It is an honor and privilege for me to serve as president of this intellectually rewarding and congenial society as we enter the new millennium. I hope I can make worthwhile contributions to the society as did all of our past presidents. Since we will soon enter the 21st century, I thought it would be of interest to reminisce about the formation of the society for Ultrastructural Pathology and its accomplishments.

Back in 1982, Gary Mierau, Department of Pathology, Denver Children’s Hospital took on the responsibility of running the diagnostic electron microscopy laboratory and decided (as he puts it) he wanted to learn more about this subject. He therefore contacted a number of pathologists (including me) interested in this ancillary diagnostic procedure and organized a one week course entitled, "Current Concepts in Ultrastructural Pathology – Diagnosis of Human Tumors," held in Aspen, Colorado, August 2-6, 1982. The theme of the meeting was "the current status and future of ultrastructural pathology." At the end of this successful meeting, which combined the sharing of academic ideas with an enjoyable social program, it was decided to have another meeting in 1984, and "Ultrapath meetings" have been held at two year intervals ever since, with Ultrapath X scheduled for Florence, Italy, in July 2000. The Society for Ultrastructural Pathology was formally established at the Ottawa course in 1986 and incorporated with a constitution in December 1988 in Jefferson County, Alabama thanks to the efforts of our dedicated treasurer, Guillermo Herrera. The last meeting, Ultrapath IX, held in Asheville, North Carolina, August 2-7, 1998 under the aegis of Allan Tucker (course director) and John Shelburne (local arrangements committee chair) was the most successful yet, with over 100 registrants from 20 countries and their families. In addition to the nine biennial Ultrapath meetings, other achievements of our society are tabulated below.

• The founding of the journal "Ultrastructural Pathology" in 1980, primarily through the efforts of Jan Vincents Johannessen, currently director of the Institute of Cancer Research and the Norwegian Radium Hospital. This successful journal, in its 23rd volume, is currently affiliated with the Society for Ultrastructural Pathology and Eurocellpath.
• Inauguration of the society sponsored "Companion Meeting" at the annual meeting of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) in 1991.
• Founding of our biannual newsletter, "Society for Ultrastructural Pathology NEWS" in 1993 thanks to Irving Dardick who continues to publish this important periodical. Interestingly, the first issue in November 1986 was titled "Diagnostic Ultrastructural Pathology Club" news.
• Establishment of the "Pathologist-in-Training" award for best poster at the annual USCAP meeting in 1995.
• Creation of the societies world web site, sup.ultrakohl.com, in 1996 by Karlene Hewan-Lowe who continues to maintain the site.
• Publication of the societies "Handbook of Diagnostic Electron Microscopy for Pathologists-in-Training" by Igaku-Shoin in 1996.
• Printing and distribution of the Society for Ultrastructural Pathology promotional and membership recruitment brochure in 1997.
• Espousing the continued importance of diagnostic electron microscopy by means of an editorial entitled "A Realistic Approach to the Use of Electron Microscopy and Other Ancillary Diagnostic Techniques in Surgical Pathology" (Erlandson and Rosai. Am J Surg Pathol 1995;19:247-250) and an "Electron Microscopy Symposium" with a lead editorial by Irving Dardick and Guillermo Herrera, recently published in the December 1998 issue of Human Pathology (1998;29:1335-1411).
• The addition of a new USCAP meeting abstract category "Ultrastructural Pathology" in 1999.

Finally, it is important to ponder means to maintain the vitality and importance of our Society as we enter the next century. The three major threats to the discipline of diagnostic electron microscopy are containment of the high cost of medical tests; the widely held idea that other ancillary diagnostic techniques, notably immunohistochemistry, obviate the need for electron microscopy; and finally, indifference by electron microscopists, including a number of those who are members of our organization. In his opening address to the delegates attending the 1986 Ultrapath III in Ottawa, Canada, Dr. Johannessen stated (sic) "that with increasing emphasis placed on immunohistochemistry techniques as a diagnostic tool in many pathology departments, it is time to assess the present and future role of diagnostic ultrastructural pathology". The long term use of immunophenotyping, however, has clearly shown that this procedure is unable to solve all diagnostic problems as attested to in many editorials and peer-reviewed papers. Enlightened surgical pathologists realize the continued importance of electron microscopy as a diagnostic adjunct. Also consider that most diagnoses are currently made using old-fashioned hemotoxylin and eosin stained paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The incorporation of a new diagnostic technique does not necessarily negate an older procedure.

I believe that the discipline of diagnostic electron microscopy will be important for many years to come. Probably it will be relegated to regional centers in order to cut costs. With modern rapid processing techniques and digital charge coupled device (CCD) imaging systems, an electron microscopy study can be completed within 24 hours. We currently have an international membership roster and on the basis of recent visits to many other countries, I can assure US members that diagnostic electron microscopy is still considered to be important in these nations. It also is incumbent upon all of us to educate young pathology residents and fellows, as well as our colleagues as to the importance and usefulness of our discipline to surgical pathology and research. We must also disseminate the societies brochure and actively recruit new members.

Lastly, this is your society. I encourage all members to take an active role in the Society for Ultrastructural Pathology. I as president, as well as other members of the executive committee welcome ideas you might have concerning officers, future ultrapath meeting sites, or any other matter or proposal to enhance the stature of our here-to-fore successful organization.