Progress and Problems

I am deeply aware of the honor you have conferred upon me by election to the presidency of the Western Surgical Association and I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation. I would like to add my grateful thanks, also, to the various officers of this association who so ably conduct the affairs of the society, and to the members of the Local Committee who have carried the burden of arrangements for this meeting, and to all of you for your continuous cooperation and interest which make the meetings of this society so stimulating. Although the major surgical associations of today are relatively new in the history of scientific societies, most of them in this country have, so far, withstood the test of time and are functioning today with vigor and usefulness. The broad objectives and practical aims of these flourishing organizations have been important factors