Milestones

1948 - Under the primary leadership of Paul Holbrook, M.D., a Tucson rheumatologist, the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation was incorporated, forerunner of the Arthritis Foundation (AF).

1961 - Southwest Clinic and Research Institute, originally part of the Holbrook-Hill Clinic, moves to the basement of the Agriculture College to do the first arthritis research at the University of Arizona.

1973 - The Southwestern Chapter of the AF, under the leadership of David Wayne Smith, Ed.D., receives an Arthritis Regional Medical Program (RMP) grant from the federal government.

1976 - RMP staff with community rheumatologists begin planning for an Arthritis Center at the College of Medicine (COM) and writing for an NIH Multipurpose Arthritis Center (MAC) grant begin under direction of Jack Boyer, M.D., Chief of the Section of Rheumatology, COM, and Gail Kershner Riggs, MA, CHES, Director of Education, RMP.

1978 - UA COM Section of Rheumatology receives 1st NIH-MAC grant; 1981 2nd NIH-MAC grant is received laying foundation for an autonomous Arthritis Center concept.

1986 - The Board of Regents approve the concept of the Arizona Arthritis Center with Eric Gall, M.D. and Robert Volz M.D. as founding directors.

April 1987 - Alliance with Southern Arizona Home Builders Association through Saul Tobin for the Lute Olson Golf Tournament & Celebrity Auction.

1989 - Dr. Yocum describes the characteristics of tumor necrosis factor in rheumatoid arthritis.

1994 - David Yocum, M.D., becomes director of the Arizona Arthritis Center.

March 14th, 1995 - Roof Breaking - (Since we did not build a new building, but renovated the existing space, it was called a Roof Breaking instead of a Ground Breaking.)

October 1995 - Alliance with Canyon Ranch to begin integrative arthritis education and therapies.

January 1996 - Establishment of the Enid and Mel Zuckerman Chair for studies in Psychoneuroendoimmunology.

January 1996 - Establishment of the William and Sylvia Rubin Chair for Orthopedic Research.

April 1996 - Establishment of the Disability Assessment Research Clinic under Dr. David W. Smith.

February 1997 - Establishment of the Ethel McChesney Bilby Endowed Chair for Osteoporosis, currently occupied by Jeffrey R. Lisse, M.D.

March 11, 1997 - Dedication of the Arizona Arthritis Center to Fred and Christine Armstrong.

April 1997 - Grant from the Lovell Foundation establishes the Living Healthy with Arthritis Outreach Program.

1997 - Eva Holtby founds and initiates Friends of the Arizona Arthritis Center.

September 2000 - Collaboration with the National Arthritis Foundation to present the CARES Program.

April 2001 - Initiation of the Charles W. and Sophie T. McKenzie Endowed Chair for Pediatric Rheumatology.

April 2003 - Initiation of the William and Sylvia Rubin Endowed Chair for Orthopedic Research held by John A. Szivek, PhD.

February 2004 - First Eva M. Holtby Memorial Lectureship at AAC Friends "Conversations and Lunch."

November 2004 - Initiation of the Saul and Sue Tobin Endowment for Research and Education in Rheumatology.

February 2005 - Jeffrey Lisse, M.D. becomes Interim Director of the AAC.

January 2008 - Salvatore Albani, M.D., Ph.D. becomes Director of the AAC.