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by Alec Garner, MD

A History of the Early Years by Willem A. Manschot, Founder Member

Dedicated to our American friends of the Verhoeff Society on the occasion of the Joint Meeting, Houston 1996

Preface

To provide a detailed history of EOPS would not only be very long but also, one suspects, tedious. Of rather greater interest might be a potted history, concentrating on the more important events, spiced with a few anecdotes. Be that as it may, that is what you have before you. It is dedicated to the Verhoeff Society, in part to cement relation between EOPS and yourselves, but predominantly because without your example and inspiration there would not be an EOPS. We are proud and grateful to be associated with such a distinguished group.

The major part of the synopsis relating to the formation of the Society relies exclusively on specially prepared personal accounts by two of its three initiators, Norman Ashton and Ry Andersen. As in the beginning, so now, their input has been fundamental. We are ever in their debt. Other contributions have relied on minutes of the business meetings and individual recollections.

Initial Inspiration

On April 24th, 1959, Norman Ashton wrote a letter to his friend Dr. Willem Manschot in Rotterdam in which he said:

"I have just returned from America and was most impressed by their Ophthalmic Pathology Club, which has a restricted membership of 30 and meets once a year. It has no officers, no finances and no publications, the whole idea being that each member brings his most interesting case of the year to show the others. I thought that you and I might establish a similar European Eye Pathology Club ... Let me know your thoughts on this."

The occasion to which he referred was when, during a period as Visiting Professor at Johns Hopkins Hospital, he was invited to be the Guest of Honour at a meeting of the Ophthalmic Pathology Club inaugurated by Dr. Verhoeff but only later dignified by his name. That was on March l7th and l8th, 1959, in Washington. Norman was profoundly impressed by the excellence of the presentations, the high level of discussion and the friendly and relaxed atmosphere in which the meeting was conducted. He also perceived that by having leaders of high calibre, standards were set which acted as a challenge to less experienced members. Because membership was fixed and limited, election was a highly rated honour enhancing the reputation of both the individual and the subject. That, he decided, was exactly what was required in Europe, where there was no organisation whatsoever in the developing discipline of ophthalmic pathology.

Within days Willem Manschot replied with an enthusiasm typical of him in support of the proposal, concluding:

"I willingly place my humble vigours to your disposal in order to achieve this excellent purpose as soon as possible."

The next step was to contact potential members, given that both Norman and Willem were initially considering a membership of 20-30. One of the more difficult tasks was to identify those who might qualify, since ophthalmic pathology was not really recognised as a distinct discipline in Europe and its practitioners had rarely had a formal training in the subject. (Even Britain, whose Institute of Ophthalmology in London Ry Andersen of Denmark termed the "European Mecca of eye pathology", had only the single centre). It took over two years to draw up a list of suitable candidates.

A key figure in these preparatory stages was Sigurd Ry Andersen who, like Norman Ashton, had been a guest of the American Ophthalmic Pathology Club in 1951 and had been similarly inspired. On his way back to Copenhagen he broke his journey in London and, on discovering that the idea of creating a European counterpart had already been mooted, immediately offered his full support. Thus came into being the triumvirate that would give substance to the concept.

Apart from determining who might be invited to join the club, there was, in view of the polyglot character of the prospective membership, a language problem. Willem Manschot indicated that the proceedings should be conducted in English and that a degree of competence in English should be a condition of membership. Alfred Brini of Strasbourg, another of the early enthusiasts to whom Norman Ashton had written very soon after receiving Willem's support, repeated the sentiment of his chief, Professor Nordmann, that all non-English speaking people eventually get on very well on the basis of "broken English", terming it the new esperanto. And so it was resolved.

Protocol had to be observed and, when in April, l961, Norman felt that the time was ripe to make finite arrangements for an inaugural meeting, he formally invited Dr. Manschot to join the Club while expressing the hope that Willem would in due course invite him! Willem went one better and indicated that Norman should be the first president with a tenure of at least 20 years! Invitations to a meeting to be held in London in 1962 were sent to prospective members in May, 1961, together with details of what would be expected of them:

• That members should have a special knowledge of ocular pathology.
• That they should be actively engaged in this work.
• That they should have adequate laboratory facilities.
• That they should have sufficient pathological material to provide interesting cases for the meetings.

Only those who felt that they could meet these criteria could expect to be elected to membership. The list of invitees was limited to about 30, in part because of logistic problems in finding sufficient individual microscopes and sections, in part so as not to put at risk the informality that Norman and Ry had found such an attractive feature of the American prototype, and in part to create an elitist character that would allow only the best exponents of the subject to be members. The European Ophthalmic Pathology Club was officially launched in London at a two-day meeting held at the Royal College of Surgeons on April l0th and 11th, l962. Of 31 persons who had expressed an intention of joining the club, 21 attended, representing some 12 countries. There were also six guests. Correspondingly, altogether 27 cases were presented and, while of interest, the overall standard left something to be desired with generally poor quality protocols, sections and projection slides. Discussion, also, tended to be stilted, much to the disappointment of those who had experienced the frank and informal character of the American club. Norman Ashton thought that, although natural reserve and inexperience may have been factors, language was the main problem. Delivering a prepared protocol was one thing, conversing impromptu in a foreign language was quite another and was only possible through the services of three multi-lingual members who provided immediate translations. (This stalwart trio of Drs. René Barry [U.K.], Alfred Brini [France] and Ernst Landolt [Switzerland] was to be vital in the formative years of the Society).

Inaugural Meeting

Business meetings can be tiresome but are a necessary evil, none more so than the first which had to lay plans for future meetings of the Club. Indeed, should the organisation be termed a club? The first resolution of the "Club" was to change the name to the "European Ophthalmic Pathology Society", the former title being considered unsuitable for a learned society. (Interestingly, the American "Club" soon followed the EOPS and renamed themselves "The Verhoeff Society": inspiration could travel from east to west as well as vice versa!). The 31 individuals who had indicated their wish to join the Society were duly elected as Founder Members and it was agreed that the total membership should not exceed 35. The need of a written constitution was recognised and to that end a Steering Committee, composed of the three instigators of the Society (Ashton, Manschot and Andersen), was appointed and a decision concerning the election of officers was deferred pending receipt and confirmation of the constitution. It was resolved to meet once a year and Ry Andersen invited the Society to Copenhagen for the next year, whilst Rudolf Gittler offered to host the 1964 meeting in Vienna. Both invitations were accepted with enthusiasm.

After the meeting, Norman Ashton wrote to Algernon Reese in New York to tell him that "<tt>the American Club had had a happy event</tt>" whereupon the latter cabled back:

<tt>"I am elated to hear of the birth of the European Ophthalmic Pathology Club. The array of members is most impressive both from the standpoint of personnel as well as scope. As ten countries are represented, I thought it was very appropriate that the last name on your list was "Babel"."</tt>

Another decision of the business meeting was to send a set of slides from each meeting to the American Club, Ry Andersen having previously suggested to Michael Hogan that perhaps they might like to let the European Club have slides from their meetings. (This annual exchange has helped to ensure that the umbilical cord has never been severed.)

The First Years : 1963-1970

The second EOPS meeting took place in Copenhagen from May l5th -l8th, and was attended by 25 members with seven guests. Principal among the guests was Algernon Reese, the first of a long line of Honoured Guests from the Verhoeff Society. A welcome improvement in the standard of presentation was apparent and, with the object of promoting the clinical relevance of ophthalmic pathology, Ry Andersen organised a joint evening meeting with the Danish Ophthalmological Society addressed by Drs. Ashton, Brini and Reese. At the business meeting Norman Ashton was elected to the Presidency, Willem Manschot was made Corresponding Secretary and, since the next meeting was to be held in Vienna, Helmut Fanta was appointed as Organising Secretary. (The first two of these official posts would subsequently change every three years, whereas the position of Organising Secretary would vary from year to year according to the choice of venue for the meetings). Four new members were elected to achieve the planned complement of 35. In addition, Professor Andre Mawas, the Grand Old Man of French ophthalmic pathology who, at the age of 75, was retired and not really eligible for membership, was made an Honorary Member.

A feature of the EOPS meetings initiated in Copenhagen that has been of major importance in bonding the members in a true society has been the social programme. Even that might not have won the desired outcome had it not been for the presence of spouses and other personal guests. In those sexist early days, when pathology was mostly a male pursuit, the informal conversation initiated by the ladies did far more to overcome national suspicions, even resentments, than did the more formal deliberations of the elected members in their scientific sessions.

The next few years saw a gradual but steady improvement in the level of presentation. Language differences, however, continued to be a problem when it came to discussion, it having been agreed that while English was mandatory for case presentation discussion could be conducted in the participant's preferred language. It must have been an especial headache for the gallant translators when they had to contend with a 10-15 minute discussion contribution from Professor Mawas, whose enthusiasm was unlimited, especially if the subject was retinoblastoma. It could be amusing though. At the end of one particularly trying session (from a linguistic paint of view) the gallant chairman announced that we would have a "<tt>breakdown for coffee</tt>"! - a Freudian slip?

It had been expected that members would dress formally (tuxedos) at the official dinner but at a subsequent business meeting the members resolved to discontinue this practise, which occasioned a minute indicating that, while this was the wish of the majority, "<tt>some gentlemen</tt>" demurred! (Checking the minute reveals a hand-written emendation so that the signed minute is rather more precise, reading: "<tt>...to the great regret of the two gentlemen present...</tt>". Norman and Willem may know who the two were!

Some meetings were not without excitement. As when the members and their guests at the Barcelona meeting in 1965 were returning from a visit to Montserrat where they had been liberally wined and dined by Professor José Casanovas, the then President. They had to cope with a hair-raising ride in the dark around hair-pin bends high up in the mountains and, by all accounts, several lives were substantially shortened that night! The 1968 meeting in Paris had to contend with a student uprising at the Sorbonne so that the walk (there were no taxis!) to the restaurant for the official dinner on the Champs Elysees was lined by policemen in riot gear. Departure after the meeting was a nightmare because the airports and railways were on strike.

The previous year had been distinguished by the attendance of ten members at the Verhoeff Society's 20th anniversary meeting and this whetted the appetites of both for further contact.

Middle Years : 1971-1986

Correspondingly in 1971, since the l0th EOPS meeting coincided with the 25th meeting of the VS, the two societies celebrated the occasion by meeting jointly in London. Both the scientific and the social programmes were a huge triumph, the later including a private tour of a floodlit Westminster Abbey, a reception by the Lord Mayor of London at the Mansion House and dinner at the Goldsmith's Hall. By this time the standard of case presentation and subsequent discussion had risen immeasurably relative to the first few years and the novices were in some danger of emulating their model! Could it have been, however, that you felt we still had something to learn in terms of discipline? Else, why did you consider it appropriate at the end of the meeting to present us with a presidential gavel? But, such was the success of the joint venture that the VS arranged the second EOPS / VS meeting in Washington in 1976, the year that saw the bicentenary of your existence as a nation. This again went extremely well, sole bone of contention was chewed over at the official dinner when David Cogan sparred with Norman Ashton concerning the winning of the War of Independence. But this was not a problem for the EOPS as a whole, just the British who, in any case, had been advised by Ted Sanders when he was our Honoured Guest the previous year to leave their red-coats at home.

Equally successful were combined meetings in 1981, organised by Jean Babel in Geneva, and in 1986 in Philadelphia at the invitation of Myron Yanoff. At the 1981 meeting the VS presented the EOPS with a leather-bound book in which to record events of interest, the intention being that it should revert to the VS in 1986 for it to do likewise. By repeating the exercise every five years the already strong link between the two societies would be further consolidated.

More Recent Years : 1987 -1996

A cause for sadness for much of EOPS' existence was the almost total exclusion for political reasons of countries behind the "Iron Curtain". From very early days in the Society's history there had been an East German member, originally in the form of Professor Günther and then of Gerhard Goder, but for most of the time their attendance was, through no fault of theirs, erratic. Equally regrettable was the inability of Professor Vrabec of the erstwhile Czechoslovak Republic to attend more than the one meeting at which he was voted into membership. It was good, therefore, when in 1990 it was possible to elect a representative from Hungary (Ildikó Süveges) and now, since the further break up of the communist empire, the way is open to consider applications from the whole of Europe. Already we have a Polish member (Zbiegniew Zagórski), a second Hungarian member (Jeanette Tóth) and have had a further pathologist from the Czech Republic as our guest.

By the time we came to our fifth combined meeting in 1991, masterminded by our then President, Gottfried (Fritz) Naumann, in Nuremberg-Erlangen, the membership of EOPS had changed radically from that elected in 1962. There are now just two surviving Founder Members if we exclude our Honorary Life President and those with emeritus status: Ahti Tarkkanen and our current President, Michel Hanssens. But turnover is vital if stagnation is to be avoided and the Society can look forward with eager anticipation to the contribution that the new members with fresh approaches can make to our discipline. At only the second business meeting there was a move to adopt the name European Ophthalmic Histopathology Society because that reflected the overriding activity of the members. Wisely, the proposal was rejected and as we approach the millennium, the wisdom is even more apparent, allowing newer laboratory-based approaches to the study of ocular pathology to supplement the time-honoured histological skills.

Dare we suggest that you, as members of the Verhoeff Society, that you can take pride in your followers? If so, that would be the highest accolade to which the members of the European Ophthalmic Pathology Society could aspire.

London, 1996

Alec Garner, MD

by Willem A. Manschot, MD
Subheadings are by the Editor to facilitate reading

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The Short History by Alec Garner
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Alec Garner's "A Short History of the European Ophthalmic Pathology Society" (1) has been compiled from the two personal accounts by Norman Ashton and Ry Andersen in 1996'. It has been dedicated to the members of the Verhoeff Society and was presented to them during the 1996 Joint Meeting of the two Societies in Houston, Texas.

Early History
Norman Ashton was motivated to found a European Ophthalmic Pathology Society (E.O.P.S.), when he attended the annual meeting of the American Ophthalmic Pathology Club in Washington, D.C., in March 1959. As a first step to realise this objective, he wrote me a letter dated April 24th, 1959, in which he suggested:

"I thought that you and I might establish a similar European Eye Pathology Club ...”
The invitation was accepted wholeheartedly. Approaches were then made to various ophthalmological centres throughout Europe to identify ophthalmic pathologists, but these enquires proved to be time-consuming and were continued through 1959 and 1960.

After World Wwar II, the centre for the European ophthalmic pathology had developed in London, where Ashton had built up a productive clinical and experimental pathology department in the Institute of Ophthalmology, under the inspired directorship of Sir Stewart Duke Elder. Ashton's department was well equipped with experienced medical, technical and secretarial staff members, which enabled him to attract young European ophthalmologists to undergo training as full time ophthalmic pathologists.

The decision by Ashton to found a European Ophthalmic Pathology Club may have been stimulated by demands from the European continent for the organisation of didactic courses in ophthalmic pathology in the Institute of Ophthalmology in London. A few Europeans had participated in such courses in the Ophthalmic Branch of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (A.F.I.P.) in Washington, D.C., and had been impressed by the value and proficiency. The provision of similar courses was thought to be possible only in the London Institute. However, unlike Zimmerman, Ashton did not have a group of alumni available to assist him in presenting comprehensive biennial courses.

It took years before Ashton had gathered all the necessary information on the location of active ophthalmic pathologists in various European countries. In March, 1961, Dr. S. Ry Andersen visited Ashton in London, after also having attended an annual meeting of the American Ophthalmic Pathology Club. His enthusiasm for a European equivalent of similar meetings was also equal to that of Norman Ashton. On May 15th, 1961, Ashton was able to circulate a preliminary notice of a first (Inaugural) meeting of a European Ophthalmic Pathology Club in London on April 10th and 11th, 1962. This proposal was accepted and the notice was accompanied by a list of 30 provisional founder members.

The 1st Inaugural Meeting
The 1962 (first) Inaugural Meeting was held in London on April 11th and 12th in the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The participants included 21 provisional members from 11 European countries and six guests; one of these represented a 12th European country. The protocols and standard of presentation was often below the required standard. Kodachromes and paraffin or celloidin sections were sometimes of poor quality and in general colour photography had not been employed. Three members did not even bring sections. Discussion was restrained, mostly due to language problems; but Drs. Barry, Brini and Landolt were very helpful in giving instantaneous translations in any of the languages required.
The first resolution of the first business meeting changed the provisional name of 'European Eye Pathology Club' to 'European Ophthalmic Pathology Society' (E.O.P.S.). The title was changed because British income tax authorities had ruled that members of a 'Club' either play some sport or doze in a bay-window in St. James Street. Therefore to enable British members to deduct expenses for scientific endeavours at meetings abroad, we had to become a learned Society. A second resolution concerned the due election of the 31 provisional members as Founder Members. The necessity of a written Constitution and Bye-Laws required the appointment of a 'Steering Committee', formed by Professor Norman Ashton, Dr S. Ry Andersen and Dr. Willem A. Manschot, to draft these formal documents. It was also decided to defer an election of officers to the 1963 Founding Meeting at which these documents be ratified. In addition, a decision was taken to promote an exchange of slides and protocols presented during the meetings of the American and European Societies. Members also accepted that the meetings of the Society should be held once a year, conforming to the meetings of the American Society. Another resolution was to limit the membership to 35 Members, except under special circumstances, and the decision was taken that any Member failing to attend two out of three consecutive meetings without special reasons should forfeit membership. It was suggested, but not definitely approved, that every third meeting should be held in London, which would initially be in 1965. However, the enthusiasm of Ry Andersen for a European Society had in the meantime crystallised into an offer to host the 1963 meeting in Copenhagen. Dr. R. Gittler solicited the organisation of the 1964 meeting in Vienna. Both invitations were unanimously accepted.

The first business meeting took place at the end of an impeccably organised Inaugural Meeting. It appeared self-evident that the future Annual Meetings would more or less follow the outlines of the Inaugural Meeting. The official announcement of the foundation was first published in The British Medical Journal, May 12, 1962 (2). The 'steering triumvirate' had worked hard in an informal and amicable atmosphere between the 1962 Inaugural Meeting and the 1963 Founding Meeting. Their files were expanding rapidly after Norman Ashton drafted a highly professional blue-print of Constitution and Bye-Laws. Many, generally minor, amendments generated a lively correspondence between London, Copenhagen and Rotterdam. Ry Andersen has published a series of quotations from this correspondence. Ry Andersen had proposed in June 1962 a two-day meeting in Copenhagen on May 16th-18th, 1963. A joint meeting with the Danish Ophthalmological Society was suggested for the evening of May 17th. This was accepted and our Honoured Guest Dr. Algernon Reese, accompanied by Professor Norman Ashton and Dr Alfred Brini were invited to address our Danish colleagues on topics in ophthalmic pathology.

The 2nd Founding Meeting
The 1963 (second) Annual Meeting in Copenhagen on May 15th-18th began with a welcome reception by the Danish Medical Association in the Domus Medica. The meeting was held at the Medicinisk Anatomisk Institut; the attendance was 25 members and seven guests. The standard of protocols, sections, presentations and slides had markedly improved. Our most polyglot members had refined their interpreter techniques and managed to translate even unknown foreign languages into terse medical English. The joint meeting with the Danish ophthalmologists passed off in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. It was for me a personal privilege to remind the President of the Danish Society, Professor Brændstrup, of a young Copenhagen ophthalmologist who 18 years before, towards the end of World War II, in consultation with Professor Holm, had sent a food parcel to an equally young, but far more hungry ophthalmologist in Amsterdam. His family, with three children less than four years old, will never forget the huge sausage, amongst many other delicious items, hauled out of that parcel. The parcel had been sent by him; the hungry Dutch young family had been mine.
The business meeting agreed upon the proposed Constitution and Bye-Laws; the documents had been sent to all Members in March 1963. Norman Ashton was elected the first President; the undersigned was elected Corresponding Secretary. A three-year term for these offices was agreed. Professor Fanta became Organising Secretary for the 1994 (third) Vienna meeting. This office had a one-year term. Drs. B. A. Bembridge, O. A. Jensen, E. Kock and G. Morgan were admitted to the Society, bringing the membership to its agreed limit of 35. Professor N. Jaques Mawas, the retired leading French eye-pathologist, was elected the first, and for 30 years, the only Honorary Member. His presence in Copenhagen had been preceded by a remarkable unidirectional correspondence between Norman Ashton and Paris. Professor Mawas had been invited as a guest for this meeting - twice in English, once in French. No reply was received. The President informed the other Steering Committee members:

"I hear from Paris that he cannot be bothered to answer letters and that he intends to come to the meeting!".
I tried to get a message through to Professor Mawas saying that this is not technically acceptable, but that he may come. Indeed, Professor Mawas arrived unannounced at the meeting. He could not become a Member because he had retired from his laboratory and because our membership had reached its agreed limit. The only elegant solution was an "Honorary Membership", which was unanimously applauded. The 31 selected European colleagues, who before May 1961 had expressed the intention to join the proposed E.O.P.S. were duly elected as 'Founder Members'.

The 3rd Annual Meeting
The 1964 (third) meeting was held in Vienna from 4th-6th June. The welcome party was a reception given by the Mayor of Vienna in the Town Hall. The scientific meeting place was the 'Wiener Algemeines Krankenhaus' and attendance was 31 members and four guests. Dr. Lorenz E. Zimmerman, Washington, D.C., was the Guest-of-Honour. The first working-day was crowned by a performance of 'Othello' at the Vienna Opera House. The annual dinner was held at the historic Hotel Sacher for the final evening. Professor Casanovas had invited the Society for the 1965 (fourth) meeting to be held in Barcelona and was elected Organising Secretary for that meeting.
In April 1964 an anonymous Founder Member had asked the Council for permission to circulate a 'questionnaire' on the details of the laboratory service and workload of the members. The intention was that the 'questionnaire' should be coded by number and corresponding numbers and names should remain a 'top-secret', known only to the Corresponding Secretary. All the material aspects of our work were included in the questionnaire. An intense correspondence developed between Council Members and as a result, the following was the response:

"The majority of the Council feels that our Society should not engage in non-scientific investigations and, therefore, rejects your questionnaire. If you want this information, you can send the questionnaire around as a personal inquiry and ask them to return their answer to you".
Another political issue concerned the presentations at national or local meetings of cases which had been demonstrated by our members during the Annual Meetings. Our Bye-Laws state that publications arising from our meetings have to be approved by the Council; references to the presented cases are not allowed. A report of the 1963 meeting in a continental ophthalmological journal precipitated a serious criticism by a Council Member, who urged the communication

“far too flippant and pretty awful as an account of the sober deliberations of a scientific Society".
The problem was solved smoothly thanks to the Bye-Laws and a personal letter.

The 4th Annual Meeting
The 1965 (fourth) Annual Meeting was held in Barcelona from 8th -11th April. The welcome party took the form of a reception by the Mayor of Barcelona, who the next evening offered a display of folk dancing and a cocktail party in the park of Montjuich. The scientific meeting was held in the 'Laboratorio de Anatomica Pathologica' of the Faculty of Medicine. The attendance list included 26 members and seven guests and Dr Michael Hogan (San Francisco) was the Guest-of-Honour. The second day ended with the Annual Dinner in Hotel Presidente. The business meeting was held at Montserrat on April 11th. Professor Cattaneo forfeited his membership because of non-attendance without an adequate excuse. Professor G. Offret and Dr. E. Kurus had resigned. Professor P. Bec (France) was elected a member. Professor Babel invited the Society of Geneva for the 1966 meeting. This meeting had been planned for Paris, but this proved to be impossible, owing to the resignation of Professor G. Offret.
The resignation of Professor Offret was neither understood nor explained for some three decades. Although he was invited initially by Professor Ashton, Professor Offret had not attended the 1962 Inaugural Meeting. At the 1963 Copenhagen meeting he had strongly advocated the name 'Histopathology Society' as an alternative to 'Pathology Society', but members decided that Pathology Society should be the acceptable title, although in translation into other languages an appropriate title could be chosen. Professor Offret had not attended the 1964 Vienna meeting, at which the other French Members had proposed that the 1966 meeting should be held in Paris and this proposal had been accepted. The President informed Council members in November 1964 that he had asked Professor Offret by letter about the preparations of the 1966 meeting, but that he had not received an answer. Since that letter the name of Professor G. Offret has not appeared in the Council files for more than 20 years. In the Summer of 1986 a senior Parisian civil servant told undersigned that General de Gaulle had ordered in the early sixties that all the senior French civil servants were forbidden to participate in International Societies or Associations in which French was not an officially written language. When Professor Brini many years later (1995) was asked whether he could substantiate this information obtained in 1986, he replied:

"Il est certain, d'apres les echos de son entourage qu'il a quitte E.O.P.S. a cause de la predominance admisee de la langue anglaise".
A historical event was the attendance of 10 members at the 20th Anniversary Meeting of the Verhoeff Society in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C., from 25th-27th April 1966. Many suggestions to arrange more regularly a combined meeting of the two societies were timely met by a message from our absent President, conveyed by the Corresponding Secretary:

"all members of the Verhoeff Society were invited to attend the 1970 London EOPS meeting".
"This deliberately premature Invitation should give the Americans time to learn a few European languages like French and German, to say nothing of English”.

The 5th Annual Meeting
The 1966 (fifth) Annual Meeting was held in Geneva from May 25th -28th. The welcome party was at Professor Babel's house. The scientific meeting was held in the 'Musee de 1'Athenee' and 28 Members and guests attended. Professor I. Michaelson (Jerusalem) was the Guest-of-Honour. Professor and Mrs. Franceschetti gave a party in the evening of May 26th. Dr. W.A. Manschot was elected President and Dr. A. Brini was elected Corresponding Secretary.

"In order that there shall be no less than three in charge of the Society's affairs" (By-Law B3)
Dr. A. Hamburg was elected to the Council for one year, because the new President was also Organising Secretary for the 1967 meeting. Two vacancies for membership required a ballot vote, by which Professor K. Arnesen (Norway) and Dr. J. da Cunha-Vaz (Portugal) were elected Members. The retiring Corresponding Secretary thought his last report to the Society an appropriate occasion to quote part of a letter he received from the retiring President in January 1960, more than two years before the Society was founded. It reads:

"I am a little doubtful as to whether it will be as successful as the American Club”.
The Corresponding Secretary continued:

"Largely thank to Professor Ashton's own persisting efforts, this doubt has not been realised and I feel that Dr. Tarkkanen has spoken in the name of all of us when he recently wrote to the President - 'I am sure that every Member of our Society feels that we have been fortunate, indeed, in having had you as the first President of the Society. The Society has had a good start and is well on its rails now.'"
After the routine elections, Professor Casanovas proposed to the meeting that Professor Ashton should be elected "The one and only Honorary Life President". His proposal was received with acclamation. The official dinner party, scheduled for the last evening, was held at the Parc des Eaux-Vives. An excursion to the Chateau de Chillon with a luncheon near the Castle ended the 1966 meeting on May 28th.

A letter from the Honorary Life President, dated 30th November 1966, contained a preliminary announcement of a Service for Ophthalmology at the 900th anniversary of Westminster Abbey on 20th April 1967. Representatives of European Ophthalmological Societies were to be invited to appear in academic robes. I had to reply that in my country academic robes were only used by Professors. Formal morning dress with or without a top hat was to be used by other alumni. A second letter from London informed me that since her Majesty the Queen had been invited, academic robes would quite definitely be mandatory. This time my reply was that I supposed that it would not be customary to throw Presidents with top hats out of Westminster Abbey. The invitation arrived and your President's admission was not refused. The ceremony was an unforgettable and most impressive occasion carried out with great dignity, according to the best British traditions.

The 6th Annual Meeting
The 1967 (sixth) Annual Meeting was held in Rotterdam from June 6th - 9th. The welcome reception was in the Royal Rowing and Yachting Club and was followed by an informal get-together in the Rotterdam Eye Hospital. The scientific meeting place was held in Erasmus University Hospital Dijkzigt; the attendance was 31 members and four guests. Professor David G. Cogan (Boston) was the Guest-of-Honour. The scientific sessions were interrupted by luncheons in the Royal Rowing and Yachting Club and ended with the Official Banquet in the Park Hotel on June 7th and a reception by the Burgomaster of Rotterdam in the Town Hall. This was followed by a party in Heineken's Brewery on June 8th. Dr. R. Gittler had resigned his membership and after a secret ballot, Professor Olga Litricin was elected a Member. Dr. P. Dhermy was elected Organising Secretary for the 1968 Paris meeting and it was decided that the 1969 meeting should be organised in Germany, while the 1970 Joint Meeting with the Verhoeff Society was to be held in London.
The programme of the Joint Meeting with the Netherlands Ophthalmological Society on the morning of June 9th incorporated presentations by Professor David C. Cogan, Dr S. Ry Andersen, Professor F. Hervouet. The Donders Lecture presented only once in five years, was given by Professor N. Ashton, who received the Donders Medal from Professor A. Hagedoorn. Luncheon was served in Duivevoorde Castle in Voorschoten. The meeting ended with a reception of the Netherlands Ophthalmological Society in Henkes Distillery, followed by a harbour round-top and a party on board the "Erasmus": this was hosted by the Dutch ophthalmologists.

The 7th Annual Meeting
The 1968 (seventh) Annual Meeting was held in Paris from May 16th-18th. The welcome reception was at the 'Maison de l'Amerique Latine' and the Scientific Meeting was held in the 'Clinique Ophtalmologique de I'Hotel Dieu'; the attendance was 30 Members and 5 guests. Mrs. Helenor C. Foerster (San Francisco), was the Guest-of-Honour. At the business meeting it was decided that Dr. F. Schwab (Austria) and Dr. F. Martin (Ireland) had forfeited their membership by non-attendance without special reason. Dr. G. Naumann (Germany) and Professor F. Vrabec (Czechoslovakia) were elected to Membership. The Joint Meeting with the Verhoeff Society had to be postponed to 1971, so that the Verhoeff Society. could celebrate its 25th anniversary and the E.O.P.S. its 10th annual meeting. Dr. M. Hanssens invited the Society to Ghent (Belgium) for the meeting, which was accepted. The scientific meeting ended in the afternoon of May 18th and was followed by a sightseeing tour. The annual banquet was held in the Restaurant Ledoyen, Paris. Strikes and dots by students and civil servants, including those working in the public transport system and those in petrol stations, had caused massive traffic delays. The restaurant and later the hotel could be reached only under protection by policemen in riot gear. The return homeward demanded much organisational skill the following day.
The 8th Annual Meeting
The 1969 (eighth) Annual Meeting was held in Karlsruhe (Germany) from May 1st-3rd. The welcome reception was at the Park Hotel. The scientific meeting was held in the 'Karlsruher Lebensversicherung' Building; the attendance was 22 Members and 6 guests. An incomprehensible feature was the absence of the French members, except the Corresponding Secretary. Dr. A. E. Maumenee (Baltimore) was the Guest-of-Honour. Dr. R. Vozza (Italy) had resigned from the Society, due to his taking up an appointment without pathology facilities. Dr. Joan Mullaney (Ireland) and Dr. A. Garner (Gt. Britain) were elected as new Members. Dr. M. Hanssens reaffirmed his invitation for the 1970 meeting in Ghent (Belgium) and was elected Organising Secretary. Two Honoured Guests were elected, viz. Professor J. Francois (Ghent), who might or might not present a case, and Dr. Bertha Klien (U.S.A.) as a representative of the Verhoeff Society. Dr. F. C. Blodi was considered as an alternative if Dr. Klien should be unable to accept. Professor Ashton reported on his correspondence with Dr. W. Spencer, Secretary-Treasurer of the Verhoeff Society on the format of the 1971 Joint Meeting. Financial arrangements as to whether or not the Americans should be invited as guests and pay no registration fee were left in abeyance. Professor J. Casanovas (Spain) had been duly proposed as the new President and was unanimously elected. Dr. G. Morgan was elected as the new Corresponding Secretary. The official Banquet was held in Hotel Erbouw at Ettlingen. The second working day ended with a trip to Burg Windeck. The return from this trip ended the eighth Annual Meeting.
It might be worthwhile to reiterate at the end of these reflections a question which arose regularly during the first seven years:

Proposal and Acceptance of Candidate Members and Guests
It was agreed at the 1962 Inaugural Business Meeting that the total membership should not exceed 35. The basic problem concerning acceptance of new members has been summarised in the latest revision of the Bye-Laws: A-Membership 2:

"With due consideration of the demand for professional quality there should be an international as well as a national spread of membership in order that as many European countries and as many institutions as possible can benefit from the activities of the Society. There should be a maximum of five members per country in order to prevent domination of the Society by one or two nations".
It was stressed in a letter of March 11th, 1964, between Council Members that only one pathologist from the same eye clinic could be accepted as a Member. Ophthalmic pathology institutes with more than one full-time eye pathologist should be excluded from this rule. It was stated in a similar letter of March 20th, 1964:

"If we appear to become short of Members there will be no objection to change 'five' into 'six' members per country".
The 1964 Vienna Business Meeting decided that guests had to be invited by the Council. This has later been substantiated in By-Laws D 3. A correspondence between Council Members of 7th and 14th April 1964 concluded that it is a necessary privilege of Organising Secretaries to invite local colleagues to whom they are indebted. A letter between Council Members of December 21st, 1967 stated:

"There is no accepted rule of our Society to give priority to 'new' countries."
But the Minutes of the 1966 Geneva meeting read:

"Should candidates from countries or universities not yet represented in the Society have preference, or should the qualities of individual applicants be the overwhelming consideration? The matter was discussed at length and it was eventually decided that no rules should be laid down with regard to the applicants other than those which had already existed in the Articles and Bye-Laws (A1)."
Willem A. Manschot, MD

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References
Garner A. A short history of the European Ophthalmic Pathology Society. Published by the E.0.P.S. 1996
Ashton N. Letter to W A. Manschot. Int Ophthalmol 1985, 7. 139-40
Andersen S Ry. To the flying Dutchman, My Old Friend Professor Willem Manschot, on his 70th birthday. Int Ophthalmol 1985; 7: 140-1
Verhoeff Society. Remarks made by W. A. Manschot, M.D, Rotterdam. Am J Ophthalmol 1966, 62: 347-9

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British Medical Journal. May 12, 1962; p. 1355

Medical News
European Ophthalmic Pathology Society
Until now there has been no society in Europe specially concerned with the subject of ocular pathology, but happily this need. has now been fulfilled by the foundation of the European Ophthalmic Pathology Society, which held its inaugural meeting in London on April 10 and 11. Delegates from twelve countries attended the reception given by the Institute of Ophthalmology at, the Moorfields Eye Hospital, and this was followed by two days of scientific sessions held at the Royal College of Surgeons. Each member presented an interesting and unusual case and supplied a histological section for each of his colleagues to examine and retain. The subject was then opened for discussion, which usually proved erudite and spontaneous. It was a fitting tribute to Professor NORMAN ASHTON, who was responsible for the opening session. The inaugural dinner for members, wives, and guests was held on April 10 at the Royal College of Surgeons, where Professor HEDLEY ATKINS proposed the health of the society and Dr. W.A. MANSCHOT replied. At the business meeting Professor ASHTON, Dr. S. RY ANDERSEN and Dr. W.A. MANSCHOT were elected as a steering committee to draft a constitution, which will be considered at the Society's next meeting, to be held in Copenhagen during May, 1963.

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Table I
FOUNDER MEMBERS
EUROPEAN OPHTHALMIC PATHOLOGY SOCIETY
Austria:
Professor J. Böck, Wien
Professor H. Fanta, Wien
Dr. R. Gittler, Wien
Dr. F. Schwab, Wien

Belgium:
Professor P. Danis, Brussels
Dr. M. Hanssens, Ghent

Denmark:
Dr. S. Ry Andersen, Copenhagen

France:
Dr. J. Audibert, Lyon
Dr. A. Brini, Strasbourg
Dr. P. Dhermy, Paris
Dr. F. Hervoutt, Nantes
Professor G. Offret, Paris

Germany:
Professor G. Günther, Greifswald
Dr. E. Kurus, Heidelberg
Dr. E. Lund, Bonn
Professor A. Never, Köln
Dr. R. Seitz, Tübingen

Finland: Dr
Ahti Tarkkanen

Gt. Britain:
Professor N. Ashton, London
Dr. R. Barry, London
Dr. F. Martin, London
Dr. C. Cook, London

Netherlands:
Professor A. Hagedoom, Amsterdam
Dr. A. Hamburg, Utrecht
Dr. W.A. Manschot, Rotterdam

Italy:
Professor D. Cattaneo, Milan
Professor G. Scuderi, Catania
Dr. R. Vozza, Roma

Spain:
Dr. J. Casanovas, Barcelona

Switzerland:
Dr. J. Babel, Geneva
Dr. E. Landolt, Winterthur

EOPS by Steffen Heegaard, Denmark ©