Industry Present and Past Historical Resources Page
Standards / Organizations
ANSI Z80.1 Spectacle Lenses /
ANSI Z80.3 Sunglasses
Historic ANSI Z80.1 Spectacle Lens Documents:
In 1956, the ANSI Z80 Standards Committee for Ophthalmic Lenses was organized.
First Standard applying to lenses and included mounting tolerances was issued in 1964
ANSI Z80.1 - 1964 Cr. Carl R. Rudolph - Chairman
ANSI Z80.1 - 1972 Arthur H. Keeney - Chair
The 1972 Standard included "relaxed" tolerances for plastic and heat treated lenses.
Chase/Lynch Paper on ANSI 1972 Compliance Study resulting in 1979 Standard
ANSI Z80.1 - 1979 Arthur H. Keeney - Chair
Shifted to Mass produced lenses, away from factory finished.
The title was changed from requirement to recommendation.
ANSI Z80.1 - 1987 Jeff Kosh - Chair
More definitions, tutorials, and UV absorbance in lens materials addressed.
Read Don Whitney's memo - Apparent Glitch in ANSI Z80 1987 (prism)
OMA Draft PAL lens ANSI Z80.1 / ISO Proposal from March 1989- Dave LaMarre Chair
ANSI Z80.1 - 1995 Jeff Kosh - Chair
Adopted ISO power tolerances, which turned out to be a mistake that took 15 years to fully correct.
ANSI Z80.1 - 1999 Jeff Kosh - Chair
Initial changes that loosened, but did not eliminate ISO power tolerance approach
ANSI Z80.1- 2005 Dan Torgersen - Chair
Significant change to the Axis angle tolerance was made.
See item 2 in this link for technical papers on this subject.
ANSI Z80.1 -2010 Dan Torgersen - Chair
Download explanation of changes in hyperlink above.
Published in July 2010
PowerPoint historical review of ANSI Power Tolerances - Dick Whitney
Historic ANSI Z80.3 Sunglass standard & Transmittance documents:
ANSI Z80.3 - 1977 Sunglass Standard link
PDF download (9mb)
Dave LaMarre UV Transmittance 1982 Z80
Ad Hoc Report-
Optical Radiation and the Eye - Should Spectacles Transmit Selectively?
Transmission of Ocular Media by Boetner and Wolter -May 1962

Glenn Fry Retirement photo- 1995 (L to R- Dick Whitney, Jim Sheedy, Glenn Fry
John Davis Retirement party from ANSI Z80 - Nov 1993

John Davis (seated) and Dr. David Efrig
Jeff Kosh Retirement party - March 2003
Tom Loomis Retirement party - March 2005

~1913 Optical Society of America Intro
Download the full 1913 document (pdf)
ISO TC172 Ophthalmic Optics photos/hot topics
Lens Materials- History of CR39
Optical Industry Vintage Advertising
Home- Industry Heritage