This history of orthokeratology includes contributions made by Jessen, Ziff, Nolan, Paige, Gates, May, Grant, Fontana, Tabb, Freeman, Shed, Kerns, and Binder to the use of contact lenses for myopia reduction. It reviews the early use of extremely flat lenses to flatten corneas and the more recent use of lenses fit with apical clearance to reduce myopia. The controlled studies of Kerns and Binder are described and the need for further research is indicated.