History

The Society traces its origins to a luncheon hosted by Dr. Victor Hugo Sears on October 15, 1955, at the Fairborn Hotel in San Francisco, California, during the annual American Dental Association meeting. At this gathering, attended by approximately 25 individuals, the decision was made to form a group dedicated to studying the temporomandibular joint and related structures. It was agreed that the term "equilibration" would be central to the group's focus, and plans were set for a future meeting to officially establish the society.

On Thanksgiving Day of the same year, Dr. Sears met with Dr. A. Alfred Nelson and Dr. Chester Perry at Dr. Perry’s home in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to define the criteria for the new society. Alongside these three founding members, Dr. Willie B. May, Dr. Clyde Townsend Mayfield, and Dr. James B. Costen constituted the first Executive Council.

The Society's inaugural organizational and scientific meeting took place in February 1956, coinciding with the Chicago Mid-Winter Meeting. Despite initially reserving a room for 40 attendees, over 100 individuals registered, demonstrating a clear and enthusiastic interest in the field of occlusion and related subjects. This overwhelming response confirmed that the time was indeed right for the formation of the American Equilibration Society!