In the early decades of this century only hospitalized patients had throat cultures performed, usually because diphtheria was suspected. In 1946 Dr. Burtis Breese returned to his private pediatric practice from his World War II involvement in efforts to control U.S. military outbreaks of streptococcal pharyngitis and acute rheumatic fever. Convinced that diagnosis of Group A β-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis was important, he and his colleague, Dr. Frank Disney, revolutionized the evaluation of children with pharyngitis in the United States by processing throat cultures in their private pediatric office.