Recognizing that there were experts in many fields all dealing with the older population, it became apparent that a group like the Gerontological Society of America (founded in 1945) was needed.
Nekateri začetniki gerontologije, kot je Michel Eugène Chevreul, ki je sam živel 102 leti, so verjeli, da bi morala biti starost znanost, ki jo je potrebno preučevati.