology at Louisiana State University.

Dr. Dommert earned his DVM degree from Texas A&M University before transferring to LSU for graduate studies in microbiology and biochemistry, receiving his master's and doctorate in 1963 and 1966, respectively.

Dr. Dommert taught veterinary microbiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia for five years while becoming certified as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists. He returned to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1971, being named professor and head of veterinary microbiology and parasitology—a post he held for 10 years.

Dr. Dommert spent five years as Louisiana's alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates and served on the Advisory Leadership Committee, contributing to his knowledge of the AVMA and of issues important to the veterinary profession.

Dr. Dommert's understanding of technology—while at LSU, he helped coordinate information systems planning and implemented the use of campus-wide electronic communications—helped the Association make a transition into the technical age. In addition, it was during his tenure that the AVMA purchased its current headquarters building in Schaumburg, Ill.

BRUCE W. LITTLE  
1996-2007

Dr. Bruce W. Little served as executive vice president of the AVMA from 1996 through 2007. During his tenure, AVMA membership increased beyond 75,000, the number of staff members nearly doubled to 140, and the Association's budget exceeded 25 million dollars.

Before enrolling in veterinary college, Dr. Little served for three years in the Army. He received his veterinary degree in 1965 from Kansas State University.

Dr. Little began his veterinary career in private practice in Normal, Ill., before opening his own practice in Bloomington, Ill., in 1969. He owned and operated the Americana Animal Hospital until a strong interest in organized veterinary medicine led him to join the staff of the AVMA, following two terms as president of the McLean County Veterinary MA and service as a member of various committees of the Illinois State VMA.

As assistant executive vice president of the AVMA, Dr. Little served as a trustee of the AVMA Group Health and Life Insurance Trust and the AVMA PLIT and as staff liaison to the Association's Judicial Council, Pet Food Advisory Committee, Alternative Therapies Study Committee, and Pet Health Insurance Committee.

While serving as executive vice president, Dr. Little facilitated the Association's purchase of a historic, four-story double row house in Washington, D.C., to house the AVMA GRD, allowing the division to move out of its previously rented office space.

During his tenure, Dr. Little helped foster partnerships between the AVMA and industry, which served to improve education of, and communications with, the public. His oversight helped to expand programs related to continuing education at the AVMA Annual Convention, and symposia designed to enhance the economic base of the profession.

Dr. Little helped orchestrate numerous changes within the organizational infrastructure. He was instrumental in combining the Association's Public Information Division and Marketing Department to form the Communications Division. Dr. Little also created a stand-alone division focusing on Convention and Meeting Planning that resulted in an increase in continuing education offerings, nearly tripling—from 350 to more than 1,000 hours—the number of CE hours offered, and an increase in convention attendance. Dr. Little also implemented the establishment of the Animal Welfare and the Education and Research divisions.

Dr. Little has been honored for his work in veterinary medicine and association management. In 1998, he was designated a Kansas State University Alumni Fellow. In 2006, he received the Meritorious Service Award from the Chicago VMA and the Banfield Industry Leadership Award. In 2007, Dr. Little was chosen as a recipient of the AVMA President's Award, and he received the highest and most coveted award granted by the Association Forum of Chicagoland—the Samuel B. Shapiro Award for CEO Excellence.

Dr. Little has been involved in the Thoroughbred racing industry since 1967, both as an owner and breeder, and he has been a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. He currently resides in Las Vegas.

W. RON DeHAVEN  
2007-present

As current executive vice president of the AVMA, Dr. Ron DeHaven serves the 84,000 AVMA members (as of 2012) as they work to meet the challenges of improving human and animal health in the 21st century. Dr. DeHaven leads a staff of 149 employees and manages an operating budget of more than $30 million.

Dr. DeHaven obtained his DVM degree from Purdue University in 1975 and a master's in business administration from Millsaps College, Jackson, Miss., in 1989.

Dr. DeHaven is responsible for helping maintain the veterinary profession's authoritative voice in all aspects of animal, human, and environmental health, while positioning it to adapt to and meet the needs of a changing society. He leads the AVMA's efforts in ensuring that the Association is a primary advocate for veterinary-related legislation, helps maintain high-level accreditation standards for veterinary education, strengthens the profession's economic viability, and serves as the primary proponent and resource for animal welfare. He also serves as chair of the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare, a collaboration of veterinary organizations and of leaders from academia and industry. The group is focused on increasing the delivery of preventive health care to pets, improving pet owners' perception of the value of preventive pet health care, and making preventive care of cats a priority.

Dr. DeHaven has more than two decades of experience with the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and gained national prominence in 2003 and 2004 when chronic wasting disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, respectively, were making headlines. Dr. DeHaven received the President's Rank Awards (Meritorious and Distinguished) for his leadership. He also received the Secretary's Honor Award on two occasions. The AVMA honored Dr. DeHaven's contributions to the veterinary profession with the Meritorious Service Award in 2004. He also received the Roswell Award from the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare, and an honorary degree from Purdue University.

As APHIS administrator, Dr. DeHaven was ultimately responsible for the protection of U.S. agriculture and natural resources from exotic pests and diseases, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. Prior to that, he served as deputy administrator for APHIS Veterinary Services program, acting associate administrator for APHIS, and deputy administrator for the Animal Care Unit of APHIS, and the Animal Care Unit's western regional director in Sacramento, Calif., for 7 years. Prior to starting work at APHIS, Dr. DeHaven was commissioned into the Army Veterinary Corps and served in the Army Reserve and National Guard.

Prairie Farmer Building

LaSalle-Wacker Building  
Photo by Hedrich Blessing Collection /  
Chicago History Museum /  
Getty Images

Fairbanks-Morse Building  
Courtesy of Lake County (Ill.) Discovery Museum,  
Curt Teich Postcard Archives

AVMA HEADQUARTERS FACILITIES

Association staff has called six buildings home since the AVMA first established a central office in leased space in Detroit, in the early part of 1923.

In 1931, the Executive Board recommended moving the AVMA offices from Detroit to Chicago, "using rented quarters in Chicago until such times as it is deemed advisable to build or purchase a home," and in 1932, the AVMA moved into the Prairie Farmer Building at 1230 Washington Blvd., two miles west of Chicago's Loop. This soon proved to be an unsuitable location, however, with Secretary Hoskins declaring, "We were not getting the callers we wanted to see, and were getting too many that we did not want to see." The next year, therefore, the offices were moved to the LaSalle-Wacker Building at 221 North LaSalle St., where they remained for seven years.

In 1940, the AVMA headquarters moved to a third location in Chicago, leasing space in the Fairbanks-Morse Building at 600 Michigan Ave. Considerable sentiment was expressed for moving the AVMA headquarters from rented offices to space owned by the AVMA in 1959, with Kansas City advanced as a possible location. It wasn't until 1970, however, that the Association decided to construct its own office building. The AVMA broke ground for a 20,000-square-foot building in Schaumburg, Ill., on July 6, 1973, and the Association moved into its new building at 930 North Meacham Road on Feb. 28, 1975.

Despite a 1989 remodeling to expand the available workspace, the Association soon outgrew its building, forcing it to search for more spacious accommodations, and in April 1991, it purchased a five-story building about a mile north of its first location. That October, the Association moved into its present offices at 1931 North Meacham Road in Schaumburg. Since that time, various renovations have been done to the building as the Association has moved into additional space in the building. Excess space is leased until it is required for AVMA staff needs.

The Association purchased the AVMA GRD offices at 1908/1910 Sunderland Place N.W., Washington, D.C., in 2004.

The original Schaumburg, Ill., AVMA Headquarters building

Current AVMA headquarters building, Schaumburg, Ill.

SCHAUMBURG BUILDING

The current Schaumburg building was built in 1980 and has 75,338 square feet of usable office space. The AVMA staff occupies 70 percent and leases 20 percent to local small businesses. There are 21 office suites; the amenities include cable wiring, satellite, T1 telephone lines, and fiber optics. The building is located about 25 miles from downtown Chicago, is centrally located, and is easily accessible to multiple interstates and highways. There are a multitude of hotels and restaurants in the immediate area, a world-class shopping mall is just minutes away, and the building is adjacent to a convention center.

WASHINGTON, D.C., BUILDING

The AVMA GRD office building was purchased in spring 2004. An extensive renovation project was completed in March 2005. Renovations included the addition of interior windows that, along with three skylights, flood the building with natural sunlight. Recent improvements include the modernization of the elevator. Located in the Dupont Circle Historic District, the building was converted in 1968 from two Victorian row houses into a single commercial property.

The original building was constructed in 1904. It has four levels that consist of approximately 8,000 square feet of usable office space. There are five parking spaces in the rear of the building. The conference center includes a room fully equipped with videoconferencing capabilities and a separate area designed for receptions. Staff regularly hold meetings for allied veterinary organizations and host government officials as well. The GRD office building also houses the National Association of Federal Veterinarians. The office is conveniently located less than a half block from the Dupont Circle Metro Station, making it easily accessible from all parts of the city.

AVMA GRD office building

"Field" by Anne Huibregtse, was donated to the AVMA by the late Dr. Janis H. Audin, 1995 – 2009 AVMA editor-in-chief. The sculpture is one of the many works of art throughout the AVMA headquarters building.

Chapter 4  
A RECORD OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Victor Schultz

As the official publication of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has played a vital role in bringing to prominence the AVMA and the veterinary profession itself in the United States.

In 1878, during his presidential address to the Association, Dr. Alexandre F. Liautard—the 8th and 14th president of the Association and the first editor of the American Veterinary Review, which later became the JAVMA—stated the matter in no uncertain terms, calling the birth of the Review the most important development in the first 14 years of the Association's existence. In fact, the Association might not have survived those early years without the Review, and Dr. J.F. Smithcors, in his series of articles on the history of the AVMA, suggested that the Review was the most substantial contribution to the veterinary profession, in terms of concrete accomplishments, during the first 25 years of the Association's existence.

Although the AVMA is now a strong and healthy organization that has proved to be of great benefit to its many members, the JAVMA and its sister publication, the American Journal of Veterinary Research, continue to make invaluable contributions to veterinary medicine today.

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

As one of the oldest, most widely distributed, and best-known veterinary medical journals in the world, the JAVMA helps connect veterinarians with each other in an exchange of ideas and scholarship. Many of the field's most important studies have been published in the JAVMA, allowing readers to stay abreast of the latest developments in animal health. But the Journal has also been an essential forum for discussion of a wide range of issues and topics of importance to the profession.

The JAVMA serves as an invaluable document of the history of veterinary medicine in the United States. The proceedings of many of the early AVMA meetings appear in some of the first volumes of the JAVMA, and a single look at any issue from past decades makes clear what the hot-button veterinary topics of the day were, which areas of research were considered most important at the time, and who some of the most dynamic voices in veterinary medicine were when that issue was published. As an archive of the veterinary profession, the JAVMA allows historians to examine various aspects of the profession's history, such as then-current methods for treating specific diseases or adaptations veterinarians made to remain economically viable at a given time.

GENESIS

In the early years of the AVMA (which, from its inception in 1863 until 1899, was called the United States Veterinary Medical Association), the constitution called for an annual meeting in September and a semiannual meeting in March. It was at the semiannual meeting of 1868 in New York that the subject of printing a veterinary journal first arose. Records show that a committee was appointed to investigate the possibility and that included on the committee was Dr. Liautard, who would eventually become the first editor of the journal. It appears, however, that mention of the journal at this meeting was nearly a decade premature, as the records show no discussion of the subject again until 1876.

At the annual meeting of 1876, held at Dr. Liautard's American Veterinary College in New York, the members resolved that the Association would now print a journal semiannually. The name of the journal was to be the American Veterinary Review, and Dr. Liautard would be its editor. The Review would cost members 50 cents per volume.

The meeting was adjourned to reconvene at the Continental Hotel in Philadelphia 10 days hence. In Philadelphia, papers were presented on the "History and Progress of Veterinary Medicine" by Dr. Liautard; "Zymotic Diseases, and the Duties of the Veterinary Surgeon" by Dr. James Law; "The Effects of Stimulants in Disease" by Dr. A.A. Holcombe; "Sanitary Measures in Preventing Disease in the Unites States and Canada" by Dr. D.M. McEachran; "Chronic Lameness in Horses" by Dr. T.S. Very; and "Fistula" by Dr. E.T. Thayer. These papers, which together constituted a survey of veterinary thought of the time, were published in the first issue of the Review in January 1877. Dr. Liautard's paper on veterinary history was said to be of particular interest as perhaps the first important contribution to the study of American veterinary history.

Dr. Alexandre F. Liautard  
8th and 14th president of the Association  
first editor of the American Veterinary Review

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

During its 1877 meeting, the Association resolved to publish the Review monthly, instead of semiannually as originally decided, and to add the faculty of the American Veterinary College to the editorial staff. Dr. Liautard received free reign to spend money advertising the Review, and $5 was assessed to each member to make up for unpaid dues and defaulted subscriptions to the Review.

This was the final year of Dr. Liautard's first presidency, and it was at this year's meeting that he gave his retiring address emphasizing the importance of the founding of the Review: "[The Review] was born to the Association upon the year of the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the nation ... and is receiving favorable notice at the hands of English, French, and German veterinarians."

Subsequent scholars confirm Dr. Liautard's opinion of the significance of the Review. The noted veterinary historians Drs. Louis A. Merillat (who would in fact later serve as editor-in-chief of the JAVMA) and Delwin M. Campbell, for example, stated that "[the Review's] influence upon the trend and the development of veterinary medicine in this country for 30 years was not equalled by anything else. ... In fact, the Review very largely influenced the policies of the association and to a considerable extent, those of the schools also. The American Veterinary Review constitutes Dr. Liautard's greatest contribution to veterinary medicine in the United States."

It is clear that the Review in essence gave the Association a public voice and that the halting progress of the organization's early years was due in part to the lack of such an outlet with which to gain wider recognition for the AVMA. The Review also was immediately effective at familiarizing American veterinarians with new philosophies and suggesting to them new goals and directions for scientific inquiry. This is shown in the way that Dr. Liautard imparted his knowledge of developments in France. He was instrumental, for example, in popularizing among American veterinarians the germ theory of disease—a matter that was still debated in medical circles long after it apparently had been accepted by the veterinary profession.

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[The Review's] influence upon the trend and the development of veterinary medicine in this country for 30 years was not equalled by anything else.

—Drs. Louis A. Merillat and Delwin M. Campbell,  
veterinary historians

THE REVIEW GOES PRIVATE

At the semiannual meeting of 1878, Dr. Liautard secured from the Association an increase in the circulation of the Review and a reduction in the subscription price from $5 to $4. Despite these changes, Dr. Liautard then expressed a desire to resign as editor of the Review, presumably because of his dissatisfaction with the restrictions placed on him by the Association regarding his management of the Journal. Evidently lacking anyone better qualified to run the Journal, the present members unanimously re-elected Dr. Liautard editor and instructed him to "select such assistants as he chose, and to conduct the Review in whatever manner would be in his best judgment to conduce its success."

This was just the first step toward Dr. Liautard's ultimate goal of gaining full ownership of the Review. This became obvious over the next few years, as Dr. Liautard made an annual ritual of resigning from his position of editor, only to have the matter tabled. In 1881, however, when Dr. Liautard once again tendered his resignation, the matter was not tabled. The secretary, Dr. C.B. Michener, reported that "In view of the increasing demands made upon the editor of the American Veterinary Review, the society has decided to present the journal to Prof. A. Liautard, without any encumbrance, as a slight recognition of the work he has done for the association and the profession at large."

And so the Review ceased, for a time, to be the official organ of the Association. In the process, though, both the Journal and the USVMA may have become even stronger. It was not entirely clear why Dr. Liautard wanted full control of the Review, as it seems likely that the Journal never made much money for its owner and that what it did earn was substantially less than Dr. Liautard could have earned by devoting the same time to his practice.

Certainly, the claim by Dr. Liautard that other demands on his time prompted his annual attempts to resign the editorship was not consistent with his subsequent willing acceptance of full responsibility for the Journal. Regardless, he could now operate the publication without the encumbrance of being forced to follow Association policy. This allowed him the freedom to strongly criticize, even satirize, the Association without worrying about his annual re-election to the editorship. He took advantage of this freedom regularly and to great, constructive effect for many years.

As the years passed by, Dr. Liautard gradually tempered his role of good-natured gadfly, and in 1896 he sold an interest in the Review to Dr. Roscoe R. Bell. Then, as the calendar turned over to the 20th century, Dr. Liautard severed his financial interest in the Review and returned to France. Although Dr. Liautard retained the title of senior editor and still contributed periodically to the Review, Dr. Bell became in effect the sole editor and proprietor. Drs. Merillat and Campbell state of Dr. Bell's junior editorship that "there was an immediate improvement in the publication. He supplied a technique and finesse that the senior editor did not possess."

Nonetheless, over the next decade and a half, the fortunes of the Review would gradually dwindle. Although the quality of the Review steadily improved under Dr. Bell's stewardship, he died in 1908, at which time Dr. R.W. Ellis, an associate editor of the Journal, purchased the remaining interest for $2,500. It appears that Dr. Ellis was a perfectly able editor of the Review (although still a junior editor in title under Dr. Liautard), but, even so, was unable to turn around the financial decline of the Journal, which Drs. Merillat and Campbell describe at this time as "moribund." Without the generous support of veterinary book publishers and colleges, the Review "would have failed as so many American veterinary publications have done." Finally, in 1915, the AVMA purchased the rights to the Journal—for the same $2,500 that Dr. Ellis had paid for it seven years earlier.

First page of the first issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

THE REVIEW BECOMES THE JAVMA

In 1914, the AVMA Executive Committee resolved "to take such measures as may be necessary to establish an official organ of the association to be known as the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association." Hence came the purchase the next year of the rights to the American Veterinary Review and the changing of its name to something more familiar to today's readers.

In those early years with its new name, however, the Journal lacked the clear direction it had benefited from in previous incarnations. This is apparent from the way the Journal was used at the time, according to Drs. Merillat and Campbell: "[The JAVMA] was little more than an installment publication of the proceedings of the AVMA, in lieu of the annual bound volumes."

It should be noted that one of the main reasons the Journal had been acquired was indeed for it to serve as a repository for the proceedings of the meetings, and, in fact, the early volumes of the JAVMA did contain considerably more scientific reports and other pertinent material than did the Review in its declining years. But, clearly, there was a common sentiment that the Journal was not being used to its greatest potential.

Maybe the rotating editorship had something to do with that. Initially, in 1915, Dr. Pierre A. Fish was appointed editor, but in 1918, he left the Journal to enter military service. Dr. William H. Dalrymple succeeded Dr. Fish, then promptly relinquished the post because of failing health, and Dr. John R. Mohler took over the position in 1919. In 1920, President C.A. Cary put it thus: "Our frequent and sudden changes of Secretary and Editor have given us no stability or definitiveness of purpose." Then, in 1923, the offices of secretary and editor were combined, and Dr. H. Preston Hoskins was tabbed to fill the position. He did so until 1939, finally bringing some stability to the helm of the Journal.

The first full-color images in the JAVMA were published in the April 1928 issue.

The JAVMA then entered a lengthy period of growth and innovation. The Journal published its first full-color figure in 1928. In the ensuing years, the Journal's circulation broke into the tens of thousands, and a sister journal, the AJVR, was introduced in part to deal with the enormous number of technical articles being submitted for publication.

In 1956, after a two-year study by the AVMA of the benefits of publishing a separate journal devoted to small animal medicine, a decision was made to publish the JAVMA semimonthly—on the first and 15th of each month—instead of monthly. The objects were to make each issue of the JAVMA less bulky; decrease the lead time between receipt and publication of articles, thereby making the information fresher; and ideally result in the Journal's being read more completely, as subscribers would receive and peruse it twice a month instead of only once.

The JAVMA introduced new departments and regular features over the years, and it appeared in new designs and more sophisticated formats. In short, the Journal adapted continually to the needs of its readers, much as its subscribers adapted continually to the demands of the veterinary medical field.

CONTINUED GROWTH

The 1970s saw the JAVMA increase the size of its staff and streamline its in-house processes to allow it to better deal with the submissions queue. The number of manuscripts submitted to JAVMA and AJVR more than doubled between the years of 1970 and 1984. This wealth of submissions, although a great sign for the health of the profession and the Association, also presented some problems. Some were more straightforward, such as the issue of how to simply organize and review each manuscript that came into the Publications Division. Others were more subtle, such as how to present the remarkable and complex range of information the AVMA journals were publishing in a way that was clear and sensible to readers.

It was in response to this latter problem that, in the 1980s, the JAVMA staff, led by the editor-in-chief, Dr. Albert J. Koltveit, rearranged the Journal's table of contents into a more practical format that included the sections titled News, Views, Veterinary Medicine Today, and Scientific Reports. They also reorganized the Scientific Reports so that papers would be grouped according to the animal type discussed in each paper. Organizing the Journal along these lines proved quite effective over the years, and the system is still in use today.

THE ELECTRONIC AGE

The 1990s saw the rise of the Internet and a readership that became increasingly comfortable using the World Wide Web to search for and consume information. Under the guidance of the editor-in-chief, Dr. Janis H. Audin, the JAVMA and AJVR transitioned from print-only journals, adding an online archive of all articles published from January 2000 on.

Another major development during this time was the consolidation within AVMA headquarters of most of the publishing operations. Although the Journals were still printed off-site, the adoption of desktop publishing technology during the 1990s allowed the Journals to transition from traditional typesetting into more modern production processes. Bringing production in-house was key to reducing costs and gave the staff greater control over the final look of the Journals by allowing changes to be made later in the production process.

COVER ART

One of the most striking features of the JAVMA is the animal art gracing the cover of each issue. The practice of publishing full-color reproductions of artwork on the cover was quite unusual among scholarly journals in 1973, when the JAVMA editor-in-chief, Dr. Arthur Freeman, began the tradition. In the beginning, paintings drawn from the collections of museums and galleries around the world appeared on covers of the first-of-the-month issues, while covers for the midmonth issues merely featured titles of some of the scientific reports in that issue.

This changed in 1990, when Dr. Koltveit, now editor-in-chief, suggested that the Journal also publish artwork on the covers of the midmonth issues. In 1990, therefore, the Publications Division announced that it would be accepting original artwork from the veterinary community for potential publication on the midmonth covers. Submissions would be accepted from nonprofessional artists, especially veterinarians, members of their family or staff, veterinary educators, and veterinary students. When the April 15, 1990, issue came out with a reproduction of "Anatone Cowboy" by Dr. David T. Roen of Clarkton, Wash., a new tradition was born.

A driving force in the popularity of the JAVMA covers was the decision to assign Dr. Audin, who had an art background, responsibility for selecting each issue's cover art. At that time, Dr. Audin made an effort to choose artwork that highlighted one or more animal species featured in notable news or scientific articles within that issue.

In addition to her work on the JAVMA cover, Dr. Audin was later responsible for bringing to the AJVR a new cover design that incorporated some of the more striking figures from previously published scientific reports.

In 1995, the JAVMA began inviting readers to contact the AVMA about the availability of artwork featured on the cover. From that point on, without exception, the AVMA has fielded calls from interested readers about every single piece of cover artwork, whether it was by a world-famous artist or by a hobbyist artist associated with the veterinary profession.

FEATURES

In addition to the scientific and clinical reports that compose the bulk of the JAVMA's scholarship, the editors over the years have frequently introduced recurring features that strike a different note from the usual content.

Top: Former AVMA President W.W. Armistead's "From My Armchair" feature.  
Bottom: From the December 1954 JAVMA, the debut of "What Is Your Diagnosis?"

Many of these, such as the "Anesthesia Case of the Month" and "Theriogenology Question of the Month" features, were designed to examine a single case or small series of cases through the lens of a specific method or a specific area of veterinary medicine. Others existed simply to inform and entertain, as was the case with the "Reflections" series that Dr. Koltveit ran for years and the "From My Armchair" vignettes from former AVMA President Dr. W.W. Armistead. Still other features served to augment readers' knowledge of the profession rather than the science of veterinary medicine. This included Harold W. Hannah's popular "Legal Brief" series, which offered valuable commentary on veterinary law, and the "Facts & Figures," which reported results of the AVMA's economic surveys.

Harold W. Hanna, author of the long-running "Legal Briefs" feature

Without a doubt, the most iconic JAVMA feature remains the "What Is Your Diagnosis?" series. In introducing the feature for the December 1954 issue, the editor-in-chief, Dr. William A. Aitken, wrote, "Because of the interest in veterinary radiology, the JOURNAL publishes this month, and will continue to do so for the next several issues, a case history and accompanying radiographs depicting a diagnostic problem."

The feature invites readers to study the diagnostic images and case history on the first page, make their own diagnosis, and then turn the page to see the outcome of the case as well as a discussion of how the imaging technique was useful in obtaining the diagnosis. Despite Dr. Aitken's initial suggestion that these articles would run for only several issues, the feature remains the JAVMA's most popular even today, almost 60 years after its debut.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH

In 1940, the editorial staff of the JAVMA, realizing that many well-written articles were suffering severe delays in publication or were being rejected outright simply because of a lack of space in the Journal, recommended to the Executive Board and House of Representatives that the AVMA undertake publication of a second journal. The recommendation was approved during the AVMA's annual meeting that year, and accumulated articles that had previously been accepted for publication in the JAVMA were published in the first issue of the new journal, which was named the American Journal of Veterinary Research.

In an editorial in the first issue of the new journal, Dr. Louis A. Merillat, who, in addition to his role as executive secretary of the AVMA and editor-in-chief of the JAVMA, took on the job of editor for the AJVR, wrote that the object of the AJVR would be "the prompt publication of deserving articles on research and investigation by American veterinarians and their coworkers in the field of veterinary science." In addition, it was expected that publication of the AJVR "should gradually transmute the regular JOURNAL into a more useful monthly for members interested in clinical work and yet concurrently provide them with a means of keeping abreast with current advancements in veterinary science."

Originally published quarterly, the AJVR proved to be so popular among authors that it moved to bimonthly publication in 1959 and to monthly publication in 1968. It continues as a monthly publication today.

At the present time, although the JAVMA is a general veterinary journal that publishes manuscripts on any subject germane to the practice of veterinary medicine, for scientific reports, preference is given to manuscripts that have immediate clinical or practical value. In contrast, the AJVR currently focuses on the publication of novel research findings that bridge the gulf between basic research and clinical practice or that help to translate laboratory research and preclinical studies to the development of clinical trials and clinical practice. This focus, along with the AJVR's association with the JAVMA, means that the AJVR has a unique niche among veterinary medical journals.

In addition to serving as a bridge between basic and clinical research, the AJVR acts as a type of bridge between nations, seeking to foster global interdisciplinary cooperation in veterinary medical research. According to Dr. Merillat's editorial in the debut issue, "Portraying the worthiness of veterinary medicine throughout the world is another objective" of the AJVR, and the AJVR has routinely met this goal over the years, publishing research from authors around the world and attracting subscribers from all over the globe.

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AJVR covers through the years

Publication of the AJVR

. . . should gradually transmute the regular JOURNAL into a more useful monthly for members interested in clinical work and yet concurrently provide them with a means of keeping abreast with current advancements in veterinary science.

—Dr. Louis A. Merillat,  
1939-1950 AVMA editor-in-chief
Editors-in-Chief

ALEXANDRE F. LIAUTARD  
1877-1915

Dr. A.F. Liautard, affectionately nicknamed "Frenchy" by his American colleagues, is considered one of the titans of veterinary medicine in the United States. He was born in Paris in 1835 and graduated from the National Veterinary School of Alfort in 1856. Dr. Liautard was the only one of the AVMA founding fathers to hold an elective office for more than 20 years in succession.

Although Dr. Liautard did some outstanding work as an educator and was a two-time president of the Association, it is for his work on the American Veterinary Review that he is best known. He held the senior editorship of the Review from 1877-1915. He returned to France in 1900 and, despite his title, from that point on played no role in the daily operations of the Journal. But he did remain active in veterinary literature, continuing to publish reports and editorials in the Review and elsewhere. Even after the AVMA purchased the Review in 1915, changed the name to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and appointed a new editor, Dr. Liautard still contributed a monthly feature to the publication until his death in 1918. Veterinary professionals all over the world mourned his passing.

PIERRE AUGUSTINE FISH  
1915-1918

In 1915, Dr. P.A. Fish of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine was named the first editor of the newly renamed JAVMA. Previously the editor of Cornell Veterinarian, Dr. Fish brought impeccable credentials and a formidable intelligence to the position, and the expectation was that the new official organ of the Association would flourish under his direction. Instead, just three years later, Dr. Fish relinquished his post to join the military. After the war and through the rest of his life, Dr. Fish remained a frequent and valued contributor to the JAVMA.

WILLIAM HADDOCK DALRYMPLE  
1918-1919

Perhaps the most notable aspect of Dr. W.H. Dalrymple's tenure as editor of the JAVMA was its brief duration. The Scotsman had been one of the major players in the early years of the veterinary profession in the United States and was elected president of the Association in 1907. Unfortunately, after being named Dr. Fish's successor in 1918, Dr. Dalrymple had to relinquish the post to Dr. John R. Mohler the very next year because of ongoing health issues.

JOHN ROBBINS MOHLER  
1919-1923

Dr. J.R. Mohler was another of the greats, a Philadelphia man distinguished by his career with the Bureau of Animal Industry and his election as AVMA president at a young age. He also did excellent work on the AVMA's journals for many years as an associate editor, but, as was the theme during these years, his tour as editor of the JAVMA was over shortly after it began, and it doesn't appear that many developments of note occurred on his watch.

Dr. Mohler took up the editorship in 1919, when Dr. Dalrymple stepped down. But, just four years later, in 1923, the offices of editor and secretary were combined, and Dr. H. Preston Hoskins took up the job in Dr. Mohler's place. Dr. Mohler subsequently became an associate editor and continued to work with the Association journals for many years, in addition to serving in myriad other positions that won him many accolades in the veterinary community.

HORACE PRESTON HOSKINS  
1923-1939

In a 100th anniversary retrospective of the AVMA, Dr. J.F. Smithcors wrote of Dr. William Horace Hoskins, AVMA president from 1893-1896, that "one of his greatest legacies to the veterinary profession was his son, Horace Preston Hoskins, long-time secretary and editor of the JOURNAL." The prosperity of the journal during the younger Hoskins' lengthy reign as editor (1923-1939) confirms this statement. Dr. H.P. Hoskins, a 1910 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was the first editor to fill the role in a full-time capacity and oversaw such innovations as the use of full-color illustrations and the addition to the JAVMA of a section of abstracts.

The circulation of the Journal began to grow in earnest while Dr. Hoskins was editor, and his steady leadership was a calming influence on a publication that in recent years had seemed to be casting about somewhat. In addition to the valuable books and reports that Dr. Hoskins authored and his years heading the JAVMA, he would later go on to contribute further to the veterinary literature by editing The North American Veterinarian.

LOUIS A. MERILLAT  
1939-1950

In 1939, one of the most honored figures in American veterinary history stepped into the role of editor-in-chief. Dr. L.A. Merillat, the acclaimed co-author (with Dr. Delwin M. Campbell) of the two-volume classic "Veterinary Military History" as well as many other articles and books on veterinary scientific and professional subjects, would edit the AVMA's publications for the next 11 years, until his 1950 retirement. At that time, he was named editor-in-chief emeritus, a title he retained until his death in 1956.

Perhaps the most notable development under Dr. Merillat's watch was the introduction in 1940 of the AJVR. The Association introduced the JAVMA's sister journal ostensibly to expedite the publication of an overgrown backlog of technical articles, but under Dr. Merillat's guidance, the AJVR quickly began to garner a significant reputation of its own. More and more submissions began appearing for the AJVR from authors who previously had sought publication elsewhere, and before long, bimonthly publication was under consideration.

The year 1940 also saw the separation of the editorship and the executive secretary position when Dr. Merillat stepped down from his role of executive secretary to focus on his work with the publications. And that work bore fruit, as circulation for both Journals continued to grow under his leadership. By 1941, JAVMA subscriptions exceeded 7,000, while the subscription base for the AJVR was already approaching 2,000.

Meanwhile, Dr. Merillat wielded his pen as masterfully as ever, frequently publishing provocative but rigorously composed editorials, and his leadership style inspired in the staff of the Journals the deep loyalty so many others had felt for him during his earlier years in veterinary education, in the military, and in his role as AVMA president. The same meticulous craft that went into the composition of Dr. Merillat's editorials also shaped each issue of the Journals during his tenure. That sure hand would be missed over the next couple of years, as the AVMA Journals once again entered a time of uncertainty at the top.

RAYMOND C. KLUSSENDORF  
1950-1951

In August 1950, after Dr. Merillat's retirement, the AVMA promoted associate editor and assistant executive secretary Dr. Raymond C. Klussendorf to the editor-in-chief position. Dr. Klussendorf's work as an associate editor had prepared him well for the role, but early the next year, he announced that he would be leaving the AVMA to pursue other opportunities.

Although Dr. Klussendorf's time as editor-in-chief was short, he had worked for six years on the AVMA's publications and was highly regarded for his energy, enthusiasm, and appreciation of the problems facing veterinarians. JAVMA articles of the era stress that he was a man of vision who understood the professional and scientific developments of the time and used that knowledge effectively with his many contacts in the field. No doubt the JAVMA and AJVR would have benefited further from these traits, had Dr. Klussendorf chosen to stay on as editor-in-chief for a lengthier term.

C.R. DONHAM  
1951-1952

In the wake of Dr. Klussendorf's exit, the AVMA named Dr. C.R. Donham editor-in-chief on an interim basis in April 1951. The assignment was to last only as long as it took to complete the search for a new editor-in-chief. The AVMA was fortunate that Dr. Donham had just retired from his career as a professor in Purdue University's Department of Veterinary Science, in that he was now free to edit the JAVMA and AJVR until a suitable replacement came aboard. Dr. Donham did so ably, holding the line during a tough transitional period for the Journals.

WILLIAM A. AITKEN  
1952-1959

In February 1952, Dr. William A. Aitken, of Merrill, Iowa, accepted the Association's offer to become editor-in-chief of the Journals. He was an accomplished speaker, a prolific author of well-received scientific reports, an experienced teacher and private practitioner, and a well-known figure in national veterinary circles. In short, he was perfect for the job. Accepting the position was not an easy decision for Dr. Aitken—numerous friends reportedly had to talk him into it. Some observers may have taken this reluctance as a bad sign for the Journals, which, with three new editors in as many years, had already undergone their share of upheaval since Dr. Merillat's retirement. Dr. Aitken even stated when accepting the position that he would serve for "not more than five years."

Instead, Dr. Aitken spent more than seven years as an outstanding editor-in-chief of the Association journals. His main motivation in assuming the editorship was his desire to help the veterinary profession better understand and control such diseases as shipping fever, erysipelas, and hog cholera. Over the course of his editorship, Dr. Aitken did just that. Through a steady campaign of editorials, editor's notes, shrewd manuscript selection, preparation of abstracts, and interactions with authors, he either directly or indirectly stimulated much of the subsequent work on these diseases.

At the same time, Dr. Aitken took up the editing of the Journals with such zeal and single-mindedness that it became practically a way of life for him. His term as editor-in-chief saw the JAVMA grow from 12 issues per year to 24, while the AJVR, which had been publishing just four issues per year when Dr. Aitken came on board, grew to six issues per year. And Dr. Aitken's uncompromising editorial style—he was known to challenge practically every sentence of submitted material—paid dividends by producing journals that measured up to the highest standards, setting an example for other scientific journals around the world.

DONALD A. PRICE  
1959-1971

Prior to his time with the AVMA, Dr. Donald A. Price had already gained recognition in the veterinary literature for co-authoring an influential 1952 report that described the bluetongue virus in Texas sheep. So Dr. Price's reputation preceded him when he joined the AVMA staff in 1958 as an associate editor. He was then appointed editor-in-chief in 1959 on Dr. Aitken's retirement.

The pairing of Dr. Price with the AVMA's publications was described as a "perfect fit" by Dr. Price's friend Dr. Walter F. Juliff. "He had that curious scientific mind," Dr. Juliff said, "and also that knowledge and obsession with the English language." These qualities served the JAVMA and AJVR in good stead, as they maintained their pattern of growth and their position as two of the most prestigious veterinary medical journals in the world during Dr. Price's 13 years as editor-in-chief. In addition to the special reports and editorials Dr. Price published in JAVMA, he was the author or co-author of numerous scientific reports published in other professional journals. These valuable contributions to the literature of veterinary medicine resulted in his being the first veterinarian elected a fellow of the American Medical Writers Association.

On Jan. 1, 1972, Dr. Price moved on to become AVMA executive vice president. He left the publications in robust health.

ARTHUR FREEMAN  
1972-1984

Dr. Arthur Freeman first joined the AVMA staff in 1959 as an assistant editor responsible for helping produce the JAVMA. At that time, Drs. Price and Freeman were the only two scientific editors on the Journals' staff. During his early years as an assistant editor, Dr. Freeman reviewed the scientific articles himself, but as authors began increasingly to submit articles involving commercial products and technical subjects, Dr. Freeman found that he often needed to turn to outside reviewers for help. This led to his and Dr. Price's instituting a system whereby all submitted manuscripts were submitted to reviewers outside the AVMA office.

Dr. Freeman was promoted to editor-in-chief in 1972, when Dr. Price became executive vice president. Over the next 13 years, Dr. Freeman introduced numerous important innovations to the Journals, such as popular features that, in some cases, still run in the JAVMA today. Under Dr. Freeman's direction, the JAVMA also started regularly publishing artwork on its cover and adopted a larger (8- by 11-inch) format. This larger format led to a doubling of advertising income within two years.

Circulation continued to increase as well. Between 1972 and 1985, when Dr. Freeman moved on to become the next AVMA executive vice president, JAVMA circulation increased by more than 60 percent, from 27,000 to 44,000. Over the same time, the Publications Division budget tripled, advertising income quadrupled, subscription income unrelated to dues increased 75 percent, and the Publications Division grew to be the AVMA's largest, with 21 people. By any measure, Dr. Freeman took an already thriving operation and propelled it to an even higher level of performance.

ALBERT J. KOLTVEIT  
1985-1995

Dr. Albert J. Koltveit came to the JAVMA as an assistant editor in 1969. Prior to joining the AVMA, he had worked as a private practitioner in mixed animal practice, as a scientific writer for a private company, and as an extension veterinarian at the University of Illinois. This combination of experience prepared him well for the long, distinguished career he would have in the AVMA Publications Division.

Dr. Koltveit became editor-in-chief and director of the Publications Division on Jan. 1, 1985, when Dr. Freeman assumed the executive vice presidency. Dr. Koltveit innovated in a number of ways over the years, including reorganizing the table of contents and introducing several well-liked features such as "Reflections" and the still-popular "Animal Behavior Case of the Month." In these moves, one can see why Dr. Koltveit was known as an editor who was especially sensitive to the needs of his readers, someone who was willing to change the presentation and offerings of the Journals to provide clarity and the type of information his readers sought.

In retrospect, however, it seems that one of Dr. Koltveit's greatest accomplishments may have been simply having the vision to foresee the electronic future of publishing and to prepare the AVMA publications accordingly. Although he didn't have the budget at the time to embrace the newest technologies as fully as he would have liked, he was a vocal advocate for the possibilities of electronic communications in his final years as editor-in-chief, and this approach paved the way for the JAVMA's transition into the 21st century. He was especially proud of hiring his successor, Dr. Janis H. Audin, who went on to leverage these technologies and oversee the eventual conversion to desktop publishing. "It was the crowning achievement of my career," he would later say.

Dr. Koltveit retired from the AVMA in April 1995.

JANIS H. AUDIN  
1995-2009

In 1985, Dr. Janis H. Audin began her career with the AVMA Publications Division as an assistant editor. She was a Boston native who came to Illinois to earn degrees in art history and biology. This unusual breadth of interests was emblematic of the variety of talents Dr. Audin brought to her work with the Journals, and she used those many talents tirelessly during her time with the AVMA to improve the accessibility, reach, and reputation of the Journals.

In April 1995, on Dr. Koltveit's retirement, Dr. Audin began her tenure as editor-in-chief. In addition to successfully overseeing the conversion to desktop publishing and seeing that all the Journals' content from each issue appeared online, Dr. Audin adapted that content for an increasingly specialized readership by initiating practice-relevant features in areas such as dentistry and anesthesiology. She also saw to it that the Publications Division adopted new technologies to speed up manuscript processing and improve reporting abilities for the News Department. Her move to online manuscript submission and tracking saved a great deal of paper, time, and money that would have been used in the process of seeing a manuscript from submission to publication.

The creativity suggested by Dr. Audin's interest in art history came to the fore during her years as editor-in-chief. This is most obvious in the way she used her art background to help transform the JAVMA and AJVR from the sometimes dry, scholarly periodicals they were in 1985 to the more visually appealing volumes readers see today. She was invited to participate in the yearly International Exhibition on Animals in Art at Louisiana State University, choosing one work each year to appear on the JAVMA cover. This creativity was also evident in the many ways she found to serve the Association, contributing to entities such as the Long-Range Planning Committee and task forces devoted to strategic planning, communications, and headquarters renovations, all while continuing to perform her duties as editor-in-chief.

Unfortunately, Dr. Audin's time at the AVMA ended far too soon, as she died in April 2009 after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Her work during most of those three years was as inspired—and inspiring—as ever, and in her final months she was named editor-in-chief emeritus. Dr. Audin mentored many veterinarians as editors of the Journals, but she was also an unforgettable mentor to many copy editors, designers, reporters, and other staff members who were fortunate enough to work with her during her editorship. The JAVMA and the Association still keenly feel her absence.

KURT J. MATUSHEK  
2009-present

In August 2009, Dr. Kurt J. Matushek, who had been acting as interim editor-in-chief while the AVMA conducted a search for Dr. Audin's successor, was officially named the 14th editor-in-chief. A former practitioner and board-certified surgeon who originally joined the AVMA Publications Division in 1992 as an assistant editor, Dr. Matushek quickly became an authority on AVMA Journal policies and style. If Dr. Matushek's punctilious editing habits are unmistakably reflected in the Journals' style, then that is because he played such a prominent role in the development of that style. As an associate editor, he was responsible for developing and implementing the structured format for abstracts published in the JAVMA and AJVR, and he oversaw the writing of the original version of the JAVMA style manual.

Although he hasn't been editor-in-chief for very long, Dr. Matushek is already making his mark as head of the Publications Division. In 2010, in response to reader misunderstandings about the relationship between the AVMA and content published in the Journals, Dr. Matushek led the move for the AVMA Executive Board to adopt a "Policy on Editorial Independence" for the AVMA Journals, reinforcing the editorial autonomy of the AVMA Journals and granting the editor-in-chief full authority over their editorial content. In addition, Dr. Matushek has overseen an extensive redesign of the News section in the JAVMA with the goal of providing a more reader-centered, content-relevant, and visually appealing experience, and a redesign of the AJVR cover to create a distinctive look that would be easily identifiable and eye-catching while reflecting the vital research published in the AJVR.
Chapter 5  
COMING TOGETHER

Katie Burns

The American Veterinary Medical Association has held a convention every year since 1863 with only three exceptions—for war, a disease outbreak, and an error in the date on notices for the meeting. Locations have ranged across the United States and into Canada. Attendance has grown from a few dozen members in the beginning to as many as 10,000 veterinarians, spouses and guests, children, veterinary students, exhibitors, veterinary technicians, veterinary technician students, office managers and staff, and others.

At first, the annual meetings revolved around Association governance and the presentation of papers. Gradually, however, governance became separated from the rest of the convention.

The educational sessions are the heart of the modern AVMA convention. The 1898 meeting was the first to include a surgical clinic, and the 1910 program was the first to include sections focusing on various practice segments. Most early papers and sessions focused on horses or production animals, but the section on small animals started in 1922 and now, as the companion animal practice section, offers the most sessions.

Entertainment always has been part and parcel of the convention. Banquets, with toasts by members, were the highlight of the earliest meetings. For decades, the AVMA president hosted a ball, until it gave way to a family night. Gatherings of alumni from veterinary colleges are a long-standing tradition.

Among the other mainstays of the convention have been the award presentations, commercial exhibits, and meetings of related groups. Programming for veterinary technicians dates back to the 1970s.

This chapter draws heavily on a series of JAVMA articles by Dr. J.F. Smithcors about the first 100 years of the AVMA. The articles themselves relied largely on reports in the American Veterinary Review and later in the JAVMA and on the proceedings of the AVMA meetings. This chapter also draws directly on reports from these journals as well as the convention newspaper, convention programs, and other sources.

•

This being the only Veterinary Association representing the national interests of veterinarians in the United States, its meetings should command the attention and attendance of every member of the profession.

—Dr. Alexandre F. Liautard

•

1860s

About 40 men gathered at the Astor House hotel in New York City from June 9-10, 1863, for the inaugural meeting of the United States Veterinary Medical Association. While largely organizational, the meeting included readings of papers on "The Origin and Importance of Veterinary Science" and "Veterinary Education."

For the next 25 years, the Association held a semiannual meeting in March and an annual meeting in September. Generally, the semiannual meeting was in Boston, and the annual meeting was in New York. The 1864 meetings, however, were both in New York and featured papers on the composition of the tissues of animals, rabies, suppression of urine in horses, and the status of veterinary medicine.

Dr. Arthur S. Copeman presided over the 1865 annual meeting at Young's Hotel in Boston and read a paper on "Philosophy of the Sciences." The USVMA admitted its first new member.

The 1866 annual meeting was at the New York College of Veterinary Surgeons, where Dr. Alexandre F. Liautard was the nominal head. Many of the later meetings were there or at the American Veterinary College, after Dr. Liautard became head of the AVC in 1875.

During the 1867 annual meeting in New York, Drs. Alfred Large and Liautard reported on a disease affecting horses on Long Island. They referred to the disease as cerebrospinal meningitis—probably forage poisoning, which later sporadically reached alarming proportions in the Midwest and South as "horse plague." At the same meeting, Dr. Charles M. Wood read a paper on scrotal hernia.

The USVMA held the 1868 semiannual meeting in New York and the 1868 annual meeting in Boston. In attendance at the semiannual meeting was Dr. John Gamgee, a Scottish professor investigating contagious animal diseases for the U.S. government.

The 1869 semiannual meeting was again in Boston, while the annual meeting was back in New York. In response to an earlier proposal to publish papers from the USVMA meetings, the Committee on Intelligence and Education reported that it had received no papers worthy of publication.

The United States Veterinary Medical Association held its inaugural meeting at the Astor House hotel (center) in New York City.  
Courtesy of the Library of Congress,  
Prints and Photographs Division

1870s

The 1870 semiannual meeting of the USVMA was held in Philadelphia, breaking the pattern of meeting alternately in Boston and New York City. In part, this may have been a response to rumblings of discontent about domination of the Association by a group of members from New York and Massachusetts. The semiannual meeting did not have a quorum, however, and meetings reverted to the old pattern afterward. No papers were presented at the 1870 annual meeting in New York.

In 1871, Dr. Liautard presented a paper on cerebrospinal meningitis in horses on Long Island, following up on the report from the 1867 annual meeting.

The USVMA held most of the 1872-1874 meetings in the customary rotation, but few records of those meetings appear to exist. Dr. Elisha F. Thayer presented a case of parotid duct fistula. Attendees continued discussing cerebrospinal meningitis but do not seem to have mentioned the 1872 epizootic of horse influenza in New York. The Association failed to hold an annual meeting in 1874 because of an error in the date on notices for the meeting. The semiannual meeting of 1875 attracted only the Comitia Minora.

The 1875 annual meeting of the USVMA was at the American Veterinary College, newly formed under Dr. Liautard's leadership by secession from the New York College of Veterinary Surgeons, and for the next several years, the American Veterinary College was, in many ways, the unofficial headquarters for the Association. Also in 1875, the USVMA created a committee to award prizes each year for the two best papers on any veterinary subject, with the winners receiving a medal, books, or instruments. There was little competition, however, for the prizes.

During the 1876 annual meeting at the American Veterinary College, it was resolved that the USVMA print the American Veterinary Review, with Dr. Liautard named as editor. Coincidentally, Dr. Liautard was also elected AVMA president. The meeting resumed 10 days later at the Continental Hotel in Philadelphia, where attendees presented papers on half a dozen subjects. The Association printed the papers in the first issue of the Review.

In a paper on spinal meningitis presented in 1877, Dr. Allen A. Holcombe urged the necessity "for the elevation of the profession that our knowledge of the pathology of certain diseases should be improved ... by careful and exact research."

The 1878 meetings featured presentations of papers on spavin, "Parenchymatous Injections," "Melanemia," and "Acute Inflammation of the Air Passages and Pulmonary Emphysema, Arising from the Inhalation of Vegetable Smoke."

In 1879, Dr. Liautard added a note to an announcement of the annual meeting that read, in part: "This being the only Veterinary Association representing the national interests of veterinarians in the United States, its meetings should command the attention and attendance of every member of the profession." At the time, attendance at meetings rarely exceeded 25 to 30 men.

1880s

The 1880 meetings featured papers on chloral hydrate anesthesia, veterinary education, osteosarcoma, and alcohol and belladonna in the treatment of tetanus. Dr. Lachlan McLean presented specimens of shoes used in the treatment of spavin. Attendees discussed tenotomy, embolism, and soundness.

In 1881, Dr. Liautard asked, "Why is it that the meetings are so deficient in professional discussions, and so lamentably remarkable for the absence of papers of acknowledged importance?"

Dr. Liautard reported in 1882 on results of a questionnaire that he had distributed to members on animal diseases in the United States. He received 30 replies from 15 states. The most common diseases were equine influenza, glanders and farcy, anthrax, Texas fever, hog cholera, chicken cholera, and cerebrospinal meningitis.

The 1883 semiannual and annual meetings of the USVMA were yet again in Boston and New York, respectively. Dr. Liautard noted in the American Veterinary Review that a number of "Western" states—Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio—were in the process of calling state veterinary conventions.

During the 1884 semiannual meeting in Boston, a major topic of interest was the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Portland, Maine, among cattle imported from England. For the first time, the USVMA held the annual meeting neither in Boston nor New York but at the Grand Hotel in Cincinnati.

In 1885, Dr. Frank S. Billings demonstrated lesions of pneumonia and pleuropneumonia. Dr. Liautard added a gold medal to the prize of $50 that the Association was offering for the best paper. Subjects of discussion included intratracheal and intravenous medication, polyuria, castration, euthanasia, nymphomania, tuberculosis, and azoturia.

The 1886 semiannual meeting in Boston did not technically occur, owing to a lack of proper notification. Nevertheless, the day was spent in the presentation of cases and papers. The annual meeting at the Rossmore Hotel in New York attracted about 40 members from six states. The USVMA awarded the first-ever prize for a paper to Dr. Tait S. Butler for his essay on parturient apoplexy in cattle.

Dr. Liautard deemed the 1887 semiannual meeting at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Department to be very productive but the annual meeting at the American Veterinary College in New York to be very unproductive.

The 1888 semiannual meeting in Baltimore was also considered to be quite successful, helping to set the stage for moving the meetings from place to place. The meeting featured two papers from Dr. Daniel E. Salmon, one on hog cholera and one on pleuropneumonia. At the annual meeting in New York, the subject of tuberculosis received considerable attention.

At the 1889 semiannual meeting, the last to be held at Young's Hotel in Boston, it was recommended that the USVMA hold only one meeting yearly. The recommendation was adopted at the annual meeting in Brooklyn.

1890s

The USVMA held the 1890 annual meeting in Chicago. For the first time, the American Veterinary Review carried a preview. Another innovation was the 120-page report on the meeting published as an extra issue of the Review. The Chicago Tribune also reported briefly on the meeting, noting that "about 100 veterinary surgeons were present."

The 1891 meeting at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., drew about 75 veterinarians on the first day and more on the second. The meeting featured papers on barren mares, cattle transportation, rachitis, and animal identification.

The 1892 meeting in Boston featured the presentation of papers on food inspection and on veterinary science in agricultural colleges. Speaking on the work of the federal Bureau of Animal Industry, Dr. Salmon added "it is one of the objects for which this Association exists, to promote and encourage scientific research."

The USVMA held its 30th anniversary meeting in Chicago at the time of the 1893 world's fair, referring to the meeting as the First International Veterinary Congress of America, even though no foreign veterinarians were in attendance. The BAI had an extensive exhibit at the fair depicting its work in the eradication of animal diseases.

The 1894 meeting in Philadelphia included papers on neurotomy and "Peculiarities of the Diseases of the Rocky Mountain Regions." The Committee on Tuberculosis also presented papers. The meeting adjourned for a visit by attendees to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Department and to the Zoological Garden.

Only 25 members answered roll call during the first day of the 1895 meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. Moreover, the USVMA was without funds, primarily because of the cost of printing the proceedings of the meetings of 1892 and 1893. The Association increased annual dues from $3 to $5. Attendees at the 1895 meeting spent most of one day in a discussion of tuberculosis.

The 1896 meeting in Buffalo, N.Y., also included a discussion of tuberculosis. Dr. W.H. Dalrymple, speaking on "Some Experiences in the South," observed that veterinary medicine was still in its infancy in the Southern states. Women attended the meeting for the first time.

Tuberculosis was again the major topic during the 1897 meeting in Nashville, Tenn., with a discussion among five future Association presidents on eradication of the disease.

The 1898 meeting in Omaha, Neb., was the last meeting of the Association as the USVMA, as members voted to change the Association's name to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Salmon reviewed the recent progress of research on animal disease, saying, "There is nothing more remarkable than the influence which the study of animal diseases has had upon the advancement of human medicine." The AVMA held its first surgical clinic. An exhibit of interest was a portable "vapor and medicated bath" for horses.

The 1899 meeting at the Academy of Medicine in New York City included readings of "A Plea for the More General Use of Anesthesia in Veterinary Surgery" and "The Veterinarian of the Future." The second clinical program was at the American Horse Exchange.

Left: Proceedings of the 1893 meeting  
Right: A preview of the 1898 meeting

1900s

The first day of the 1900 meeting in Detroit attracted an attendance of more than 200 "members, visitors and ladies." The meeting included displays of instruments and a demonstration of a method for removing venom from a live rattlesnake.

During the 1901 meeting in Atlantic City, N.J., Dr. L.A. Merillat observed in a report, "The gain in surgery and the lost confidence in internal medicine, so apparent in human medicine, is not yet apparent in veterinary practice, as inquiry among the veterinarians of this country brings out the confession that many practitioners never operate at all." Clinical demonstrations of equine surgery included neurotomy and cunean tenotomy for spavin, myoneurotomy for crib biting, and caudal myotomy for tail straightening.

At the 1902 meeting in Minneapolis, Dr. Roscoe A. Bell noted the opposition of the Pennsylvania VMA to clinical demonstrations and discussions of local interest during the AVMA meetings. Dr. W. Horace Hoskins had urged elimination of the clinics and clinical papers in favor of "broader association work along truly national lines." Dr. Bell worried, however, that such a step would leave little more than "the reading and discussion of papers on state medicine and national legislation."

The first AVMA meeting in Canada was in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1903. The "sensation of the meeting" was Dr. Salmon's paper providing results of the Bureau of Animal Industry's efforts to disprove the contention that tuberculosis was not transmissible between cattle and humans.

The 1904 meeting was in St. Louis at the time of the world's fair. Dr. Merillat condemned the AVMA clinics as being "not a fair presentation of the highest standard of American veterinary surgery." The clinics that year included fairly routine operations, plus a demonstration of insertion of a stomach tube.

The 1905 meeting in Cleveland featured reports on "Accidents and Sequelae of Surgical Operations" and "The Profession and the Advancement of Science," other papers, and demonstrations of operations.

An officer from a humane society interrupted the clinic during the 1906 meeting in New Haven, Conn. He claimed "he had been informed that unnecessary operations were being performed, or that animals were being caused to suffer pain simply to demonstrate surgical procedures ... but when shown what was being done he changed his mind."

The attendance of nearly 800 at the 1907 meeting in Kansas City, Mo., was almost twice that of any previous meeting—but only 180 of the attendees were members. The reports covered topics such as tuberculosis, milk inspection, infectious ulceration in sheep, and roaring in horses.

More than 600 registrants, including 243 members, attended the 1908 meeting in Philadelphia. A special feature of the clinic was an exhibit of eight animals with epizootic lymphangitis.

During the 1909 meeting in Chicago, Dr. John G. Rutherford suggested dividing the program into sections in the future, following up on a suggestion that had been made by Dr. Butler in 1901. This time, the suggestion took hold, and the 1910 meeting was the first to feature sections.

Program for the 1904 meeting in St. Louis

1910s

The first AVMA meeting in the far western United States was in 1910 in San Francisco. The program had sections on medicine, pathology, milk hygiene, and surgery. Several cars of the "American Veterinary Special" train derailed in Montana en route to San Francisco, but no one was hurt.

The AVMA membership was 1,189 by the 1911 meeting in Toronto, thrice the membership of a decade earlier, probably resulting in part from the practice of moving the meeting site from year to year. The "ladies" in attendance at the 1911 meeting outnumbered AVMA members, but not total veterinarians. The profession remained almost exclusively male. The first female AVMA member was Dr. Elinor McGrath, who joined in 1910.

At the 1912 meeting in Indianapolis, the section on sanitary science had a symposium on hog cholera, while the section on medicine had a symposium on glanders. The three sessions of the section on surgery were devoted to clinical demonstrations at the Indiana Veterinary College.

Members reflected on the history of the AVMA and the veterinary profession during the 50th anniversary meeting in 1913 in New York City. Reports covered the 1912 Kansas horse plague, or encephalomyelitis, as well as various diseases and conditions, therapeutics, and surgical techniques.

While the 1914 meeting was scheduled for December in New Orleans, the meeting was canceled because of an epizootic of foot-and-mouth disease.

At the 1915 meeting in Oakland, Calif., the report of the Committee on Diseases featured a symposium on hog cholera, an extensive report on the 1914-1915 foot-and-mouth disease epizootic, and a discussion of abortion in cattle.

The journal Veterinary Medicine carried a full report of the 1916 meeting in Detroit. This was despite a decision by the AVMA to restrict the publication of papers and committee reports presented at meetings to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, formerly the American Veterinary Review.

Tuberculosis was a principal topic of the 1917 meeting in Kansas City, Mo. The meeting included a symposium on animal parasitism and an unusual paper on the application of osteopathy in veterinary practice.

The AVMA Women's Auxiliary formed at a luncheon in 1917 and met during the 1918 AVMA meeting in Philadelphia. The initial objective was "to give necessary financial assistance to the family of any veterinarian engaged in the war work if his life has been forfeited in pursuance of such work, or if he has become temporarily or permanently disabled." In 1920, the Auxiliary would establish a student loan fund.

The 1919 meeting in New Orleans had two general sessions on the Army Veterinary Service, one on diseases in the South, and one on the application of sanitary science to infectious equine anemia. Dr. Clarence J. Marshall reported on 31 cattle deaths from malignant catarrhal fever on a Pennsylvania farm.

AVMA Clinic, San Francisco, Sept. 4, 1910

1920s

At the 1920 meeting in Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Ralph R. Dykstra advocated for adequate anesthesia in veterinary surgery. The general practice and surgery section included papers on health issues in species ranging from horses to swine to dogs. The sanitary science section included a number of papers on brucellosis as well as papers on anthrax and avian epithelioma.

Dr. Luis Santa Maria, the first Mexican veterinarian to present a paper at an AVMA meeting, spoke at the 1921 meeting in Denver to urge cooperation between the United States and Mexico for the control of epizootics. Drs. A.F. Schalk and R.S. Amadon presented "Gastric Motility Studies in the Goat and the Horse," which was the first in a notable series of studies.

The AVMA devoted a meeting section to small animal practice for the first time during the 1922 meeting in St. Louis. The meeting had a demonstration of a cesarean operation with intratracheal anesthesia in a dog and a talk on the value of "animal experimentation" to veterinary medicine.

The 1923 meeting in Montreal attracted about 800 attendees. A comprehensive paper contrasted progress in human and veterinary anesthesia. Dr. F.W. Schofield described sweet clover poisoning, a new disease of cattle in Canada caused by ingestion of damaged sweet clover. Papers were presented on the bovine estrous cycle, sterility in mares, bovine abortion, and diseases of laboratory animals.

The 1924 meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, had a registration of more than 1,200. Dr. A. Eichhorn spoke in favor of rabies control through vaccination of dogs. Among the topics of papers presented at the meeting were agricultural extension and health issues in species as diverse as geese and sheep.

The chairman of the first section on small animal practice, Dr. E.A. Ehmer, stated during the 1925 meeting in Portland, Ore., that small animal practice was now considered the most progressive branch of veterinary medicine. Reports included a discussion of canine distemper.

About 800 attendees came to the 1926 meeting in Lexington, Ky. By this time, a large proportion of members and families traveled to the convention by automobile rather than railroad. One of the general sessions amounted to a symposium on breeding, with papers including "The Inheritance of Coat Colors in Domestic Live Stock."

During the 1927 meeting in Philadelphia, Dr. Bernhard Bang of Denmark, who discovered Brucella abortus, presented reports on abortion and tuberculosis. The meeting also featured a report on epidural anesthesia, which had been demonstrated at the previous meeting.

The 1928 meeting in Minneapolis broke attendance records with a registration of more than 1,400. An unusually large number of college alumni associations held meetings, followed by the president's reception and dance. The Subcommittee on Banquet arranged an event that drew 400 people for the meal and toasts. The climax of the convention was a clinic with sections on horses, cattle, small animals, sheep, swine, and poultry.

Dr. H.J. Stafseth, chairman of the first poultry section, spoke during the 1929 meeting in Detroit on the desire of poultrymen for efficient veterinary service. Dr. Maurice C. Hall declared that parasitic diseases were approximately as important as bacterial diseases.

The 57th annual meeting of the AVMA, Columbus, Ohio, August 23 – 27, 1920

1930s

At the 1930 meeting in Los Angeles, Dr. Ward Giltner reported that the American Association for the Advancement of Science had asked the AVMA to prepare the program for the section on medicine for the 1929 AAAS meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, but that the audience for the section had consisted primarily of the speakers and the staff of Iowa State University. "There is one thing that is very evident and that is that the medical profession is not particularly interested in our problems," Dr. Giltner said.

During the 1931 meeting in Kansas City, Mo., Dr. Kurt Wagener of Berlin presented papers on foot-and-mouth disease and vesicular stomatitis.

The first section on military medicine, at the 1932 meeting in Atlanta, featured papers on improvements in Army veterinary service, "Reminiscences on the World War," and "Some Lessons on Peace."

The Great Depression was the primary topic of the 1933 meeting in Chicago. Dr. J.M. Arburua presented a comprehensive "History of Veterinary Medicine in the United States."

The AVMA conducted the program of its 1934 meeting jointly with sessions of the 12th International Veterinary Congress in New York City. A post-congress clinic was held at Columbia University.

At the 1935 meeting in Oklahoma City, Dr. H.E. Kingman Sr. stated that he had been practicing artificial insemination in cattle for some time at the Wyoming Hereford Ranch, "but the results are far from satisfactory." Dr. Cassius Way, working with dairy herds, reported 40 to 50 percent success. Dr. E.R. Frank noted that a student at Kansas State University had artificially inseminated a dog.

A total of about 1,850 attendees, including 700 "ladies and children," came to the 1936 meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The general session concluded with two film reels depicting the activities of the bovine rumen and reticulum. The commercial exhibitors had an entire floor, with each having a separate room.

During the 1937 meeting in Omaha, Neb., Dr. Helen Richt was elected as secretary of the section on small animals. She was the first woman to hold an AVMA office.

At the 1938 meeting in New York City, Dr. J.R. Mohler spoke about the progress of veterinary medicine during the 75-year history of the AVMA. He mentioned achievements such as the eradication or control of various animal diseases, the demonstration of insect vectors of disease, the development of biologics and serologic tests for various diseases, and the development of federal meat inspection.

Rabies was a subject of intense interest during the 1939 meeting in Memphis, Tenn. Recent outbreaks had occurred in various parts of the country. The clinic during the meeting offered a demonstration of artificial insemination of cattle.

1940s

Brucellosis was a major topic for the section on research at the 1940 meeting in Washington, D.C., which drew 1,982 attendees. The 1941 meeting in Indianapolis, which drew 1,946 attendees, featured a number of reports on mastitis.

The 1942 meeting in Chicago was the first "war session." Papers included "Veterinary Resources as Aids to Victory," "The Veterinary Profession in Canada and Its Trend in Wartime," and "The Veterinary Profession and its Present Responsibilities." Dr. Mark Welsh, while speaking on "Modern War and Farm-Animal Diseases," mentioned a need for more diagnostic laboratories, better mortality and morbidity statistics, and more adequate laws governing the use of drugs.

The 1943 meeting in St. Louis had only general sessions because "section work was abolished to make way for the special problems of the war," according to a report in the JAVMA. The meeting had no entertainment or commercial displays, and a quiet dinner in place of the usual banquet. The attendance was about 700.

Despite wartime travel restrictions, attendance at the 1944 meeting in Chicago exceeded 1,500, including 998 veterinarians. A series of panel discussions covered the topics of obstetrics, swine diseases, brucellosis, and poultry diseases.

The AVMA canceled the 1945 meeting to comply with a governmental request that all organizations do so to relieve transportation problems, but the AVMA House of Representatives did hold a meeting.

The 1946 meeting in Boston offered symposia on poultry practice, Newcastle disease, canine distemper, penicillin use in small animal practice, artificial insemination, and brucellosis.

The Women's VMA first met during the 1947 AVMA meeting in Cincinnati. The AVMA meeting included a symposium on foot-and-mouth disease featuring Dr. George W. Gillie, who for years had been the only veterinarian to serve in Congress and who had sponsored a bill authorizing U.S. cooperation with Mexico during the recent FMD epizootic. Several papers and a panel discussion covered Newcastle disease.

At the 1948 meeting in San Francisco, Dr. K.F. Meyer asserted, "The ideal of medicine is the prevention of disease, and the necessity for curative treatment is a tacit admission of its failure."

An innovation at the 1949 meeting in Detroit was a telecast of a presentation on fracture fixation over a local television station as an integral part of the session on small animals—presaging the extensive use of closed-circuit television in subsequent years.

Convention Newspaper

The AVMA convention newspaper has, for more than half a century, shared myriad stories and images of the Association's annual meeting.

The paper dates back to at least 1952. What appear to be the first issues were one-sided leaflets without any photographs. The topics of coverage that year included registration information and numbers, commercial and educational exhibits, the golf tournament, television presentations, election of AVMA officers, the Auxiliary meeting, award winners, and remarks during the opening session by a veterinarian from Japan.

By 1953, the newspaper was a two-sided publication with black-and-white photographs. The paper soon grew in length and scope. The articles then and now offer coverage of continuing education, entertainment, and other activities at the convention as well as the annual session of the House of Delegates. Articles also highlight a variety of events and attractions in the convention city.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the newspaper provided exhaustive schedules, including schedules for groups meeting at the convention. For a few years, the paper ran the entirety of the attendee registration list. From very early until today, the paper has featured many candid photos of convention attendees, with the picture pages starting in the 1960s.

In 1973, color appeared for the first time in the newspaper's banner, and the first advertisements ran inside the paper. Color ads soon followed, while color crept into the rest of the paper.

Over time, the convention newspaper added profiles of local veterinarians and articles about local veterinary and animal topics. The 1990 papers provided a collection of comments from attendees, in what would later become a recurring feature.

The print newspaper continues to be available at each convention, while a Web version is available during and after the convention. Many of the articles run later in the JAVMA News, often with additional details.

A television demonstration at the 1959 meeting in Kansas City, Mo.

1950s

The 1950 meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., drew an attendance of 1,790, including 887 veterinarians. Highlights included a display of educational exhibits and an "agua fiesta" with swimming and diving displays and water ballet. Almost 30 related groups met during the convention. Hundreds of convention attendees participated in a trip afterward to Cuba.

Closed-circuit television was first used during the 1951 meeting in Milwaukee. The first telecast was a demonstration of anesthesia. Other telecasts were on canine surgery, poultry diagnosis, and large animal surgery. A special conference covered military requirements and civil defense in the state of Cold War, including a discussion of biological warfare.

The 1952 meeting in Atlantic City, N.J., had a total of 15 television presentations. The AVMA also distributed what appear to be the first convention newspapers (see sidebar).

The 1953 meeting in Toronto was a joint meeting of the AVMA and the Canadian VMA, the latter of which had incorporated in 1948. Dr. G.A. Young spoke on a "new philosophy" for eradicating swine diseases through "preparturient removal of baby pigs by hysterectomy, early isolation of the pigs, and adaptation for raising on the farm with reasonable precautions to prevent exposure to disease."

A joint conference on public relations and ethics during the 1954 meeting in Seattle featured discussions of the dispensation of medications. Speaking on livestock medications, Dr. F.B. Young said, "If you depend upon the sale of drugs for your principal income, you can expect competition." Dr. A.G. Misener said small animal practitioners should be "prepared to dispense those medications that are required after a diagnosis is made."

The 1955 meeting in Minneapolis broke records with 2,057 veterinarians and a total of 3,715 present. Charles W. Mayo, MD, spoke on the international role of veterinarians in achieving world peace. "You must be called on and depended on to train teachers who, in turn will instruct others of their own nationalities so that ... the practice of veterinary medicine will be initiated where it does not now exist and will continue to improve and progress where it is present."

The 1956 meeting in San Antonio drew 1,496 veterinarians and 2,684 total attendees. A number of them participated in a post-convention trip to Mexico.

L.E. Burney, MD, U.S. surgeon general, spoke on "Unanswered Public Health Problems" at the 1957 meeting in Cleveland. He said the control of animal diseases transmissible to humans depended on the veterinary profession, and veterinarians needed to continue with that task and with work on chronic diseases and environmental health.

The 1958 meeting in Philadelphia, which drew 3,614 attendees, had a pre-convention conference on public relations. The JAVMA listed examples of national press coverage of the convention by magazines, news services, and broadcast programs.

The AVMA held the 1959 meeting in Kansas City, Mo., in conjunction with the third Pan American Veterinary Congress. J.A. McCain, president of Kansas State University, said, "People generally haven't accepted the fact that veterinary medicine is a profession, with intellectual and educational qualifications as demanding as those of other learned occupations."

AVMA conventions

1960s

The 1960 meeting in Denver attracted 5,009 attendees. An editorial afterward in the JAVMA explained the "when and where" of the AVMA convention. At the time, the House of Delegates chose the location for each convention by considering invitations from local veterinary associations and rotating among five zones of the country. The Executive Board chose the dates, usually in the summer, by considering a variety of factors—including the fact that conventions were becoming family affairs.

At the 1961 meeting in Detroit, the Council on Veterinary Service sponsored a panel on canine hip dysplasia; the report of the panel discussion helped standardize methods of evaluating dogs for the condition. The American Board (now College) of Laboratory Animal Medicine arranged a symposium on diseases of laboratory animals.

Small animals were the subject of more than a third of the scientific exhibits at the 1962 meeting in Miami Beach, Fla. Practitioners, universities, federal agencies, and other institutions prepared the exhibits. From 1962-1963, AVMA television programming ran in hotel rooms.

The AVMA marked its centennial during the 1963 meeting in New York City, site of the first meeting. President John F. Kennedy proclaimed the week of the convention to be "Veterinary Medicine Week."

The 1964 meeting in Chicago offered a tour of the AVMA headquarters in a leased office at 600 S. Michigan Ave. Closed-circuit television sessions drew hundreds of attendees for demonstrations on live dogs, cows, horses, a pig, and a sheep. The new AVMA Placement Service helped veterinarians arrange interviews with potential employers.

The 1965 meeting in Portland, Ore., provided a half-day program on "The Role of the Veterinarian in Disaster Medicine." The first speaker was Dr. James R. Scott, who had experienced the magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Alaska the previous year. The meeting also provided a symposium on swine in biomedical research. The post-convention trip to Hawaii drew many veterinarians and their families.

At the 1966 meeting in Louisville, Ky., Chet Huntley of NBC News spoke during the plenary session on the war in Vietnam. The meeting attendance was 3,656, despite an airline strike. The section on small animals offered walk-in clinics for attendees on ophthalmology, clinical photography, and clinical pathology.

The 1967 meeting in Dallas offered a seminar on the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966. The American Veterinary Radiology Society staffed a radiology consultation room.

David Brinkley of NBC News spoke during the plenary session at the 1968 meeting in Boston, discussing racism in the United States and the war in Vietnam. Many convention attendees toured the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital.

During the 1969 meeting in Minneapolis, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges presented a symposium on research. Dr. Calvin W. Schwabe led off the symposium with a presentation on "What Kind of Veterinary Medical Research Will Be Socially Most Useful in the Seventies?" Thirty-four veterinary students met to form the National Conference of Student Chapters of the AVMA, shortly afterward to become the Student AVMA.

Teen mixer at the 1975 convention in Anaheim, Calif.

1970s

The plenary session of the 1970 meeting in Las Vegas included special presentations on the future of veterinary medicine. Speakers covered ecology, the dimensions of the profession, unrest on college campuses, and animal technicians (the term used at that time). A record 320 golfers participated in the golf tournament, despite the temperature reaching 110°F. During the 1970s, the AVMA president's dance gave way to a family night with various activities.

The 1971 meeting in Detroit was the second joint meeting of the AVMA and the Canadian VMA. Seminars were a new addition to the scientific program, with admission fees going to the AVMA Foundation. Also new were the autotutorial exhibits, self-instruction programs with visual and audio components.

The 1972 meeting in New Orleans included a screening of "The Covenant," the AVMA's first public relations film. The autotutorial exhibits were popular with attendees, and interactive laboratory sessions made their debut.

The 1973 meeting in Philadelphia offered six interactive labs covering feline urolithiasis, thoracic surgery, canine reproduction, use of Rush pins and Küntscher nails for fracture repair, surgery for treatment of intervertebral disk disease, and cardiology. Protesters picketed the convention. According to a report in the JAVMA, "At one point, the protestors wanted to set up a debate over the issues, but the issues of their protest were never made clear."

Among the entertainment at the 1974 meeting in Denver was a family night featuring a barbecue dinner and show riders. A JAVMA report attributed the success of the scientific program partially to the fact that members of the program committee now served four-year terms instead of one-year terms. Committee members currently serve three-year terms.

The seven sections of the scientific program provided 160 individual presentations at the 1975 meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Many of the presentations were part of half-day themes on subjects such as animal welfare. The autotutorial exhibits expanded to computer-assisted instruction at the 1976 meeting in Cincinnati, introducing many veterinarians to working with computers.

The 1977 meeting in Atlanta offered entertainment ranging from men's and women's tennis outings to family and youth tours to teen and pre-teen mixers.

The first AVMA symposium for animal technicians took place during the 1978 meeting in Dallas. Animal technicians spoke about their role in surgery, clinical pathology, care of the pregnant bitch and neonatal problems, and radiography. In the exhibit hall, eight poster sessions provided an alternative to oral presentation of scientific papers.

During the 1979 meeting in Seattle, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamped envelope honoring veterinary medicine. The Seattle Coliseum housed more than 200 booths displaying various veterinary products and services. The American Veterinary Runners Association organized what was likely the first race at an AVMA convention.

Actresses Betty White and Mary Tyler Moore attended a meeting of the Morris Animal Foundation during the 1983 convention.

1980s

President Jimmy Carter wrote a letter on the occasion of the 1980 convention in Washington, D.C., stating that the AVMA "has every right to be proud of its outstanding contributions to animal medicine and care in this nation." At the meeting, Dr. John Melcher spoke about his work as a U.S. senator.

By the 1981 meeting in St. Louis, the autotutorial program had expanded to offer more than 200 videotapes and 80 programs with slides and audiotapes. By the 1982 meeting in Salt Lake City, the sections had expanded to cover small animal medicine, large animal medicine, clinical science and research, public health, regulatory veterinary medicine, avian medicine, and laboratory animal medicine.

In advance of the 1983 AVMA meeting in New York City, the AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association held a workshop for reporters on "Companion Animal Medicine in the '80s." Actresses Betty White and Mary Tyler Moore attended a meeting of the Morris Animal Foundation during the convention and later toured the AVMA exhibits.

The 1984 meeting in New Orleans featured a two-day symposium on Salmonella with topics including methods of Salmonella detection and prevention in food animals as well as new methods of reducing Salmonella contamination of animal-origin foods.

Seminars benefiting the AVMA Foundation covered practice management along with small animal, food animal, and equine medicine during the 1985 meeting in Las Vegas.

The AVMA offered free registration for recent veterinary graduates for the first time at the 1986 meeting in Atlanta. The attendance was 5,503, including 489 recent graduates. An overflow crowd turned out for the Symposium on Use of Unapproved Drugs in Domestic Animals. Two years later, Congress would authorize the Food and Drug Administration to approve generic animal drugs.

Clinics on marketing—one for companion animal practitioners and one for food animal practitioners—were a popular part of the program during the 1987 meeting in Chicago. The AVMA offered the marketing clinics in a longer format at other veterinary conferences and as independent programs. The 1987 convention also featured the Symposium on Veterinary Merchandising and the Symposium on the Case for Responsible Extra-Label Drug Use.

In 1988, the AVMA began implementing major format changes suggested by the Convention Evaluation Task Force. Additions would include celebrity speakers and corporate sponsors. The 1988 convention in Portland, Ore., offered general sessions Monday through Wednesday mornings, Super Thursday sessions on small animal medicine, and a symposium on chlamydiosis.

"We want to attract practitioners with practical information that they can take home," said Dr. M. Joseph Bojrab, chairman of the Scientific Program Committee, to JAVMA News after the 1989 meeting in Orlando, Fla. The convention included the Symposium on Prevention of Unwanted Drug Residues.

Dr. M. Joseph Bojrab (left), a chairman of the Scientific Program Committee, consults on plans for educational sessions.

1990s

The 1990 convention in San Antonio had a Continuing Education Spectacular on the last day, 56 presentations focusing on small animals. A new addition to the convention was the Personal and Professional Development Program, sponsored by the Auxiliary. A symposium addressed chemical impairment among veterinarians. The AVMA discontinued charging fees for seminars.

The 1991 convention in Seattle included an all-day symposium on "Veterinary Medical Assistance in Times of Disaster." Dr. Scott spoke again about his experience during the 1964 earthquake in Alaska and described his recent experience during the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Another symposium covered pesticide use and disposal. The first formal computer program had five sessions on use of computers in veterinary medicine.

A special symposium on AIDS, focusing on relevant animal research, was on the program for the 1992 convention in Boston. Robert Jarvik, MD, developer of the first permanent artificial human heart, was the keynote speaker at the 1993 convention in Minneapolis.

As of the 1994 convention in San Francisco, the program offered eight concurrent small animal sessions as well as sessions on horses, cattle, swine, birds, exotic animals, and public health. The 1994 program included a panel discussion on veterinary drug issues, such as the lack of availability of animal drugs, and the first Fastrack seminar on practice management.

At the 1995 convention in Pittsburgh, the AVMA Governmental Relations Division put on a legislative workshop with a computer program that simulated a two-year term in Congress. Among the convention speakers were Lou Holtz, Notre Dame football coach, and John Paling, PhD, an environmentalist and National Geographic photographer.

The program at the 1996 convention in Louisville, Ky., featured an overview on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. A crowd of 2,500 guests enjoyed the sold-out Gala Night at Churchill Downs with a cookout, music, and the Kentucky Derby Museum.

A dentistry session at the 1995 convention in Pittsburgh

Memorabilia such as these lapel pins have been a common feature of the AVMA conventions over the years.

Over the years, the competition among potential sites to host upcoming conventions had become fierce. In 1996, the House of Delegates switched from voting for sites to approving site recommendations from the Executive Board. Later, the board would have final approval of convention sites.

The AVMA began to separate more the annual session of the House of Delegates from the scientific sessions starting with the 1997 convention in Reno, Nev. The House met Saturday and Sunday, scientific sessions ran Monday to Thursday, and the exhibit hall was open Tuesday to Thursday. While in Reno, the Executive Board approved establishing the staff Convention and Meeting Planning Division.

Gen. Colin L. Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War, spoke at the opening general session of the 1998 convention in Baltimore. The convention featured a symposium on "Managing Your Economic Future," part of a series of economic symposia from the AVMA and Bayer.

The number of presentations approached 1,000 by the 1999 convention in New Orleans. Merial sponsored a session on how men and women communicate differently, while Hill's Pet Nutrition sponsored a session on the Y2K bug. The Council on Research sponsored a symposium on antimicrobial resistance.

A rainbow arches over the opening session of the 2006 convention in Hawaii.

2000s

The 2000 convention in Salt Lake City featured a forum discussing the recently released study on "The Current and Future Market for Veterinarians and Veterinary Medical Services in the United States." The Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents hosted a workshop for practitioners to provide input for development of AVMA principles on vaccination of companion animals.

The hundreds of presentations at the 2001 convention in Boston covered a wide variety of topics—among them, vaccine development, bioterrorism, food safety, work-life balance, and aquaculture. The AVMA Convention Management and Program Committee expanded the wet labs.

At the 2002 convention in Nashville, Tenn., Dr. Donald L. Noah of the Air Force discussed bioterrorism in light of the anthrax-laced letters that followed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 1, 2001. Several sessions covered the pros and cons of feral cat colonies. From 2002-2009, the AVMA produced a television program providing convention news in hotel rooms and at the convention center.

Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York during the 2001 terrorist attacks, headlined the general session at the 2003 convention in Denver. The World Veterinary Poultry Association held its 13th congress at the convention. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protested against the AVMA's positions on management of egg-laying hens and housing of pregnant sows.

The 2004 convention in Philadelphia included sessions on swine welfare assessments and on the animal rights movement. A symposium addressed vaccine-associated feline sarcoma.

The World Veterinary Association held its 28th congress during the 2005 convention in Minneapolis. The AVMA held its first diversity symposium, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health.

The 2006 convention in Hawaii proved popular, with attendance breaking 10,000. Hundreds of attendees came from Asian countries on the Pacific Rim. The AVMA provided translation of many sessions into Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

The attendance again broke 10,000 for the 2007 convention in Washington, D.C. A number of sessions focused on the one-health concept stressing the interrelationship of human, animal, and environmental health. A panel reflected on the massive recalls of pet food earlier in the year for contamination with melamine. The convention featured the first music concert in the series that continues today.

The 2008 convention brought tourist dollars to New Orleans, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina three years earlier. The American Veterinary Medical Foundation held its first annual volunteer project for attendees to spruce up local animal shelters.

The opening session of the 2009 convention in Seattle featured fishmongers from the city's Pike Place Fish Market demonstrating teamwork in the tossing and catching of fish. The AVMA held its first town hall–style meeting. The convention included a two-day summit on global animal health and a one-day symposium on broiler chicken welfare.

2010s

Biologist Jeff Corwin of Animal Planet brought wild animals to enliven his talk during the opening session of the 2010 convention in Atlanta. Also speaking at the convention was Dr. Max Millien, director of animal health with Haiti's Ministry of Agriculture, who discussed the island's animal health infrastructure after a devastating earthquake early in the year.

The 2011 convention in St. Louis featured a celebration of World Veterinary Year—the 250th anniversary of the founding of the first veterinary school, in Lyon, France. The Poultry Science Association met in conjunction with the convention. The AVMA, AAHA, and other organizations announced they had formed the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare to address a decline in pets' veterinary visits.

At the 2012 convention in San Diego, the partnership launched a program to help practitioners promote preventive care for pets. The AVMA re-emphasized programming for veterinary technicians at the convention and provided sessions for veterinarians to meet the new training requirements for maintaining accreditation with the Department of Agriculture.

Plans were proceeding for the 2013 convention in Chicago, with the intent of making the convention an integral part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the AVMA.

MORE THAN A MEETING

The annual meetings of the AVMA have come a long way since the 1860s, when the Committee on Intelligence and Education deemed no papers from the meetings worthy of publication. The convention now offers educational sessions on dozens of tracks to appeal to attendees in all aspects of veterinary medicine.

Wherever it travels from year to year, the AVMA convention remains a gathering place for thousands of members of the veterinary community—to share in the festivities, the camaraderie, and the memories.
