T hank you very much for honoring me with the Papanicolaou Award. Receiving this award is one of the high points of my career. Being active in cytopathology and the American Society of Cytopathology has provided many positive benefits: I have learned a lot, made many lifelong friends, and my involvement has kept my career interesting. Whatever I have achieved in cytopathology is the result of support from numerous individuals in the profession. I want to thank everyone who has worked with me in the field, my family, and the faculty and staff at the University of Kentucky. Indeed, it is not about one's individual achievements, but what we can accomplish for patients and the profession together. It's about mentoring individuals in the field and leaving a legacy.
Today I first want to honor Dr. Papanicolaou by talking about his achievements in cervical cytology, then discuss the current status of cytology, and finally my thoughts for the future.
Dr. Papanicolaou was born in Kimi, Greece on May 13, 1883, and his birthday is now celebrated as Cytotechnology Day. He received his medical degree in 1904 but he was not interested in practicing general medicine. He studied a variety of subjects in graduate school including philosophy, anthropology, zoology, and oceanography, and received his doctorate degree from the University of Munich in 1910. 1 While serving in the Balkan War, he became interested in moving to America. His first major position was in the Cornell Department of Anatomy in 1914, and his project involved studying the somatic and genetic effects of prolonged alcohol exposure in guinea pigs. 1 Dr. Papanicolaou had the opportunity to also continue his studies of sex determination and differentiation in this large animal colony. One of his challenges was how to obtain ova at the correct time. Papanicolaou pondered this problem for some time and awoke one morning with a solution: he surmised that guinea pigs must have a menstrual cycle similar to humans, so he examined the guinea pig females daily for vaginal discharge. 1 He determined that guinea pigs have a 15 to 16 day cycle and published his findings with his mentor, Professor Charles Stockard. The guinea pig research led to ovulation and hormonal studies in many different species by many laboratories. In 1923, Papanicolaou began his hormonal studies in women and later recorded his