Education has always been at the core of the ARRS mission, evolving alongside radiology itself. This timeline captures just a handful of the countless moments that have influenced how radiology is taught and shared. As the field progresses, these milestones remind us of our commitment to supporting radiologists in shaping the future.
Notable Moments in ARRS History
1900: Led by Jan Rudiš-Jičínský, 15 physicians met at Heber Robarts’ St. Louis office to form the Roentgen Society of the United States, with Robarts as president. The society’s inaugural Annual Meeting on December 13-14 in New York attracted 150 delegates, 25 scientific papers, and a commercial exhibition.
1904: Elizabeth Fleischman, an early pioneer in X-ray imaging and Roentgen Society member, introduces new protective measures for operators of X-ray machines.
1907: American Quarterly of Roentgenology, edited by Preston Hickey, launches.
The world is ever ready to erect monuments in stone and sculptured bronze for the heroes of martial deeds, but the heroes of Roentgenology have their names perpetuated in the minds of students of medical history.
Preston Manasseh Hickey AJR Editor in Chief 1906-1916
1913: The American Quarterly of Roentgenolgy begins publishing on a monthly basis, changing its name to the American Journal of Roentgenology.
1920: The American Roentgen Ray Society establishes the first standing committee on X-ray protection.
1932: Alice Ettinger arrives in Boston to demonstrate a spot-film X-ray device. What was intended to be a six-week stay blossomed into an illustrious educational career spanning more than 50 years.
1940: Lucy Frank Squire makes history as the first woman to join the radiology residency program at Massachusetts General Hospital. She goes on to become a renowned radiology educator, influencing generations of medical students through her landmark textbook Fundamentals of Radiology.
1958: A study by Melvin Figley reveals splenoportography, once a key method for evaluating the portal vein, has a high rate of imaging failures and suboptimal examinations. He would go on to serve as the AJR Editor in Chief from 1975 to 1985.
1962: In an article for AJR, Robert Egan detailed his experience interpreting 2,000 mammograms from one of the first screening clinics, detecting 53 occult breast cancer cases. His work helped establish mammography as a critical tool for early breast cancer detection.
1976: The rise of CT in the 1970s reshaped neuroimaging, replacing older techniques for trauma evaluation. In a 1976 AJR study, Jorge Merino-de-Villasante and Juan Taveras demonstrated its superiority over angiography and skull radiography in 100 head trauma cases.
1980: Fonar, the first American magnetic resonance imaging unit, was unveiled at the 1980 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV.
1991: Susan Cappitelli is hired on to oversee in-house AJR publishing and build a team committed to top-tier radiology education. Under her leadership, ARRS more than doubles its membership, develops 14 global partnerships, and establishes The Roentgen Fund.
2006: ARRS launches the Case-Based Review Course at the Annual Meeting in Vancouver.
2010: ARRS hosts its first Global Exchange with the Korean Society of Radiology in San Diego, with instructional courses and scientific sessions presented throughout the meeting.
2015: ARRS provides a virtual option to watch every session from the Annual Meeting for the first time, allowing participants from around the globe to view the latest education.
2018: ARRS and the Mayo Clinic highlight advancements in 3D Printing in Medicine through a special exhibit at the ARRS Annual Meeting.
2024:AJR transitions fully to online publishing while adding new multimedia features including podcasts, videos, and a livestreamed forum.
2025: ARRS launches Roentgen Ray Review, a new journal focused on pictorial essays, case reports, expert commentary, and more.
