Founded in 1924 by six cardiologists, including Dr. Lewis A. Conner and Dr. Paul D. White, the American Heart Association (AHA) came into being to fight the ignorance surrounding heart disease. The idea sparked when these doctors met in Chicago because, at the time, most people believed heart disease was a death sentence and nothing could be done to help patients. They decided to create a professional society to share research and prove that heart conditions could be treated and prevented. Today, the organization is a non-profit entity run by a volunteer Board of Directors rather than private owners. Today, the American Heart Association is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves as a global authority on cardiovascular health. Through their newsroom (newsroom.heart.org), they cover strictly medical and scientific news, including the latest studies on heart attacks, strokes, and healthy living. Instead of political or entertainment news, they focus on public health advice, nutrition guidelines, and updates on CPR training techniques to save lives. One interesting fact: A unique fact about the American Heart Association is its massive financial impact on science. Next to the U.S. federal government, the AHA is the largest source of funding for heart and stroke research in the entire country. Since 1949, they have invested more than $5 billion into research, which has helped fund the work of 15 Nobel Prize winners.