Accreditation as a phenomena was probably initiated in this country in 1784 when New York formed its Board of Regents. Generally, however, it is the voluntary regional and professional associations that approve programs, although states may be involved. The first regional association was founded in 1885 and the first professional association formed by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1877. The period of time just prior to 1920 to the mid-1930s produced many national professional associations related to specialities, with medicine, and the AMA in particular, emerging as the leader in accreditation practices. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) was created in 1952, and, although harassed by controversy, has grown in strength, especially through recognition by many states. National efforts to direct and improve the accreditation process have continued over the years. In 1956, the National Commission on Accrediting began publishing a list of recognized accrediting associations and adopted formal criteria for recognizing accrediting agencies. And in 1975, a significant accreditation event happened when the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA) was formed. COPA is now probably the most comprehensive voluntary accrediting association ever organized. Six trends are discussed with regard to future directions in accreditation, and a chronology of events affecting accreditation is appended. (JMK)