ST. LOUIS— This year’s annual Optometric Historical Society’s Reminisce-IN will honor Irvin Borish, OD, “the father of modern optometry,” who passed away on March 3 at the age of 99. The event will be held in Chicago at 3 p.m. on June 28 during Optometry’s Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Optometric Association and the American Optometric Student Association.

Borish was a member of the founding committee of the School of Optometry at Indiana University. The author of Clinical Refraction, the definitive reference text on clinical optometry, Borish was named the most influential optometrist of the 20th century by Review of Optometry and was the first inductee into the National Optometry Hall of Fame.

The tribute to Borish will be led by his long-time friend, Alden N. Haffner, OD, PhD, FAAO, president emeritus of SUNY College of Optometry. Irving Bennett, president of the Optometric Historical Society, told VMail, “In my 60 years of experience in optometry I have never found a person as kind and knowledgeable as Irvin Borish.” The program will focus on Borish’s many substantial achievements, and attendees will be asked to relate stories about their experiences with this optometric icon.