Happy Anniversary, MMA!

In 1962, the Beatles’ first single “Love Me Do” was released, the Cuban Missile Crisis took place, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth, and McCrone Accessories & Components (MAC) was founded to serve as a comprehensive source of supplies, tools, and instruments to meet the increasing worldwide demand for microscopy products. MAC would eventually change its name to McCrone Microscopes & Accessories (MMA) and grow its offerings to include scanning electron microscopes, sample preparation equipment, and a variety of products to support most microscopy needs.

MAC was the brainchild of Dr. Walter C. McCrone, who found it challenging to purchase equipment from dozens of different suppliers. At the time, many of the products used in investigative microscopy were not available in general laboratory supply catalogs and had to be developed in-house. It was Dr. McCrone’s goal to establish a supply house where microscopists could find all their supplies in one place.

With the help of John Delly and many colleagues at McCrone, the first complete catalog was published in 1974. Titled Techniques, Instruments, and Accessories for Microanalysis: A Users Manual, this hardbound catalog was 203 pages long, and provided product details and instructions on their use. Over the years the McCrone catalog changed to reflect current technologies, and featured Olympus microscope systems, state-of-the-art RGB color video systems, as well as Sony color video printers and video cassette recorders. The 1996-1997 print catalog even featured our new address on the “World Wide Web” at www.mccrone.com.

Much has changed since MMA was founded in 1962, and in addition to optical microscopes, we now offer scanning electron microscopes, a variety of thermal stages, and provide remote qualification services and training. As McCrone celebrates its 65th year in business and MMA turns 59, we remain committed to our passion: microscopy. Please let us know how we can continue to serve your needs.