The International Association for the History of Nephrology (IAHN), as many good things, was created by necessity with the aim “to give voice to the many dormant historians of nephrology awaiting an opportunity to come out of the closet. Natale Gaspare De Santo, Garabed Eknoyan and Shaul G. Massry, while travelling in Poland on a bus from Lublin to Poznan for an international event organized by Professor Kazimierz Bączyk in 1992, gave birth to IAHN. It is then that the goal of the society was identified, a list of dormant historians of nephrology identified, and the structure of the association shaped.
It was decided to start with a preparatory conference in Italy which took place on October 28-30, 1993, between Naples and Montecassino. The conference was promoted by the Second University of Naples (President Domenico Mancino), the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies (President, Avvocato Gerardo Marotta), Baylor College of Medicine (President, William T. Butler), and The Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino (Abbot Bernardo D’Onorio). More than 80 putative historians attended the meeting. The list of speakers included: N. G. De Santo, G. Eknoyan, S. Massry, L. Iorio, S.G. Marketos, C.W. Gottschalk, S. Sabatini, E. Kinne-Saffran, N.A. Kurtzman, A.D ‘Angelo, S. Favaro, G. Aliotta, B. Cavarra, G. Federspill, A. Tizianello, F. Rossi, M. Timio, F.F. Avagliano, M.D.M. Tortora, J.C.M. Chan, R.J. Petrucelli,.R. Palmero, J.S. Cameron. J.D.Kopple, T. Fogazzi, E. Ritz, M. Cirillo, V. Bonomini, G. Conte, K. Hierholzer, L. Calò, R. A. Bernabeo, R.K.H. Kinne, L. Fine, S. Musitelli, M. Oldoni, M. Pasca, R.L. Chevalier, A. Borsatti, L. Melillo, A. Heidland, B. Cavarra, F.P. Schena, G. Chieffi. M.U. Dianzani, and L. R. Angeletti. A business meeting was held at the conclusion of the conference, at which it was voted to establish the International Association for the History of Nephrology.
The first Congress of the IAHN was organized by Professor Spyros Marketos and held on the island of Kos, Greece in October of 1996.
Eknoyan G, De Santo NG, Massry SG. On the Future of History of Nephrology. Am J Nephrol 1994; 14: 295-296
