The Early Years (1285–1889)
The story begins around 1285, when the very first spectacles were invented. Early optometry was all about improving the way lenses and frames were made. Spectacle makers even formed guilds, and people started noticing that not everyone’s eyes worked the same way. Primitive vision testing began to take shape, laying the groundwork for future progress.

The Modern Optometry Period (1890–1960s)
Fast forward to the late 1800s, and things sped up quickly. This is when optometry began to look like the profession we recognize today. States started passing licensure laws, national organizations formed, and optometry schools opened their doors. Textbooks and journals appeared, helping standardize exams and define what it meant to be an “optometrist.” Most importantly, optometry shifted from being considered a trade to being seen as a true healthcare profession.

Broadening the Scope (1960s–1970s)
In the 1960s, conversations around the use of pharmaceuticals in optometry sparked a big change. Training expanded to cover biology, eye disease, and pharmacology. The number of optometry schools in the U.S. more than doubled—from 10 then to 24 today.

Residency programs, introduced in the mid-1970s, gave new graduates opportunities to specialize. From just 18 residencies in 1979, the number grew to 82 by 1996, and the options continue to expand—including programs in public health, Veterans Administration hospitals, and Indian Health Service facilities.

Leading the Way (1970s–1980s)
Optometrists have always embraced innovation. In the 1970s, they led the charge in fitting both soft and gas-permeable contact lenses. Technology also took off—starting with Bausch & Lomb’s ophthalmetron in 1971 and leading to today’s automated tools like autorefraction, corneal topography, and advanced imaging.

Optometry also set the standard in professional development. In the 1970s, optometrists became one of the first healthcare professions to require continuing education for license renewal. By 1985, 46 states required it for optometrists—far ahead of other professions, including medicine and dentistry.

Optometry Today and Beyond
Over the past half-century, optometry has seen remarkable growth. Vision therapy has expanded into areas like learning challenges, brain injury recovery, and even sports performance. Research has flourished, with more journals, textbooks, and advanced degrees in vision science and public health. Education continues to grow, and new technologies keep pushing the profession forward.

Through every stage of its history, one thing stands out: optometry has never stopped moving ahead. As one historian put it, the profession has shown “an almost insatiable appetite for self-improvement.”