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How the Conference Started In 1957, Theodore Gleichman, in private practice in Denver, approached Roger S. Mitchell, Chief of the Pulmonary Disease Division and Director of the Webb-Waring Lung Institute with a proposal. His idea was to establish a conference for the ex- change of new ideas and presentation of new re- search on emphysema and related topics. At that time, emphysema was a poorly understood dis- ease. Giles F. Filley and John R. Durrance were also im- portant early planners of what was originally called the Aspen Emphysema Conference. Funds for the first conference in 1958, as well as the next ten, were readily obtainable from grants from the Na- tional Institutes of Health. The proceedings of the 1958 Conference were published as a special sup- plement to the American Review of Respiratory Diseases. The Conference was off to a good start. In 1965, Thomas Petty asked for permission to or- ganize the Conference on therapy for chronic ob- structive pulmonary disease (COPD). This became a landmark conference because it dealt, for the first time, with systematic care for "respiratory crip- ples." Much of what was made clear in that year's publication has become the foundation for the care of emphysema cripples today. Dr. Petty has raised all of the funds since the elev- enth Aspen Lung Conference. Money has come solely from private sources: industry, foundations, lung associations, personal friends, and patients. The Aspen Conference is made unique by its mul- tidisciplinary format and international scope. It is an idea forum for both the established scientist and young investigator, allowing them to work toward the solution of many vexing problems fac- ing society today. As many as 100.000 copies of the proceedings are distributed annually throughout the world. The Conference continues to be a tremendous source of knowledge, serving everyone concerned with in- creasing insight into diagnosis and management of pulmonary disease.

The Conferences Emphysema & Chronic Bronchitis (1958) Pulmonary Mechanics (1959) Air Pollution (1960) Asthma (1961) Pulmonary Circulation (1962) Adaptation to Atmosphere (1963) Pathogenesis (1964) Management of Emphysema & Chronic Bronchitis (1965) Current Research (1966-70) Acid-Base & Blood Gas Transport (1971) Asthma (1972) Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (1973) Basic Science & The Lung (1974) Interstitial Lung Disease (1975) The Pulmonary Circulation (1976) Neuromuscular & Chemical Control of Breathing (1977) Immunology of the Lung (1978) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Epidemiology, Course & Prognosis, Intervention) (1979) The Environment & The Lung (1980) Bronchopulmonary Secretions & Fluids (1981) Lung Defense, Injury & Repair (1982) Emphysema-Revisited (1983) Asthma (1984) Interstitial Lung Diseases (1985)

The Accelerated Need for Knowledge $1 The importance of gathering and disseminating knowledge dealing with lung disease is accen- tuated when we realize that the awareness of lung problems today is at the same stage hypertension was twenty years ago. The need for rapid growth is further evident in the fact that at least 30 million people suffer from emphysema, asthma. and chronic bronchitis in the United States alone. As many as 10 million are undiagnosed. Furthermore, "respiratory cripples" -those people restricted in their ability to earn a living-are growing in number. Knowledge is the key in the battle to prevent and manage lung disease. Because the specialty of pulmonary disease is the fastest growing in the United States (227 specialists in 1960 as com- pared to 2,750 in 1983), knowledge has come a long way, but many lung disease problems have yet to be unraveled. Your tax deductible contribution will advance knowledge and help lung care patients to receive the type of diagnosis and management now avail- able to patients suffering from hypertension, diabe- tes, heart trouble, and other diseases. Please send your contribution, made payable to the Aspen Lung Conference Endowment Fund, c/o Webb-Waring Lung Institute, to: Thomas Petty, M.D. Division of Pulmonary Sciences University of Colorado Medical Center 4200 East Ninth Avenue Denver, Colorado 80262

jectives.,:of the Conference F o~rohde an' international forum for the exchan ge ~of~deas relating to'clirncal problems and research as th zej(,aPPly to the lung ~_ r'To fill a recognized need ina field where knowl :• ~edge; is doubling every five years. Clinicians and re- I~jsearchers,inmanyparts' of the world are invited to ,. attend the Conference. o,~focus"on a.,single topic, ~e)haustively rewe wing it wtth`equai time allowed for presentatUOn and dis o$p~g~mat-cally deaLrinth the state of lung dis eas~esearch;whide providing` the stimutus and jm k. ; petus-to urtheitresearch in arap~dly changing ~~: ~, ~ ~?

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