A proposal for the establishment of a Western New York Branch of the A. S. M., signed by fifty members of the Society, was submitted to the Society Council on October 30, 1970 and approved by the Council at the Minneapolis. Minnesota meeting on May 2, 1971. The objectives of the Branch are similar to those of the National Society.

The many special interests of the microbiologists residing in Western New York range from medical microbiology through microbial physiology, immunology, virology, industrial microbiology to academic teachings and
research. The founding of the new branch thus facilitated the interchange of these various types of information among the members residing within a seventy-five mile radius of Buffalo, New York. The closer association made possible more frequent meetings at which the presentation of scientific caners, the conducting of workshops, round ·table discussions and varied educational activities could be offerred the members of the branch.

An organizational meeting was held on June 15, 1971 in Buffalo at which time an intern constitution and by laws were adopted and the first slate of officers was elected. The first officers were:

Harold R. Cox, an honorary member of the National Society, was nominated and elected as an honorary member of the Branch at this meeting.

The first scientific meeting of the Western New York Branch was held on October 15, 1971 at Meyer Memorial Hospital in Buffalo. Nine papers were presented in addition to the Foundation Lecture that was given by Dr. Lane Barksdale on The Microbiology of Diphtheria.

Four concurrent round table discussions (Viral Diseases Transmitted by Blood, Anaerobic Infections, Secretory Antibodies and Reverse Transcriptase) were held at the University of the State of New York at Buffalo in December, 1971 The meeting closed with an address by our honorary member, Dr. Harold R. Cox, The Story of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

In order to follow w the Branch Constitution that requires a rotation of meetings throughout the geographic area of the branch, the Spring 1972 meeting was held in SouthWestern New York at St. Bonaventure University on
March 25, 1972. Scientific papers were presented and a guest lecture, Research on Pasteurella pestis, was given by Dr. Michael Surgalla of Roswell Park Memorial Institute. The officers for the 1972-73 year were also elected. The only changes were that Kenneth E. Anderson and R. Todd Evans were chosen as president and vice president respectively.

The Fall meeting of the Branch was held on October 20, 1972 at the School of Nursing at Niagara University in Niagara Falls. Nine papers were read and the Foundation Lecture entitled Bioenergetics and Bacterial Growth was presented by Dr. Paul J. VanDemark of Cornell University.

A clinical workshop (Microbiology of Nocosomal Infections) and a round table discussion (The Microbial Aspects of Food, Sterile Devices and Topical Pharmaceutics) were held at the School of Nursing of the Buffalo General Hospital on December 16,1972. The meeting concluded with a lecture by Dr. Felix Milgrom entitled, Unusual Serology of Syphilic
Infection, Mononucleosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The Spring 1973 meeting was organized as a joint meeting of the Central and Western New York Branches and was held at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester on April 7,1973. Thirteen papers were
presented and an Immunology Workshop was conducted. The Central Branch James Sherman , Graduate Award was also presented. The Western New York branch Foundation Lecture, Interferon, Delayed Hypersensitivity and Cellular
Immunity, was given by Dr. Julius Younger of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The following officers were elected for the 1973-74 year.

The Fall meeting was held at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo on October 17,1973. Thirteen scientific papers were presented. The meeting closed with the Foundation Lecture, Tumor Virus Induced Immuno Suppression, by Dr. Herman Friedman of the Albert Einstein Medical Center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Western New York Branch sponsored an Educational Seminar, Microbiology in the High School Curriculum, on January 23, 1974 at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Participating in the seminar were Albert Barron, Eleanor Bartholomew, Joseph Merrick. Robert Zelgel, Barry Friedman and R. Tood Evans. The program was received with enthusiasm by the many secondary school teachers that attended. It was requested that further seminars or workshops be provided for teachers within the area.

The officers of the Western New York Branch submitted a revised and permanent Constitution and By Laws to the members of the Branch for their vote in March 1974 and it was announced at the Spring meeting held at
Genesee Community College in Batavia on April 1974 that the new Constitution and By Laws had been unanimously accepted by the members. Two concurrent sessions were held during the meeting and twelve papers were presented.
The following officers were elected for the 1974-75 year:

The meeting concluded with a guest lecture by Dr. William A. Carter of the Department of Microbiology of Roswell Park Memorial Institute entitled The Application of Interferon and its Inducers to Hunan Viral Infections.

The Executive Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Gorzynski, approved the inclusion of the Chairman of the Education Committee and two graduate students as unofficial members of the committee to assist the committee in bringing into better focus the educational objectives of the Branch.

The Fall meeting was held at Rosary Hill College in Buffalo on October 9, l974. Five papers were presented and a round table discussion. The American Academy of Microbiology Criteria for Certification and Registration of Microbiologists, was conducted by Eugene Gorzynski, Sister M. Regina Lanigan. O.S.F., Konrad Wicher, Sister Kathryn Zelenski, O.S.F. and Gerald Galdys. The meeting concluded with the Foundation Lecture by Donald F. Morse, D.D.S. of the School of Dentistry, Health Science Center of Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania entitled The Microbiological Aspects of Endodontis.