The Reed M. Nesbit Society
The Reed M. Nesbit Urologic Society is the alumni organization of the Department of Urology, University of Michigan. The membership of the Society includes residents who trained at Michigan, clinical fellows, faculty and selected others. The Society was constituted in 1972 and the first by-laws were drafted John W. Konnak MD (who finished his residency in 1969). Prior to this time, there had been informal gatherings of alumni dating back to 1963 as part of the overall Michigan Medical Center Alumni Association. 
At these early meetings the tradition of gathering together to discuss scientific, professional and academic concerns in conjunction with good fellowship and an opportunity to see old friends was firmly established. At the charter meeting in 1972, the by-laws were ratified and the Society’s distinct logo was adopted. The logo is a reminder of the long tradition of urology in medicine and its early adoption of science of technology. It has a central image portraying a medieval era urologist performing uroscopy by contemplating the appearance of a jordan (or matula) of urine. Rigdon “Rod” K. Ratliff MD (residency 1938) was elected the fist president with Karl R. Herwig MD (residency 1967) serving as the first secretary.
Meetings were initially held biannually but switched over to an annual meeting in 2003. The format usually includes a scientific session with a guest speaker on Friday, a dinner Friday night and a brunch on Saturday followed by taking in a football game at Michigan Stadium. Past Visiting Professors included George Webster, Joseph Smith, Louis Kavoussi, Joel Nelson, and this year’s Visiting Professor, Claus Roehrborn. There is also an annual cocktail reception held by the Society during the national American Urological Association meeting.
