The founding of the American Epilepsy Society: 1936-1971

In December 1946, a joint meeting devoted to epilepsy research and care was held by the Association for the Research in Nervous and Mental Disease and the American Chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy. The American Epilepsy Society (AES) has chosen this date and this meeting to mark its founding and recognizes Dr. Charles D. Aring as the organization's first president. However, the founding process of the AES actually began a decade earlier with a dinner meeting held during the American Medical Association's annual meeting. Based on this historical review, it is recommended that the AES recognize 1936 as the year of its founding and Dr. William G. Lennox as its founder and first president.