PA History Society

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/

05/02/2026

Gerald Kayingo is a respected researcher, prolific writer, seasoned educator, clinician and leader in higher education. Born in Uganda, he was drawn to the PA profession while studying at Yale for a postdoctoral fellowship. He has been awarded numerous distinctions, honors and grants for his work in PA education and research. To learn more about his contribution, visit his bio: https://pahx.org/bios/gerald-kayingo/

03/02/2026

Black History Month is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year! The PA History Society will celebrate the month by posting a biography or oral history interview every Thursday highlighting an African American PA who has made history by making a difference. We have also compiled a small collection highlighting some of the newer biographies and interviews in our collections: https://pahx.org/news/black-history-month-2026/

29/01/2026

In this wonderful oral history interview, Jeff Myers sat down with former Emory University PA Program faculty, Terry Mize, Tom Himelick, and Randy Bundschu, to discuss the formation, evolution and impact (both on the community and on the volunteers) of the Emory Farmworker Project - formerly the South Georgia Farm Worker Health Project.

Jeff Myers, MPH, MMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, FAAPM, sat down with former Emory University PA Program faculty, Terry Mize, Tom Himelick, and Randy Bundschu, to discuss the…

26/01/2026

Herb Macey was among the first PAs to own and operate an independent medical practice. This met with some resistance in the early 1980s, but Macey prevailed in what he considers a landmark case, one that laid important groundwork for PAs today to own and operate their own medical practices.

Learn more about Herb Macey's contributions to the PA profession in his bio: https://pahx.org/bios/george-herbert-macey/

22/01/2026

Did you know one of the early promoters of the PA profession wasn't even real? In the 1970s, Gasoline Alley, the longest running comic strip in the US, brought a character home from the Vietnam War. Chipper Wallet had been trained as a medic and became interested in the new PA profession that was all the rage. The comic strip followed Chipper's journey through PA school and as a PA. Chipper even came back into the strip to wish the PA profession a happy birthday in 2017!

Read more:https://pahx.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketing-the-Physician-Assistant-Concept.pdf

20/01/2026

When asked about the most rewarding aspects of his career, Elijah Salzer emphasizes three key points: (1) his residency experience, (2) the trust patients place in him for their care, and (3) the trust students place in him for their education. Salzer is a PA, an educator, and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) with over three decades of specialized experience in OB/GYN. Learn more about his career and contributions in his bio: https://pahx.org/bios/elijah-salzer/

19/01/2026

The PA History Society wishes everyone a meaningful and reflective Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.