HISTORY OF THE ERNEST EVERETT JUST SOCIETY

Beginning in 1975, Drs. Lennette Benjamin, Clarice Reid and Jeanne Smith initiated informal meetings of minority physicians and scientists attending the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in order to foster camaraderie and interactions between these individuals who were in a distinct minority at these meetings. In ensuing years under their guidance, the minority ASH attendees gathered to watch Monday Night Football and engage in a forum for sharing updates on their ongoing research, to network, to get input from mentors and to learn of potential career opportunities. As the numbers of minority attendees at ASH increased, it was decided to organize a formal society in 1984. Subsequently, they formed the Just Society as an Association registered in the State of California and received its 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service and its 23701d status from the State of California in 1986.

Thereafter, the Society initiated formal dinner meetings to accomplish its objectives as enumerated in the Articles of Association. Collaborations with industry began in 1992 and provided the society the opportunity to support aspiring trainees and students to attend the annual ASH meeting. This competitive scholarship, which provided exposure in hematology and mentorship from the society, was named in honor of Roland B. Scott, M.D..

In 2003, the Society formally collaborated with ASH to develop the Minority Medical Student Award Program (now the Committee on Promoting Diversity). This program provides summer research opportunities for minority medical students in order to introduce them to science while exposing them to careers in hematology. The Just Society has also been instrumental in expanding the ASH Committee on Promoting Diversity’s activities in developing an award similar to that for minority graduate students to introduce them to the breadth of careers in hematology research.

What started out as a gathering of a mere handful of individuals is now a robust group of those interested in hematology and hematology research with members from across the globe.