Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the American Society of Hematology. In the months leading up to 2008, you will hear about the many ways ASH is celebrating its 50th anniversary. This all culminates with the annual meeting celebration in San Francisco in 2008. One way The Hematologist is kicking off the anniversary is by spotlighting leading American hematologists of yesteryear. Drs. Frank Bunn, Marshall Lichtman, and Wendell Rosse, on behalf of the 50th Anniversary Committee, will be profiling some of these "giants of hematology" in every issue of The Hematologist through 2008. We are starting off this series with profiles on William Bosworth Castle and James Harriman Jandl.
On a different note, while ASH is clearly a volunteer organization, many of you do not fully realize the unwavering dedication and strong work ethic put forth by the professional ASH staff who keep this society moving forward. Molly Polen was the Managing Editor of The Hematologist from its inception as a publication. She also held the same position in ASH News Daily, another notable publication you should recognize from the annual meeting. Both have been huge successes for ASH over the recent years. Unfortunately, this summer Molly decided to leave ASH and apply her publishing talents elsewhere. But, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Karen Learner as the new Managing Editor of The Hematologist. Karen joins us from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, so she is already well accustomed to dealing with a large society. With this issue, Karen has already demonstrated her ability to come on board with considerable speed and effectiveness.
