Editor's note: DC did a short obituary in the last issue on Arthur Garrow, DC, 68, former founder/president of the Pasadena College of Chiropractic who passed away May 18 of liver cancer. Dr. Kenneth Martin offers this tribute to Dr. Garrow.
Dr. Garrow was a pioneer in chiropractic education, beginning the University of Pasadena School of Chiropractic in 1971 with the notion that there need be no division between the "straights and mixers," and that both philosophical disciplines could be taught successfully at a chiropractic college. His successes are defined by the exemplary passing rates of the college's students, with over 95% of his graduates passing their board exams on the first attempt, for the first five years of graduating doctors.
His legacy of care for the practicing chiropractor was displayed by PCC's concern for chiropractic techniques. His college was one of the first to offer full education in multiple techniques, including Palmer recoil, Gonstead, SOT, Logan basic, and DNFT. Dr. Garrow was instrumental in having Dr. Arlan Fuhr and Dr. Bernard Lee choose PCC as the first chiropractic college to teach Activator methods.
Dr. Garrow was one of the first educators to instigate cumulative learning exams for chiropractic student education, a method that is in use today in the ADVANTAGE program at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. This teaching legacy continues today as graduates of the college provide care to people all over the United States and in Guam, Italy and Japan.
Dr. Garrow retired from the presidency of the college in 1988 to the community of Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs, California. Shortly thereafter, he started again into private practice in Cathedral City, and practiced there until his retirement two years ago, when he moved to Guadalajara, Mexico.
Even though Pasadena College of Chiropractic is no longer producing graduates, Dr. Garrow's legacy lives on in the students he taught, the doctors he produced, and the patients he treated. He was truly an innovator in chiropractic education and many of his methods live on in our educational institutions today.
He is survived by his sisters Janet Klof and Mary Sehlner Garrow, brother Dr. John Klof, and numerous nieces, nephews and grandnephews. The chiropractic world and his graduates mourn his loss and are grateful for all the educational innovations he provided to chiropractic.
Kenneth Martin, DC
Temple City, California
