AOS Medal Recipients

The AOS Medal is awarded not more than once a year and not more than once to the same individual. Membership and active participation in the Society are desirable but not absolute requirements. The AOS Medal is awarded to recognize one or more of the following criteria: (a) A discovery or innovation that advances the progress of ophthalmology in all parts of the world; (b) Outstanding original investigations in ophthalmology; (c) Significant contributions as an ophthalmic educator; and (d) Meritorious and remarkable service to ophthalmology.

2024 DR GEORGE B. BARTLEY St. Simons Island, Georgia
2023 DR EVANGELOS S. GRAGOUDAS Lexington, Massachusetts
2022 DR EMILY Y. CHEW Bethesda, Maryland
2021 DR PETER R. LAIBSON Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2020 No Award  

Howe Medal Recipients

howeThe Lucien Howe Medal: Its History and Significance
With a great capacity for leadership, Howe rose to become chair or president of each of the major medical or ophthalmic societies he belonged to. He was convinced of the fact that, “Medals and prizes for original work in medicine tend to promote healthy rivalry and to advance our science.” In addition, he was convinced of the fact that while young physicians coveted cash prizes, “Gold medals are more appreciated by investigators ripe in years and experience as lasting evidence of distinguished professional service.” Accordingly, on becoming president of the New York State Medical Society in 1906, president of the AOS in 1919, chair of the section on ophthalmology of the American Medical Association in 1924, he gave each of these organizations a gift of $1,500, to stimulate and reward original investigation of some phase of ophthalmology or allied sciences or allied branches of surgery; or for the discovery of some new method of examining or treating the eyes. Each of these medals eventually became known as the Howe Medal, as did a fourth medal established by the University of Buffalo and the Buffalo Ophthalmological Society in 1928, following Howe’s death that year, to honor his memory. The Howe Medal of the AOS became the most celebrated of these awards. Howe himself chaired the first committee on the prize medals (1919) and served on the committee that proposed the initial awards (1922-1924). He oversaw the investment of his gift in 4.5% Liberty bonds, and with the medal costing in the neighborhood of $25 throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Howe envisioned that the income of the fund might eventually provide a cash prize as well as the medal... [Download Entire Document]


2019 DR JERRY A. SHIELDS Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2018 DR JOAN W. MILLER Boston, Massachusetts
2017 DR GEORGE L. SPAETH Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2016 DR SUSAN H. DAY Chicago, Illinois
2015 DR JOHN G. CLARKSON Miami, Florida
2014 DR MORTON F. GOLDBERG Baltimore, Maryland
2013 DR DAN B. JONES Houston, Texas
2012 DR HUGH R. TAYLOR Carlton, Victoria, Australia
2011 DR ROBERT R. WALLER Memphis, Tennessee
2010 DR MARILYN T. MILLER Chicago, Illinois
2009 DR DENIS M. O'DAY Nashville, Tennessee
2008 DR PAUL R. LICHTER Ann Arbor, Michigan
2007 DR DANIEL M. ALBERT Madison, Wisconsin
2006 DR MATTHEW D. DAVIS Madison, Wisconsin
2005 DR STEPHEN J. RYAN Los Angeles, California
2004 DR ARTHUR JAMPOLSKY Belvedere, California
2003 DR ALFRED SOMMER Baltimore, Maryland
2002 DR CROWELL BEARD San Jose, California
2001 DR STANLEY M. TRUHLSEN Omaha, Nebraska
2000 DR WILLIAM S. TASMAN Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1999 DR LORENZ E. ZIMMERMAN Washington, DC
1998 DR ALAN B. SCOTT San Francisco, California
1997 DR W. RICHARD GREEN Baltimore, Maryland
1996 DR ROBERT MACHEMER Durham, North Carolina
1995 DR WILLIAM H. SPENCER San Francisco, California
1994 DR THOMAS P. KEARNS Rochester, Minnesota
1993 DR BRUCE E. SPIVEY San Francisco, California
1992 DR BRADLEY R. STRAATSMA Los Angeles, California
1991 DR ARNALL PATZ Baltimore, Maryland
1990 DR DAVID SHOCH Chicago, Illinois
1989 DR MARSHALL M. PARKS Washington, DC
1988 DR THOMAS D. DUANE Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1987 DR DUPONT GUERRY III Richmond, Virginia
1986 DR ROBERT W. HOLLENHORST Rochester, Minnesota
1985 DR ROBERT N. SHAFFER San Francisco, California
1984 DR HAROLD G. SCHEIE Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1983 DR J. DONALD M. GASS Miami, Florida
1982 DR ARTHUR GERARD DEVOE New York, New York
1981 DR DAVID O. HARRINGTON San Francisco, California
1980 DR FREDERICK C. BLODI lowa City, Iowa
1979 DR FRANK W. NEWELL Chicago, Illinois
1978 DR S. RODMAN IRVINE Newport Beach, California
1977 DR KENNETH C. SWAN Portland, Oregon
1976 DR EDWARD W. D. NORTON Miami, Florida
1975 DR MICHAEL J. HOGAN San Francisco, California
1974 DR IRVING H. LEOPOLD New York, New York
1973 DR GORDON M. BRUCE Fort Lee, New Jersey
1972 DR WALTER S. ATKINSON Watertown, New York
1971 DR C. WILBUR RUCKER Rochester, Minnesota
1970 DR PETER C. KRONFELD Chicago, Illinois
1969 DR A. EDWARD MAUMENEE Baltimore, Maryland
1968 DR WALTER MORTON GRANT Boston, Massachusetts
1967 DR PAUL A. CHANDLER Boston, Massachusetts
1966 DR DOHRMANN K. PISCHEL San Francisco, California
1965 DR DAVID G. COGAN Boston, Massachusetts
1964 DR WILLIAM L. BENEDICT Rochester, Minnesota
1963 DR EDWIN B. DUNPHY Boston, Massachusetts
1962 DR FRANK B. WALSH Baltimore, Maryland
1961 DR FREDERICK C. CORDES San Francisco, California
1960 DR DERRICK T. VAIL Chicago, Illinois
1959 DR LUDWIG VON SALLMANN Bethesda, Maryland
1958 MISS IDA MANN Nedlands, Western Australia
1957 DR GEORGIANA DVORAK-THEOBALD Oak Park, Illinois
1956 DR BERNARD SAMUELS New York, New York
1955 DR ARTHUR J. BEDELL Albany, New York
1954 DR JOHN H. DUNNINGTON New York, New York
1953 DR ALAN C. WOODS Baltimore, Maryland
1952 DR FRANCIS H. ADLER Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1951 DR JONAS S. FRIEDENWALD Baltimore, Maryland
1950 DR ALGERNON B. REESE New York, New York
1949 DR PHILLIPS THYGESON San Jose, California
1948 DR WILLIAM ZENTMAYER Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1947 DR LAWRENCE T. POST St Louis, Missouri
1946 SIR STEWART DUKE-ELDER London, England
1945 DR WALTER B. LANCASTER Boston, Massachusetts
1944 NO AWARD  
1943 NO AWARD  
1942 DR E. V. L. BROWN Chicago, Illinois
1941 NO AWARD  
1940 NO AWARD  
1939 NO AWARD  
1938 NO AWARD  
1937 DR ARNOLD KNAPP New York, New York
1936 SIR JOHN HERBERT PARSONS London, England
1935 NO AWARD  
1934 DR GEORGE E. DE SCHWEINITZ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1933 NO AWARD  
1932 DR F. H. VERHOEFF Boston, Massachusetts
1931 NO AWARD  
1930 NO AWARD  
1929 DR THEODOR AXENFELD Freiburg, Germany
1928 NO AWARD  
1927 MR PRIESTLY SMITH Birmingham, England
1926 DR EDWARD JACKSON Denver, Colorado
1925 NO AWARD  
1924 DR ERNEST FUCHS Vienna, Austria
1923 DR ALEXANDER DUANE New York, New York
1922 DR CARL KOLLER New York, New York