In 1968, Professor Joseph W. Goodman published the first edition of Introduction to Fourier Optics, which also laid the foundation of this field. For half a century, the book has been the definitive teaching and reference text, well known in particular for its clear and insightful writing. At OSA's Imaging and Applied Optics Congress 2018, a special event was organized to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the book, with a series of talks covering the teaching and scientific development of Fourier optics.