On March 26, 2022, the profession lost a true chiropractic hero, Dr. George B. "Mac" McClelland, after an extended battle with cancer.
Dr. McClelland graduated from National Chiropractic College in 1969 and then, before starting his practice, served his country in Vietnam (1970-1971). Once back in the states, Dr. McClelland began his storied career in the chiropractic profession.
He began his professional involvement at the state level, as most of our leaders do, eventually becoming president of the Virginia Chiropractic Association (VCA) in 1978 (he was also a member of the Florida and North Carolina chiropractic associations). He started his national involvement in 1981 as the Virginia Delegate to the American Chiropractic Association's (ACA) House of Delegates, rising to a governorship and becoming chairman of the board in 2003. In 1982, he started his service on the board of the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER), the largest chiropractic research foundation at that time, becoming president of the FCER in 1990.
Research was Dr. McClelland's true passion. Under his guidance, chiropractic research grew and the FCER not only funded pioneering research, but more importantly, funded the further education of many of the well-known chiropractic researchers we have today. In addition, Dr. McClelland used his knowledge of this research to help the profession by lecturing to various colleges, municipalities, corporations, insurance companies, government agencies, etc., on the efficacy and cost-savings of chiropractic care.
In 1995, Dr. McClelland was a founding member of the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP; now known as Clinical Compass), a group that works to teach DCs how to improve patient outcomes by applying research findings within a clinical setting – "evidence-based care."
In 2005, he became a member of the New York Chiropractic College Board of Trustees, continuing his service to the profession, even after he retired in 2010.
Due to his dedication to and leadership of the chiropractic profession, Dr. McClelland earned numerous awards, including the first ACA Delegate of the Year Award (1997), Fellow of the American College of Chiropractors (2009), Fellow of the International College of Chiropractic (1985), and the Virginia Chiropractic Association's Chiropractor of the Year Award (1980, 1985) and Lifetime Achievement Award (1999). His name was read into the Congressional Record of the United States of America for "Service to the Chiropractic Profession" (2005).
However, the accolade of which he was most proud was when, also in 2005, the "American Chiropractic Association's Researcher of the Year Award" was renamed in his honor. It is now the "George B. McClelland Researcher of the Year Award."
This level of professional involvement for almost 50 years requires a multitude of hours and days away from one's practice, but Dr. McClelland was willing to sacrifice his personal gain for what he felt was more important – advancing the profession he loved. He was known for his leadership abilities, his intelligence and his integrity. We have indeed lost a "chiropractic hero."
Editor's Note: Our heartfelt thanks to Susan McClelland, George's wife, for sharing this tribute with the profession.
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