The Baker Gordon Symposium, Miami

Two-sentence lead. The Baker Gordon Educational Symposium, founded in Miami in 1967 by Thomas J. Baker and Howard L. Gordon, was the first US meeting devoted to aesthetic surgery and the first national meeting to show live surgery. Its 60th and final meeting ran February 5–7, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.

Facts on record (quoted)

• "Our first Symposium, which was held February 3 & 4, 1967, represented a response to the frustration of that era regarding organized plastic surgery's refusal to provide a forum which emphasized aesthetic surgery education." (2026 program, welcome)
• "The inaugural Symposium highlighted not only lectures, but for the first time at a national meeting, included live surgery demonstrations." (2026 program)
• "a small group of plastic surgeons attending the first Baker Gordon Symposium recognized that advancements in aesthetic surgery required a national organization whose mission statement was to promote aesthetic surgery education. This led to the formation of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery" (2026 program) — i.e., The Aesthetic Society traces to this room.
• "for 60 years, the Baker Gordon Symposium has remained a constant in bringing true experts in aesthetic surgery together to share their innovations through live surgery demonstrations." (2026 program)
• "The 60th Baker Gordon Symposium, our Grand Finale, represents a bittersweet moment, recognizing that even exceptional experiences cannot last forever." (2026 program)
• "Six decades later it is our sincere expectation that our final meeting continues this tradition of excellence." (2026 program)
• "Dr. Baker and his partner, Dr. Howard Gordon, advanced our specialty by founding The Baker Gordon Symposium in 1967." (memoriam page)
• Thomas J. Baker died December 26, 2020 (memoriam page).
• Director: James M. Stuzin, MD (memoriam page; program). Sponsored by the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine (program).
• The 59th (2025) meeting was billed "A Prelude to our Grand Finale in 2026" (memoriam page).

Rhinoplasty at Baker Gordon

The program lists rhinoplasty among its live-surgery tracks ("Face Lifting and Rhinoplasty"). 2026 faculty with rhinoplasty practices: Rod J. Rohrich, Dean Toriumi, Aaron Kosins, Sam Rizk (full faculty list in research/doctors/sources/meetings-faculty.md).

Why it is on the site

Steve, 2026-09-08: "The Baker Institute down in Miami runs Baker Gordon … They just ended … that's part of the history of rhinoplasty you're looking for." The meeting is the live-surgery lineage that the Dallas meeting and The Aesthetic Society descend from.

Open items

• Howard L. Gordon biography and death date.
• ASJ 2016 tribute article text (paywalled) for the 50-year account.
• Whether the "Baker Institute" is a formal entity (Steve's term) — not found on the meeting site; verify before use.