FDA > CDRH > Letter from the Center Director

Letter from the Center Director

Dear Stakeholder:

On June 30, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the passage of its founding law, the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act. I am writing to invite your organization to join us in recognizing and taking part in this milestone event.

The Centennial is a major milestone in FDA’s celebrated history and the enactment of the 1906 law transformed FDA into a scientific regulatory agency, making it the oldest consumer protection agency in the nation. The Centennial year is one during which FDA and the entire country can take pride in and reflect on the richness of FDA’s history.

In addition to the Centennial, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has other major milestones to celebrate. The year 2006 will mark the 35 th anniversary of the transfer of the Public Health Service Bureau of Radiological Health to the FDA. Next year is also the 30 th anniversary of the 1976 Medical Device Amendments to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Those amendments were a milestone for public health and protection and remain the basis of today’s regulation of medical devices. And, finally, next year will mark the 14 th anniversary of the passage of the 1992 Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), which has helped ensure quality mammography for every woman in the United States.

The Center and FDA are planning Centennial-related events throughout 2006 as well as special events during the Centennial week. Some of the events planned are:

• January 2006: FDA and CDRH Centennial Inter/Intranet activated

• January 2006: FDA Consumer Centennial Issue

• January 2006: Secondary School Contest (Life Smart) through FDA and You – Centennial Edition, a CDRH publication for secondary school students

• April 18 – 20, 2006: FDA Science Forum to commemorate 30 years of consumer protection for Medical Devices & Radiological Health.

• May 17, 2006: CDRH Centennial Celebration Picnic

• May 19, 2006: FDA Awards Ceremony

• June 9, 2006: CDRH Awards Ceremony

• June 30, 2006: Centennial Ceremony HHS Great Hall. Presentation of Congressional Joint Resolution and Presidential Proclamation.

• September 2006: Flag Raising and Employee Music Festival

• September 2006: Centennial Building and Plaque Dedication, White Oak

We hope that your organization will take an active role in supporting this commemoration and celebrating our rich past and promising future in Protecting and Promoting Public Health.

Sincerely yours,

Daniel G. Schultz, M.D.
Director
Center for Devices and Radiological Health

Updated December 29, 2005