PA History Society

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PA History Society

Honoring our History; Ensuring our Future

The Physician Assistant History Society® is dedicated to the study of the history and legacy of the physician assistant profession through the collection and identification of appropriate papers, manuscripts, magazine and newspaper clippings, newsletters, references, reports, dissertations, oral histories, biographies, films, slides, videos, photographs, artifacts, memorabilia and digital images.

12/03/2026

In 1971, Virginia Aldrich was hired by the University of Utah’s Department of Behavioral Science to work as a nurse on a rural health project that was providing nursing personnel to nursing homes in several rural communities. After working along side a PA, she decided to change careers. In 1974, she became part of the first wave of formally trained PAs in Utah. To learn more about Virginia Aldrich, please visit her biography! https://pahx.org/bios/virginia-aldrich/

10/03/2026

The PA History Society is saddened by the loss of James Hammond. Hammond was a past president of the PAEA and past chair of the ARC-PA. He spent his career as a PA educator furthering the improvement of the quality of PA education. To read more about his impact on the PA profession, please visit his bio: https://pahx.org/bios/hammond-james/

04/03/2026

The first PA History Society newsletter of 2026 has hit the virtual stands! what was first female PAJoyce Nichols's secret talent? What was special about a 2005 JAAPA interview? What's going on with PAs in Germany? Find out inside! Also, meet our board president, Bill Kohlhepp, and our new trustee and student trustee! Hear more about our CME session at the AAPA conference and what students are saying about our new educational modules! https://pahx.org/pa-history-society-newsletter/

02/03/2026

March is Women's History Month! As always, the PA History Society has put together a small collection highlighting the contributions of female PAs who have made history by making a difference. This year we are focusing on women who - like Joyce Nichols, the first female PA - have made an impact in rural health. https://pahx.org/news/womens-history-month-2026/

26/02/2026

Tracy Branch was one of the US Public Health Service PAs to serve in Liberia with the Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) Team One during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. The unit would go on to write on novel protocols for holistic care for Ebola infection; introduce the first use of interventional medical treatments to include phlebotomy, intravenous medication administration; and revise clinical protocols for the austere environment. Read more about Branch's career as a PA and in the USPHS on her bio: https://pahx.org/bios/tracy-branch/

24/02/2026

The PA History Society will be offering a small group CME session at AAPA's annual conference in New Orleans on May 18th! Learn how to best keep the history of your program, organization or class. We will go over what to preserve, how to preserve it, and creative ways to share it with consituients! Our 2024 session filled up fast, so make sure to RSVP on the AAPA conference app or website.

19/02/2026

Dwayne Williams is a PA educator, author, and entrepreneur. Realizing that there was a need for accessible and effective PANCE preparation material, Williams created his review book, PANCE Prep Pearls and then later, The Ultimate Medical Mnemonic Comic Book. To learn more about Williams's contributions the PA profession, please visit his bio: https://pahx.org/bios/dwayne-williams/

18/02/2026

The PA History is sad to announce the passing of John McElligott. McElligott began his career in medicine as a Navy corpman. He was one of the early PAs, graduating from Duke in 1974. In 1989, he became a physician, but his support of the PA profession never wavered. McElligott was a major supporter of the PA History Society in its early days and the Society's PA Veterans Garden was named in his honor. To learn more about Dr. McElligott: https://pahx.org/bios/mcelligott-john/

17/02/2026

The PA History Society wishes to all who observe a happy Lunar New Year! May the new year be a healthy and happy one.

16/02/2026

The PA History Society wishes everyone a happy and safe Presidents Day!

12/02/2026

When Susan Salahsor was a child, she helped care for her grandmother who had an infected leg due to complications of diabetes. Since then, she always knew that she would work in medicine. Now a PA educator, she has been the founding director for several PA programs, an adovate for greater diversity in the profession, and was the first African American president of the Florida Academy of PAs. Read more: https://pahx.org/bios/susan-salahshor/

10/02/2026

Take a look at some of the student feedback we've gotten for the PA History Society's new online modules! Want to know more about our educational modules for PA programs? https://pahx.org/news/new-educational-modules-go-live/

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The PA History Society

The Physician Assistant History Society was created in 2002 when co-founders, Reginald Carter and J. Jeffrey Heinrich, realized the need to preserve the history of the PA profession for future generations.

The PA History Society is dedicated to sharing the history and legacy of the profession through our archival collections of personal and organizational papers, oral histories, biographies, photographs, videos, and library materials.