and Welfare (succeeded by the Department of Health and Human Services) in aging research. 1,2 Most JAGS readers are clinicians, yet this anniversary should be of great interest to anyone who is passionate about improving the lives of older adults through research, education, or clinical care. The legislation establishing NIA was ahead of its time with a multidisciplinary vision highlighting the need to create "an institute for the conduct and support of biomedical, social, and behavioral research and training related to the aging process and the diseases and other special problems and needs of the aged." 1 This vision took some time to mature and materialize with the creation of NIA taking place 30 and 26 years after the establishment of the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health in 1944 and 1948, respectively. Articles published as part of this Special Collection illustrate the remarkable impact of varied NIA initiatives and programs to our understanding of aging processes and the care of older adults. They also highlight a tremendous diversity in approaches involving many different disciplines in working together to solve some of the most pressing and challenging problems confronting all of us and our society in the context of aging.Given all of these laudable reports, how does one evaluate NIA's impact? From the perspective of JAGS readers, one could ask where would geriatric medicine and the care of older adults be today without the NIA? An equally important corollary would be to ask how can This paper is part of Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Institute on Aging special collection edited by Alexander Smith and George Kuchel. Once complete, you can explore the rest of the collection here: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/ journal/15325415/special-collections.