History of ASET: the first fifty years--1959 to 2009.

In 1959 a group of EEG technicians along with the support of electroencephalographers founded and chartered the American Society of Electroencephalographic Technicians (ASET). For the past fifty years, volunteers and staff have worked to make ASET the premier professional membership organization for electroneurodiagnostic technologists. The volunteers included officers, board members, committee chairs, faculty, authors of articles and handouts, vendors, and members assisting in all areas such as membership recruitment. This article is just the beginning of chronicling, sharing, and savoring ASET's history. Beginning in 2010, an article per year will review and describe a five-year span of ASET history including the changes and expansion in technology. We need to preserve the memories, the ideas, and the driving forces to truly appreciate and understand where we are today.