For chiropractors practicing today, Dr. Warren Hammer’s legacy is particularly visible in several areas that have become familiar components of modern musculoskeletal care: his early work with the Graston Technique and instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization; his extensive writing and teaching on functional soft-tissue examination and treatment; his role in bringing fascial manipulation to U.S. clinicians; and his decades spent educating chiropractors and other health professionals.
12th Annual Chiropractic History Conference
WHITTER, Calif. -- Paul Smallie, a Stockton chiropractor for 54 years, was honored October 24 for "working behind the scenes for three decades to pry open the chiropractic mind," in a ceremony at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. Dr. Smallie, a 1938 Ratledge Chiropractic College graduate, was presented the 10th Lee-Homewood Chiropractic Heritage Award of the Association for the History of Chiropractic (AHC).
The AHC, founded in 1980 at Spears Hospital in Denver, Colorado, held this year's annual conference October 23-25 in conjunction with a special display of chiropractic history and memorabilia from the college archives. LACC President Reed Phillips opened the sessions.
Also honored at the conference was California chiropractic radiologist Dr. Joseph H. Howe with the opening paper delivered by Dr. John A. M. Taylor describing him as "a pioneer in the evolution and advancement of x-ray in the profession."
Seven other professional papers were delivered at the conference, all to be published in the peer-reviewed journal of the association, Chiropractic History, a publication in its 12th year.
A special five-hour seminar on chiropractic historical methodology, D. D. Palmer's early work, and the first 50 years of LACC was presented by Dr. Joseph C. Keating Jr., a faculty member of the Palmer College of Chiropractic West.
The AHC conference also saw elected a new president and three new board members:
-- Dr. Arnold Goldschmidt, a New York City practitioner and member of the N.Y. State Board of Chiropractic Examiners and a trustee of New York Chiropractic College, was elected the sixth president of AHC.
Dr. Goldschmidt said that preparations for chiropractic's centennial in 1995 would be a priority of the AHC for the next three years.
-- New directors include Dr. Carl S. Cleveland III, president of the Cleveland Chiropractic Colleges; Dr. Reginal Hug of Birmingham, Alabama; and Dr. James Brantingham of Thousand Oaks, California.
Western States College of Chiropractic will host next year's AHC conference on the Portland, Oregon campus.
Russell W. Gibbons
Founding Editor of Chiropractic History
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania