History
The following summary of the history of SBCII is based on a presentation given by Dr. Isidore Cohn, Jr. at the 2011 annual meeting.
John Davis and Bill Drucker established SBCII in 1959 as a predecessor to the original Surgical Biology Club which was overwhelmed with applicants from young, ambitious investigators. The 12 founding members evolved largely from friendships original at ACS Surgical Forum sessions. At the onset it was an informal group, unfocused on prestige, without meeting minutes or club publications. The goal of the club was to apply advances in biology to surgical problems through presentation of works in progress and vigorous discussions.
Membership gradually increased with 30 members in 1970 and 40 members in 1977. In 1988 the decision was made to allow only one member per year to keep the annual meeting small. Membership criteria and requirements evolved and by 2011 there were 146 members. Senior member and emeritus member status were also added along the way.
SBCII has continued to grow with over 200 members in 2023. The research expertise of its members has expanded beyond biology to include the broadening interests of the surgical community. Membership criteria recognizing research and leadership achievements have been established with a formal nomination and review process. The annual scientific meeting and dinner continue to provide a forum for members to share and discuss research with the common goal of enhancing surgical care.
SBCII Secretaries
1959-1962 John Davis, Cleveland
1963-1965 Watts Webb, Jackson
1966-1968 Roger Williams, Galveston
1968-1970 Ted Drapanas, Pittsburgh and New Orleans
1974-1975 Mel Williams, Baltimore
1975-1978 Bob Condon, Milwaukee
1979-1981 Don Gann, Providence
1982-1984 Don Trunkey, San Francisco
1985-1997 Carter Nance, Livingston
1998-2010 Clifford Deveney, Portland
2011-2017 Herbert Chen, Birmingham
2017-2020 George Yang, Birmingham
2020-2022 Clifford Cho, Ann Arbor
Tracy Wang, Milwaukee
2022-present Eugene Kim, Los Angeles
Dr. Isidore Cohn, Jr.’s complete slides and presentation notes are available for review below.