It was a different world in 1915.The House of Representatives rejected a proposal to allow women to vote. Germany launched the first Zeppelin attack over Great Britain. And the first meeting of the Western Roentgen Society was held in Chicago, with 62 charter members on hand from 17 different states.
Founded by radiologists Miles B. Titterington, MD, Edwin C. Ernst, MD, Gray C. Briggs, MD, and Fred S. O'Hara, MD, the Western Roentgen Society was established to serve the needs of radiologists and allied support personnel living in the American Midwest.
By 1919, some radiologists were questioning the accuracy of the term "roentgenology." There was interest in the term “radiologie,” which was coined by Frenchman Antoine Béclerè a few decades earlier. Dr. Orndoff favored a change to the word "radiological" and initially proposed to rename the Western Roentgen Society the Central Radiological Society. Since members were now from all parts of the United States and even Canada, the committee came up with the "Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)."
In 1973, the Scientific Exhibits Committee began to sectionalize and color-code exhibits at the annual conference. In addition, computers were used for the first time to aid with meeting registration, attendance verification and Refresher Course ticket distribution. RSNA also reached an agreement with the American Association of Physicists in Medicine to cosponsor the scientific program. On November 30, 1975, the 61st RSNA Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting opened in Chicago's McCormick Place. Through the years, the annual conference took place in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Washington D.C. Chicago’s McCormick Place became the meeting's permanent home in 1985, with the ultramodern South Building opening in 1996.
The annual meeting always served as a launching pad for new products and technology. It was where companies introduced their latest systems, and customers went to place their orders. Today’s RSNA is still an invaluable gathering of radiology professionals and practitioners. While few orders are actually placed at the meeting, (due to large procurement committees and year-round availability of technology) now it’s about connecting with vendors and colleagues face-to-face and celebrating successes in our industry.
At Atlantis Worldwide, we’re thrilled that we will be at the RSNA to celebrate this 100 Year Anniversary. We hope to connect with current (and future!) friends and clients. We would love to speak with you about Atlantis's solutions for refurbished medical imaging equipment, parts and service. To set up a meeting, please click here. And here’s to the new 100 years!