Celebrating the AICPA's 125th anniversary

As noted in the previous posting, the AICPA has reached a remarkable milestone: being one of the few organizations to celebrate 125 years. The CPA profession has changed a lot during this period. Throughout the year 2012, the AICPA and its members will be celebrating this special anniversary and reflecting on the history of the CPA profession. Since people are what make a profession, members have been asked to submit their thoughts on what the AICPA means to them and the value of being part of a strong CPA profession.


To celebrate the AICPA's 125th anniversary, a new section of the website has been created. Numerous commemorative materials and activities have been developed to help members take a journey through the profession's history. The 125th celebration is as much a reflection of the past as it is an opportunity to envision what lies ahead. Much has changed in the last 125 years, and those changes have created today's profession. The current issues will create the profession of the future.

Listen to the video message from AICPA President & CEO, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, commemorating the 125th Anniversary. Also, browse the 125th Anniversary edition of the Journal of Accountancy and Test your CPA history knowledge.

Journal of Accountancy - archives from 1997

The Journal of Accountancy archives are available online dating from January 1997. Back issues can be selected using the "Browse By Cover" link or the "Select from Menu" link in the ISSUE ARCHIVE section of the homepage. A search feature is also available that allows users to "SEARCH - 1997 to Present."

Opening the Door to Financial Regulatory History

At a time when financial regulatory reform is capturing headlines, an online museum administered by the SEC Historical Society is granting users equal access to resources, relics and research material. The online galleries preserve eyewitness accounts, oral histories, correspondences, research papers and photographs. An interactive timeline features hundreds of digital artifacts. Interviews and round-table discussions cast light on current topics. (Read the article "Opening the Door to Financial Regulatory History" in the June 2010 Journal of Accountancy online.)

History of the AICPA

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and its predecessors have a history dating back to 1887, when the American Association of Public Accountants (AAPA) was formed. In 1916, the American Association was succeeded by the Institute of Public Accountants, when there was a membership of 1,150. The name was changed to the American Institute of Accountants in 1917 and remained so until 1957, when it changed to its current name of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The American Society of Certified Public Accountants was formed in 1921 and acted as a federation of state societies. The Society was merged into the Institute in 1936 and, at that time, the Institute agreed to restrict its future members to CPAs. (Read more about the AICPA digital archives in the August 2007 Journal of Accountancy article "A Treasure Trove of Accountancy’s Past".)