The Cornea Society was founded in 1975 in recognition of the contributions of its original namesake, Ramon Castroviejo, MD, a consummate educator and a pioneer in corneal transplantation. The Society fosters the exchange of information about the cornea and anterior segment of the eye through scientific meetings, communications, a scientific journal, and online and print clinical newsletters and content. It serves it members as an international organization dedicated to advancing understanding of the cornea, external eye and ocular surface, and acts a representative voice for corneal specialists globally.

The Society’s first meeting was held in the fall of 1975 during the week of the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in Dallas, Texas, and the initial officers were Dr. Fernando Losada (President), Dr. Hernando Cardona (Vice President), and Dr. Frank Polack (Secretary-Treasurer). It was agreed that the Castroviejo Society would be a scientific society of international character, devoted to the knowledge of diseases of the cornea and anterior segment of the eye.

In 2002, the Board of Directors officially changed the name of the Society to The Cornea Society in keeping with its broadening character and mission.