IBMS Centenary in Liverpool
On 6th January 2012, the exact centenary of the foundation of the Institute in 1912 was marked and celebrated by the Merseyside Branch.
The chaplet and the plaque
A short ceremony was held in the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine where the President, Mr Derek Bishop, placed a chaplet of laurel leaves by the plaque recording the foundation on 6th January 1912 of the Pathological and Bacteriological Assistants Association. Also present were Tony Harding the Chairman of the IBMS History Committee, Jill Rodney, David Petts, Ron Templeton and Professor Janet Hemmingway, Director of the School. After the ceremony Ron Templeton, who with the help of Ms Sarah Lewis-Newton, Librarian to the School, had arranged it, lead a short tour to the university and hospital buildings that would have been familiar to Albert Norman and other of early pioneers of our profession.
Later the Merseyside Branch hosted a meeting entitled A Hundred Years Past and a Hundred Years in the Making at which the three speakers spoke about the past, present and the future of the Institute.
David Petts gave a brief account of the early history of the Institute and the principles on which it was founded. He demonstrated how the policies and strategies of the IBMS can still be linked to these principles. He showed that as a result of the foresight and energy of the founders, that the training, education, examination and qualifications system they introduced advanced the standing of the members, so that an employer knew that PBLAA qualified members were 'the genuine rrticle' and the current members still are.
Ron Templeton & IBMS President Derek Bishop
Derek Bishop's talk, Meeting the Changing Needs of the Profession, emphasised the professionalism of the IBMS membership. He illustrated his presentation with examples of the scientific and organisational challenges that pathology was facing and how the Institute was involved in meeting these.
2012 and beyond an Institute fit for the future was the title of Jill Rodney's talk. Jill made it clear that the next few years would not be easy for the profession and the coincidence of several initiatives had brought about a 'perfect storm' and a challenging future for the service as a whole. However she made it clear that as the Institute had a long history of being able to adapt to change it would survive and thrive. The aim of Council was that the Institute would extend its relevance, be more representative of the whole biomedical workforce and become the world’s leading membership body for biomedical science. She concluded by saying that "we create our beginnings and this is a new beginning for the Institute. It is not the fittest that survive, or even the strongest, but those that adapt most effectively".
David Petts, Derek Bishop, Ron Templeton, Professor Janet Hemingway and Tony Harding
In homage to the role of the early branches of PBLAA, which was not only to help advance the knowledge of its members but also as a forum for social events, the day concluded with a dinner and disco. Following the dinner Prof David Billington welcomed the guests and proposed a toast to the next 100 years, David Eccleston thanked all present and the President replied.
A report by David Petts
Further information
Letters of Consequence: A History of the Institute of Biomedical Science
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