Publish Date: Dec 1, 2006

To obtain a copy/copies of the book . . . complete and mail the downloadable form along with your donation.

Questions? Contact Sue Gilmore at 812-855-4440 or sgilmore@indiana.edu.

This is the fascinating story of a remarkable man, Irvin M. Borish, a person who combines genius, common sense, compassion, professional devotion, an impressive work ethic, and unbounded energy. As the most significant contributor to the growth and education of optometry over the past seventy-five years he has earned the title Optometry's Architect.

This son of impoverished immigrants became an intellectual giant, although he was too poor to buy high school or college textbooks. After first trying to become a poet and writer, fortunately (for optometry) he pursued a career in optometry. In the telling of the story of this extraordinary man, we also see an absorbing history of his profession.

No one is better qualified to tell this story than William R. "Bill" Baldwin. He has been a close friend of Borish for many years and a keen observer of his activities. In addition he was dean of the University of Houston College of Optometry during the years Borish was Benedict Professor there.

Throughout his diverse career Irvin M. Borish has been deeply involved in clinical research. Recognizing the value of greater emphasis in this activity, he provided seed funding to establish a research center at the Indiana University School of Optometry in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. On October 11, 1995, the Borish Center for Ophthalmic Research was formally dedicated. The missions of the Borish Center are to stimulate and facilitate clinical and other applied research concerning visual disorders, ocular pathologies, and systemic diseases that affect vision, as well as the development of procedures and devices that will enhance visual performance. The center's staff is experienced in large-scale clinical trials and has an excellent record of subject recruitment and retention. Most equipment essential to clinical research in vision is available. The Borish Center has attracted researchers from multiple disciplines and various countries, thereby providing a fertile climate for performing research and training students, residents, and fellows.