ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW Originally founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a national professional medical association dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurosurgery through education, research, advocacy, and professional development. The AANS was originally organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization but modernized its structure in 2003 due to the increasing number of political and legislative issues affecting its members and established a companion entity, structured as a trade association under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. To capitalize on the positive name recognition of AANS, the new 501(c)(6) entity assumed the name “American Association of Neurological Surgeons,”