Hall of Fame

The heroes of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.

These extraordinary people devoted their lives to improving vision care for children so that children could have a life with good sight. Discover the magnificent scientific discoveries in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus that have opened doors to better care of children’s eye and vision health and of adults with strabismus. Take pride in the captivating stories of marvelous teachers, surgeons, clinicians, scientists, innovators, humanitarians, and visionaries, as told in their biographical sketches on display in this traveling and online exhibit.

The Marshall M. Parks Medalist Collection

The Marshall M. Parks Medal pays tribute to the legacy of a pediatric ophthalmologist, founder of the Children’s Eye Foundation of AAPOS and the visionary for the formation of AAPOS, whose lifelong quest was expert eye care for children, the elimination of preventable blindness and continuous innovation in the care of strabismus.

The Parks Medal, minted in 2002, is an honor awarded by the Children’s Eye Foundation of AAPOS and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus to recognize outstanding achievement in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. There are three levels of distinguished honor:

Marshall M. Parks Gold Medal

The Marshall M. Parks Gold Medal

The Gold Medal category was only awarded to Dr. Marshall Parks to honor his legacy.

Read Dr. Parks’ biography »

The Marshall M. Parks Silver Medal

The Silver Medal is pediatric ophthalmology’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, recognizing monumental contributions. Such contributions may involve basic research, clinical research, clinical care, educational activities, organizational activities, public health, or resource contributions.

Read about each of the Silver Medalists »

Marshall M. Parks Gold Medal

Marshall M. Parks Bronze Medal

The Marshall M. Parks Bronze Medal

Bronze Medals are awarded to past presidents of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and other individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to children’s eye care.

Read about each of the Bronze Medalists »

The Frank D. Costenbader Collection

Dr. Frank D. Costenbader is universally recognized as the first ophthalmologist to limit his practice, in 1943, exclusively to children. With that decision, he became the ‘’Father of Pediatric Ophthalmology”, and, by association, also the founder of Ophthalmology’s first sub-specialty. The Frank D. Costenbader Lecture was inaugurated in 1974 and is presented annually at the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting.

Dr. Costenbader’s Biography

The Legacy Collection

The Legacy Collection recognizes the seminal lifetime contributions made by outstanding individuals to the knowledge base and understanding of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. These individuals are selected by the Hall of Fame Committee through a rigorous nominating process.

Read about each of these luminaries in the Legacy Collection »

*A SPECIAL NOTE OF THANKS: Describing the legacies of these extraordinary individuals in such a short space is a challenging task. A very special thank you to Gill Roper-Hall for her contributions to this exhibit.

Hall of Fame Sponsors

The Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Hall of Fame is made possible by the generous support of our Hall of Fame Founder’s Society. A very heartfelt thank you to the following: