Self-report of childhood asthma in adult smokers from COPDGene identifies a meaningful population who demonstrate the demographic, clinical, and genetic characteristics known to associate with childhood asthma. Compared to subjects who never had asthma, self-reported childhood asthmatics were younger, more likely to be of AA race, and had increased odds of COPD. We showed associations with known asthma loci in IL1RL1, IL13, LINC01149 associated with childhood asthma in NHWs. This study will enhance future genetic epidemiology research in early-life asthmatics at risk for COPD and therefore ACO, by establishing the validity of self-reported asthma in the research setting. This study emphasizes that clinicians need to consider childhood asthma when assessing patients at increased risk for COPD, and that patient self-report is a reliable method of defining ACO.