1970-1972 George J. Cunningham, USA (England)

IAP President 1970-1972

George J. Cunningham was the first international President of the truly international IAP following the creation of the US & Canadian Division as separate from the IAP. The US & Canadian Division existed with its own President from this point.

George was elected as President-Elect of the IAP at a meeting of the Executive International Steering Committee at the 1968 IAP International Congress in Milan, Italy. Since then the International Council of the IAP has met every two years at the biennial International Congresses wherever they are held in the world and hold elections for a new President-Elect.

The first international meeting of IAMM was held in London in 1913 at the Royal College of Surgeons. The two World Wars so disrupted communications that the next international meeting was not held until 1960. In the meantime sectional societies continued to meet but with poor attendances, and in 1955 it was decided to wind the IAMM up. However, a group of enthusiastic North American pathologists intervened and re-named the society as the IAP. Membership improved and in 1960 a second international meeting was held at the Royal College of Surgeons. This was organised by Professor George Cunningham an important figure in British pathology at this time. Buoyed by the success of this meeting, he and a group of like-minded colleagues formed the British Division of the IAP (BDIAP). The first meeting of Council was held in October 1960 with Professor Vic Harrison as President, George Cunningham as Treasurer and Dr David Pratt as Secretary. The first Scientific meeting, on skin pathology, was not held until February 1961, hence the celebration this year of our 50th Anniversary. (From: A History of the British Division of the International Academy of Pathology 1961-2011 Professor Christopher W Elston.)

1958, 1959 and 1960 he was a member of the IAP/US & Canadian Section Executive Council and in 1961 was on the Membership Committee.

1968 Mar 2 - Exec Council, Drake Hotel, Chicago. President Robert More. Professor George Cunningham present and reported as Chairman of the Executive International Steering Committee. **Steering Committee was founded and met once in Kyoto in October 1966 and 6 times since. The Committee ran the Congresses.

1969 Jan 4 - Chicago G Cunningham reported as Chairman of the Exec Int Steering Committee on the 1968 Milan Congress and the actions by the Int Steering Committee Exec concerning the IAP Constitution and the slate of Officers. Officers - G Cunningham Pres and Pres-Elect, F Mostoffi Sec/Treasurer and 5 VPs, Yoshida - Asia, Murray - Africa, Rapaport - Latin America, McGovern - Australia and Geddick - Europ. At this meeting #6, R. More - North America was added. 1968 Sep 7th meeting, Int General Business meeting, Milan, 30 Int members present, IAP international Constitution and Bylaws proposed and passed unanimously. Dr. Edwards reported on the status of new Constitution & Bylaws and establishment of the USCAP. Discussion of transfer process/steps. New "IAP" Exec to become USCAP Exec. New Constitution with revisions adopted. To go to membership in San Francisco 1969.

In 1970 when he became President he moved to the US and joined the faculty at the Department of Pathology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond Virginia.