About us
History of the National Psoriasis Foundation

Aug. 29, 1966, was the 30th birthday of Beverly Foster, a Portland resident who suffered from severe psoriasis. On that day, Beverly's husband placed a tiny classified advertisement in a Portland newspaper, asking people with psoriasis to call Beverly so she would have somebody to talk to who understood what she was going through.

Beverly received more than 100 phone calls the first week. Meetings began to be held, and under Beverly's direction, the Psoriasis Society of Oregon was founded in 1967. But a far greater mission soon beckoned—public ignorance about psoriasis was rampant, and there was little money or interest in psoriasis research.

The National Psoriasis Foundation received its charter in October 1968, with the top priority of raising money for psoriasis research. Beverly and a group of dedicated volunteers, including a handful of physicians and researchers, are responsible for getting the Psoriasis Foundation off the ground and headed in the right direction.

The Psoriasis Foundation is headquartered and has its only office in Oregon, the home of its founders. We are driven by a caring, nonmedical staff and governed by a national lay Board of Trustees, all of whom have had their lives impacted by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

We've come a long way in 35 years—from a small group of volunteers interested in support to a national nonprofit organization that lobbies on Capitol Hill and offers extensive programs and services that help hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Yes, we're bigger, but we're still accessible, personal and dedicated to each and every individual with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Yes, our reach extends to countries around the globe, but we're still committed to helping people at the local community level as well through support groups, educational meetings and outreach to doctors.