By 1961, 15 million Americans were older than 65 and a person’s life expectancy was “moving beyond the 70 year mark,” and it was at this time that the issue of aging secured a place in the national consciousness.3 The first White House Conference onAging, a four-day event in January 1961, focused on health care. More than 3,000 people attended; topics discussed included the “Rehabilitation of Disabled Middle-Aged and Older People” and the “Role and Training of Professional Personnel.”4, 5 Nursing care warranted special discussion: for example, it was recommended that nurses be given specific training in the rehabilitation of nursing home residents, and emphasis was placed on the importance of specialized training in geriatrics.