American Society for Apheresis,Society of Hemapheresis Specialists and Francis S. Morrison,MD, revisited

The histories of the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) and the Society for Hemapheresis Specialists (SHS) are intimately intertwined with Francis S Morrison, MD. Because many of the relevant historical events are not recorded as written documents, it is useful to revisit them via the memory of those who lived‐through the growth and development of ASFA. ASFA began in 1982 as an organization of physicians interested in automated hemapheresis—actually, meetings of ASFA perse were preceded in the late 1970s by apheresis symposia sponsored by the American Red Cross Blood Services in Chicago. Concurrently, SHS formed as an organization of nurses and “operators” performing hemapheresis procedures and held meetings separate from ASFA. Following a number of turbulent years, ASFA and SHS merged. Trusting my memory and a few personal documents, I will touch on many of the notable events of ASFA and SHS history. Because of the leadership of Dr. Fran Morrison during many crucial events in ASFA history, I will make special efforts to remember his contributions to ASFA as an organization and the ways in which he touched the lives of many ASFA members. J. Clin. Apheresis., 2007 © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.