A tribute to the founding figures of the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

The American Board of Plastic Surgery recently celebrated its 75th anniversary as an established specialty board. This historical article provides an outline of the events that led to the formation of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and gives insight into the personalities and achievements of the key individuals whose unique talents coalesced into a common vision of making plastic surgery the diverse and well-respected specialty that it is today. This is a historical literature review outlining the circumstances leading to the formation of American Board of Plastic Surgery. The emphasis on the role of its founding fathers is reviewed and detailed in the article. The founding figures continue to inspire us through their unrelenting dedication to the field of plastic surgery. Over the past 75 years, the field of plastic surgery has been very well served by their successors, and these founding figures have fostered a surgical specialty of great repute.