On December 4, 2003, ACSH hosted a gala dinner in New York City to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The evening was an impressive affair honoring ACSH's science and success — and the roster of distinguished guests and award recipients, read like a page from Who's Who in America.

ACSH presented its award for distinguished achievement in medicine and public health to Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although severe weather conditions precluded Dr. McClellan's attendance that day, notably accepting the award and presenting the keynote remarks on his behalf was Commissioner McClellan's special deputy assistant, Dr. Scott Gottlieb. Other awardees included Wall Street Journal editor emeritus Robert Bartley (who, we are saddened to report, died on December 10, a week after receiving ACSH's honor); Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug; former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop; Dr. D.A. Henderson, who orchestrated the eradication of smallpox from the world; and Dr. Bruce Ames, inventor of the infamous Ames test used to screen mutagens.

ABC News' John Stossel served as Master of Ceremonies. On the same day, Stossel's commentary "The Anti-Junk Scientists," honoring ACSH's milestone, was published in the New York Post.

Special guest speakers included Christopher Buckley, humorist and author of Thank You for Smoking and No Way to Treat a First Lady, and Barry Farber, host of The Barry Farber Show.

Surprisingly, ACSH learned earlier in the week that President Bush issued the Presidential Medal of Freedom to one of its award recipients Robert Bartley. However, not until after the event did ACSH realize that three other ACSH awardees — Drs. Borlaug (1977), Koop (1995) and Henderson (2002) —each had already been recipients of this award, the highest national honor given to a civilian. Most Americans will never be in the presence of even one Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient — yet on that night ACSH was honored with the presence of four.

The stellar group of individuals both associated with and assembled by ACSH on that evening — some of the most erudite individuals this nation has to offer, whose contributions have changed the course of history — crystallized Dr. Whelan's vision of more than 25 years ago.

Perhaps the greatest affirmation of ACSH's success came in the form of a press release and letter sent to Commissioner McClellan by The Center for Science in the Public Interest's Michael Jacobson. The strongly worded letter warned the Commissioner that accepting the ACSH honor would "tarnish [his] reputation and credibility." Rather than calling ACSH's scientific positions into question by pointing to hard scientific evidence, Jacobson was forced instead to once again use innuendo in attacking the credibility of the country's creme de la creme scientists and health professionals. Amidst such an impressive gathering of minds one can only wonder about the clarity of Jacobson's own mind as he attempted to silence ACSH — an organization that continues to challenge the likes of CSPI and their junk science pronouncements.