Those who do not remember the past

A foundation stone for quality assurance is the ability to document past actions. The celebration of the 10th Annual Meeting of the Society of Quality Assurance allows all of us, who were somehow intimately involved in its beginnings, to reflect on the past actions of our industries and to contemplate what this history bodes for the future. The exciting expectations of global and regulatory agency harmonization beckon us into the 21st century. We eagerly rush to embrace the concepts of total quality management and to establish an international dimension for our Society. Just as the retrospective audit of the science we regulate is an integral part of our daily activities, however, so must the reflection on whence we came (and why) be an integral part of our planning for the future. There is a dark side to the history of why the Society persists to celebrate this 10th anniversary. What lessons of yesterday remain to help guide us all into tomorrow?