DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Virgil V. Strang, DC, 72, the president of Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport and long a prominent figure at the college, in the chiropractic profession and in the Quad-City, Iowa community, died Tuesday Sept. 22, at his home in Davenport.
Palmer College and the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics closed Wednesday Sept. 23 to honor Dr. Strang's passing. Arrangements are pending at Weerts Funeral Home, Davenport.
Dr. Strang, well known in the Quad-Cities as a chiropractic practitioner for more than 40 years, had recently announced his plans to retire as Palmer College president, citing a desire to ease into a less rigorous schedule to "devote more time to personal, family and professional activities."
"I've known Dr. Strang all my life as a dear friend of our family and an outstanding spokesman for chiropractic," said Vickie Palmer, the great-granddaughter of D.D. Palmer, chiropractic's founder. "All of us will miss his presence deeply."
"The college and literally thousands of Dr. Strang's students and patients mourn the passage of this kindly leader of Palmer and the chiropractic profession," commented Michael Crawford, chancellor of the Palmer Chiropractic University.
"It's almost impossible to think of Palmer College without having Dr. Strang here," said Guy Riekeman, DC, who recently was announced as Dr. Strang's successor. "He has touched the lives of thousands of people as a chiropractor and philosopher. I'm sure my sentiments are shared by the entire campus community and Palmer's thousands of alumni."
Don Betz, PhD, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Palmer, said he was "stunned and deeply saddened" by Dr. Strang's death. "He has been a friend and mentor to me since coming to Palmer, and his impact on students, faculty, staff and alumni is simply beyond measurement."
Dr. Strang became Palmer's seventh president on October 28, 1994, serving as interim president since July of that year.
Born April 1, 1926, in Redfield, South Dakota, the Strang family moved to Davenport. He enrolled at Palmer School of Chiropractic and graduated in 1951. After graduation he joined the Palmer anatomy faculty and opened a practice in Davenport. He has continued to both teach and practice throughout the subsequent 47 years, while becoming internationally known as a chiropractic philosopher. He is the author of Essential Principles of Chiropractic, a widely used text throughout the profession.
Dr. Strang served in a variety of administrative capacities at Palmer, including director of admissions (1965-1967); director of education (1963-1967); director of professional ethics (since 1967); and dean of philosophy (from 1979 until his appointment as interim president in 1994). He was a professor of anatomy and continued to serve as a professor of philosophy.
Dr. Strang, named a distinguished Fellow of the International Chiropractors Association (FICA) in 1974, served as vice president of the ICA in 1985. He has received fellowships from the Palmer Academy of Chiropractic and the Palmer West Academy of Chiropractic, while chiropractic fraternities Delta Sigma Chi and Pi Kappa Chi have made him an honorary member. He was also honored with the prestigious Doctor of Chiropractic Humanities by Palmer College in 1981.
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