The Evolution of Eye Banking in the United States: Landmarks in the History of the Eye Bank Association of America

Established in 1961, the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) was not only the first eye bank association in the world but also the first association to represent any group of organ or tissue transplantation professionals. Its history is one of additional “firsts”: setting medical standards to ensure tissue safety, establishing an accreditation process for individual eye banks, and developing a certification program for eye bank technicians, among others. To accomplish these initiatives, the EBAA has fostered collaborations with diverse communities, including government officials, corneal surgeons, Lions Clubs members, researchers, tissue and organ banks, and international organizations, thus continuing to evolve its role in pursuit of an unchanging mission: to champion the restoration of sight.