The History of the Association for Academic Pathology

Drs. Fred Gorstein, Mary Lipscomb Lyons, and Frances Pitlick compiled a history of the APC from 1965 to 2013 (PDF). In 1987, a comprehensive history of the Universities Associated for Research and Education in Pathology (UAREP), tracing back to its inception in 1964, was composed (authors unknown). We have made the history of UAREP from 1964 to 1987 (PDF) available to the public. Drs. Gorstein, Lipscomb, and Pitlick also compiled a history of UAREP from 1987 to 2004 (PDF). UAREP was dissolved in 2002, and this history also covers UAREP's dissolution and merger into APC in the early 2000's.

A large poster of APC's timeline (PDF) was on display during APC's 2017 jubilee (50^th anniversary) meeting.

In 2024, Chair members voted to rename the organization to the Association for Academic Pathology (AAPath). Renaming the organization was a major step that was driven by these goals:

• to better represent who we are and what we do;
• to encourage broader membership and member engagement;
• to eliminate barriers to participation by aspiring and emerging leaders in academic pathology; and
• to attract more external partners for program development and advocacy.

The renaming follows an expansion of regular membership to be less focused on allopathic medical school designation and more inclusive of all academic-based contributions to education, research and practice. As with APC, the mission of AAPath is still to represent and promote excellence in academic pathology and laboratory medicine by providing education, training, information resources and networking opportunities for department leaders, faculty and staff. The overarching name change will not affect the organizational structure, name or leadership of any existing Sections, Committees or Groups, nor the Society of ’67 or the Academy of Distinguished Pathology Educators. 

Would you like to learn more about the Association for Academic Pathology?