Excerpts from The Official History of Chiropractic in Texas
By Dr. Walter R. Rhodes
Published by Texas Chiropractic Association, 303 International Life Building, Austin, TX 78701.As authorized by the various Boards of Directors of the Texas Chiropractic Association from 1958 to 1977, the idea first being presented to the board by E. L. Bauknight in 1958.
“Unselfish service is its own reward; God sees to that, but each man has a human side.”
Dr. Clyde M. Keeler penned these words several years ago as he was making plans to annually honor the chiropractor most deserving of praises in the year just past. The ego of man needs an occasional pat on the back in praise, or, as Keeler put it, “Has the need of a bouquet with the wish that God may continue to bless him or her."
Keeler was responding to an idea inspired by a beloved spiritual leader of Southern Methodist University, Mr. R. E. L. Saner, an attorney of no small prominence in Dallas who, among his other actions, sponsored the “R. E. L. Saner Annual Scholarship and Gold Watch Award for the outstanding student at Southern Methodist University."
Keeler determined to create a similar award and plans were made to present an impressive plaque. Jack Hubbel was commissioned to do the first sculpture model in 1934, which has had periodic design changes until its final modification in 1954. The plaque is annually cast in bronze, and mounted on wood with an appropriate inscription before presentation.
In taking this step upon himself Dr. Clyde Keeler established the first award in Texas in which chiropractors recognize and reward each other for outstanding services rendered. It was officially known as the “Keeler Plaque” and unofficially as the “Chiropractor of the Year Award."
The idea was fully enjoyed by Dr. Keeler long before the present methods of selection and presentation were worked out. Dr. A. E. Coston, Secretary to the Texas State Chiropractic Association, was presented the first Keeler Plaque in 1934 in the privacy of the doctor’s office.
In 1935 Dr. R. S. Florence was selected from the convention floor as the awardee and it was granted to him at the time. The same procedure was used in 1936 when Dr. Rudy George Warner was the honoree.
In 1937 it was decided to award the Keeler Plaque at the annual banquet portion of the convention and it was given to Dr. F. L. Charlton that year.
A major change came in 1941 when a committee of all past recipients was formed to make the selection of the annual honoree. The last major alterations came in 1947 when the Texas State Chiropractic Association board of directors made the Keeler Plaque presentation an official part of the Texas State Chiropractic Association annual convention, adopting the name “The Keeler Plaque of the Texas State Chiropractic Association."
The person to be honored with the major prize of Texas Chiropractors’ attends the entire convention not knowing he has been secretly selected on the first day of the convention.
When the selected name is announced at the final banquet the stunned awardee receives the Keeler Plaque, a traditional standing ovation and the grateful praises of his fellows – which, all taken together, is quite an award.
To be selected by his fellow honorees is really a great portion of the award but each chiropractor chosen should also be humbled because of the man who lent his name to the award, Dr. Clyde M. Keeler. His personal history lends another set of values, making it an additionally inspiring gift.
Fresh from Carver Chiropractic College (1907-1910) Dr. Keeler came from Oklahoma to Victoria, Texas, in 1914 where he was soon arrested, jailed and tried for practicing medicine without a license – in that rather peculiar order. His legal counsel advised him to accept a sentence of one day in jail, pay a fine and leave Victoria, which he did. He came then to Greenville and later to Mt. Pleasant with branch offices in Pittsburgh and Mt. Vernon.
All young men learn lessons and the young Dr. Keeler was no exception. The bowing to Victoria authorities’ demands was not to be duplicated elsewhere. Keeler had joined the Universal Chiropractic Protective Association and really needed it by the time he had reached Mt. Vernon where he was arrested 32 times, tried and acquitted on eight cases, and had the balance dismissed.
He sold his practice in Mt. Vernon and entered Texas Chiropractic College for post graduate work in 1924-1925, after which he moved to Dallas where he was promptly arrested again, but was never tried.
Keeler was a dynamo, participating in every chiropractic organization available, active in civic affairs and as a writer, publishing, among others, a booklet detailing how spinsters could change that life to one of wedded bliss.
Following is a list of doctors who have been awarded the Keeler Plaque from its inception. We will take advantage of this opening to introduce a few of the doctors and their activities which should not be missed by any historian.
1. 1934 Dr. A. E. Coston
2. 1935 Dr. R. S. Florence
3. 1936 Dr. Rudy G. Warner
4. 1937 Dr. F. L. Charlton
5. 1938 Dr. George I. Bennett
6. 1939 Dr. Hugh Warren
7. 1940 Dr. Harvey H. Kennedy
8. 1941 Dr. M. M. Mihovil
9. 1942 Dr. Walter H. Fischer
10. 1943 Dr. Harvey W. Watkins
11. 1944 Dr. Joe E. Busby
12. 1945 Dr. Ernest W. Chaney
13. 1946 Dr. R. P. Harris
14. 1947 Dr. T. J. Lamar
15. 1948 Dr. John Hilty
16. 1949 Dr. John A. Kent
17. 1950 Dr. M. B. McCoy
18. 1951 Dr. James R. Drain
19. 1952 Dr. Paul L. Myers
20. 1953 Dr. J. C. Shipman
21. 1954 Dr. Julius C. Troilo
22. 1955 Dr. A. A. Davenport
23. 1956 Dr. C. L. Gibson
24. 1957 Dr. Helen B. Mason, D.C.
25. 1958 Dr. Sterling T. McMurrain
26. 1959 Dr. Charles C. Lemly
27. 1960 Dr. John R. McMurrain
28. 1961 Dr. William D. Harper
29. 1962 Dr. Devere E. Biser
30. 1963 Dr. Evelyn Shipman
31. 1964 Dr. Robert E. Hartong
32. 1965 Dr. G. M. Brassard
33. 1966 Dr. J. Robert Baier
34. 1967 Dr. Elton Berkman
35. 1968 Dr. Melvin Garrett,
36. 1969 Dr. Curtis S. McCubbin
37. 1970 Dr. Norman Pigg
38. 1971 Dr. S. M. Elliott
39. 1972 Dr. Jack D. Thornton
40. 1973 Dr. T. O. Davis
41. 1974 Dr. Stephanie McCubbin
42. 1975 Dr. Douglas Ray
43. 1976 Dr. Carl Matthews
44. 1977 Dr. Bob Glaze
Dr. A. E. Coston, the first award winner, was also distinguished by being the first editor of “The Chiropractic Flash,” forerunner of today’s “Texas Chiropractor,” the official organ of the Texas State Chiropractic Association. He was elected secretary of the Texas State Chiropractic Association in 1934, personally purchasing most of the equipment needed to write, edit and publish the “Flash” which was the first publication used to disseminate news in the chiropractic empire in Texas by Texas’ own doctors. Dr. Harvey Watkins later was editor of the magazine and it was he who encourage the board of directors to rename it “The Texas Chiropractor,” which name is still being used today by Dr. Devere E. Biser, the present editor.
Dr. R. S. Florence, continually promoting Tyler as the rose capital of the world, was also the originator and chief promoter of the “Correct Posture” program of 1956 and for some years it was the strongest public relations program of Texas’ chiropractors.
Dr. Rudy G. Warner learned of chiropractic when released from Creighton Medical center in Omaha, Nebraska, following an “accident” in the wrestling ring which stubbornly refused to heal properly. Rudy had beaten a greco-Roman hip lock artist two straight falls but the third one was a direct trail to the medical center where his broken collar bone, dislocated shoulder and torn muscles and ligaments were casted.
Farmer Burns, owner of the famous Farmer Burns’ Wrestling School, got his prize pupil into a lady chiropractor’s office who did such a job on him that he, at the further urging of his mother, decided to become a chiropractor. In pursuit of that goal, he was in school until money played out and he then became a partner in the wrestling school with Farmer Burns, wrestling professionally on the side.
In 1918 Warner won the decision that made him most proud. He beat the world’s light-heavyweight champion, Ad Santell, in a match in Houston. Following that he opened the Warner Institute, then toured the country, including Hawaii and Canada, meeting all comers in the wrestling ring.
When his wrestling tours finally ended he still managed to travel and partake in combat – but now he traveled with Judge E. B. Simmons and had new status as an expert witness for the chiropractic profession as they carried the fight to their enemies in the courtroom.
When the 1918 flu epidemic was raging everywhere and people were dying all over the place Drs. Herrington and Marlow, of San Antonio ran ads stating that they had not lost a case yet, which claim was very attractive to a certain young man.
At Marlow’s further urgings, F. L. Charlton, with the permission and blessings of his young wife, entered chiropractic college where his classroom grades were good but the last part of his training showed his strongest points. He was a whiz in his three month session at the school’s outpatient clinic and soon became convinced he could cure anything.
He tells an interesting story or two as he relates his own history and they illustrate several points so vividly they deserve mention. He says, after his graduation he “had a Methodist preacher friend who was in McAllen, Texas, and he insisted that I open my office there and he would help me all he could. I left Davenport the night of December 24, 1920 – the Mississippi River was frozen – and I landed in McAllen and picked oranges off the trees three days later. In McAllen my first undertaking was to find a house I could use as a home and an office. The best one I found belonged to an M.D. I called on him and told him I wanted the place for a home and an office. He assured me it was okay with him, just so I paid the rent. I found he was wearing the same kind of button on the lapel of his coat that I was wearing. He told me there was an Osteopath there who claimed to have run several Chiropractors out of town and he thought he would probably be calling on me. He told me that before he accepted the rent. I assured him that I wanted the house. He shook hands with me and wished me luck.
Two days later while I was working, putting partitions in the house, the Osteopath knocked on the door and greeted me very cordially but informed me in no uncertain terms that I could not practice chiropractic in McAllen – that he and other doctors would not permit it. He was a man of rather small stature and I was expecting his visit so I happened to have a hammer in my hand and a pistol in my pants pocket. When he finished his speech I took over. I informed the gentlemen that I was going to practice in McAllen, if he thought he was going to stop me now would be a good time to start doing something about it. By that time we were on the porch and he seemed to get in a hurry but told me he would see me later and departed.
My preacher friend lived next door so I went over to let him know that I had been threatened. The next morning the preacher took me to every business house and office in McAllen to introduce me and to tell them of the threat against me. It turned out the Osteopath had earned a reputation as an abortionist and shortly thereafter left McAllen.
In January, 1922, I moved to Coolidge, Limestone County, twelve miles from Mexia, which had a big oil boom on. I was getting off to a good start in Coolidge when I was arrested for practicing medicine without a license. The M. D., who had an office next door to mine had his constable father-in-law file the charge. That knocked the props out from under me for I had never been arrested before. The first patient that came into my office I showed the notice of arrest and asked him if he could sign the $300.00 bond for me. He said, “Let me have it,” and he put his coat back on and left. Some three hours later, he came back and he had thirty one names written all over that bond.
The telephone office was near my office and the operator called me in to tell me that I had nothing to fear for all the lines were busy discussing the outrage of the M.D. having me arrested. In less than three weeks I was adjusting thirty patients per day. An attorney who was the brother of my first patient took over my case and it was soon dismissed. I collected $5000.00 in the next eleven months, never worked so hard and never had so much fun with the finest people on the top side of the world.
In January, 1926, I moved to Austin and believe it or not, I found the same fine people in Austin, but I have never been arrested here to test their loyalty.
In Austin I found the late Dr. O. H. Richardson, whose health was not very good, and Dr. Stanley Wright. Dr. Wright turned out to be a good politician in that he would tell me to take one man for the office and he would take the opposing one – if his man won, he could deal with his and if my man won, I could deal with him and you know that worked fine for me.
The the old Sanitary Code Bill came into the picture every session of the legislature and we all dreaded it. An old time country lawyer and Senator became a chiropractic patient about this time, Senator Archie Pharr of the Free State of Duval County. The Senator had a bad back and his secretary would bring him into my office three times a week and when I could get his back easy, I would remind him about the old Sanitary Code Bill and his one answer was “You take care of my back and I will not let the bill pass the Senate.” And it never did.
It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work these 42 years with lovely people. We have much yet to be done but with the help of God, and the fine, dedicated doctors of Texas, we will succeed."
Few men ever overcame handicaps with the spirit and temerity of Dr. George I Bennett of Dallas. A charge of skeet shot blasted directly into his face in 1931, permanently blinding him.
He thought about becoming a chiropractor but was advised against it by the Texas Chiropractic College faculty. He entered anyway and his wife, Jewell, read his lessons to him daily and helped him through school.
While practicing in Dallas he became the number one sports fan at the wrestling ring. He was present so much he was widely known as the ring chiropractor, being publicized in several nationally circulated sports magazines. He was almost as well known in the baseball and football worlds and – chiefly for these activities – was awarded the Keeler Plaque in 1938.
It is perhaps a measure of the man to realize that he was one of the first chiropractors to maintain a practice of over a hundred patients daily – and the faculty at Texas Chiropractic College still regrets having advised him to enter another field.
And – one more thing – his daughter, Tiny, married Dr. John Robert McMurrain, who was to win the Keeler Plaque himself in 1960.
Then we have the champion joiner, Dr. Hugh Warren. He usually served the organizations he joined as president for several terms but was the chief fund raiser for others. There really is not room to list all of Dr. Warren’s affiliations but consider these for starters: All chiropractic organizations then extant, St. Johns Lutheran Church, Mason, Shriner, Eastern Star, Odd Fellows, Elks, Lions, Exhausted Roosters, Anglers, Boys Club of America, Boy Scouts, Civilian Recruiting Officer for the Eight Command Service, San Antonio junior Chamber of Commerce, American Red Cross, Bexar County Democratic Executive Committee and the Gavel Club.
For relaxation he fished. But as one would probably suspect, he was organized about it, winning the “Angler of the Year” award four times.
Dr. M. M. Mihovil led a distinguished chiropractic and civic life, but in December, 1959, pulled off a rare feat of perfection in his home city of Galveston, a 300 bowling game.
The constitution and by-laws of the Texas State Chiropractic Association were chiefly written by Dr. Harvey Watkins, in consultation with Dr. F. L. Charlton and E. L. Bauknight and were presented for acceptance to the 1937 convention. Dr. Joe E. Busby, holder of Texas’ Chiropractic license number 1, and Dr. John A. Kent, each had a unique bit of chiropractic history revolve around them.
Busby first became interested in chiropractic because of contact with Dr. David Teems of Sherman in 1907 and later studied in the Boone School of Massage and Physiotherapy in Plainview. The president of the school was Dr. S. L. Boone, a graduate of a physical medicine school; faculty members were A. W. Canfil, D. C., R. B. Longmeier, M.D., and J. D. Burleson, D.C. This was one of the earliest schools in the healing arts in Texas.
He later enrolled in Texas Chiropractic College and graduated in 1912 while J. N. Stone, M.D.*, D.C., was still there as chief administrator. Dr. John Kent first learned of chiropractic in Ottumwa, Iowa when Dr. Charles Ray Parker was operating a chiropractic college there – and Willard Carver was a student – and Kent took his ailing son into the clinic for treatment.
Dr. Kent later had personal health problems and went to the Palmer School in Iowa. Dr. Carver was there at the time and adjusted him, telling him of plans to open a chiropractic school soon in Oklahoma City in partnership with Dr. Denny. Kent went to Oklahoma to wait, enrolled as the first student when the school opened, graduating in a class of five in May, 1907. Dr. Kent, in association with Drs. Lumm and Gregory, opened the Oklahoma Chiropractic University at Oklahoma City in October 1907, with Dr. D. D. Palmer on the faculty, teaching chiropractic philosophy. The school was later to become the Palmer-Gregory Chiropractic College.
The Kent College of Chiropractic in Chicago was founded in October, 1909, and remained in operation until World War I had its beginnings in 1918.
Arriving in Texas in December, 1921, Dr. Kent settled in the Houston area, where he stayed for many years, still practicing there in 1949 when the Keeler Plaque was awarded him.
Dr. Doug Ray of San Antonio was the first doctor in the southern United States to become certified as a diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Roentgenology in April, 1965. He used to arise at 3 A.M., study until 7:30 A.M., go to his office and practice all day, then to bed early because, as Dr. Ray observed, 3 A.M. comes very quickly in San Antonio. After four years of this schedule he passed the required tests for certification.
Dr. Elton Berkman of Colorado City has worked with chiropractic legislative programs since 1951 and counts as accomplishments his aid in the inclusion of chiropractic in the workman’s compensation laws in 1953, a project in which he and Dr. Walter Fishcer worked together. Then in 1967, teamed with Dr. G. M. Brassard of Beaumont, their work resulted in chiropractors being exempted from jury duty, the first limited participation in medicaid and several other legislative milestones.
It was Dr. Russell P. Harris of Dallas, while chairman of the publications committee in 1946-1947, who arranged for Larry A. Jacobs to travel to Reader’s Digest Headquarters in Pleasantville, N.Y., in company with Dr. Vinton F. Logan, to interview the managing editor. At this interview he was promised an opportunity to answer a recent article appearing against chiropractors.
Readers Digest published that answer in February, 1947, and it was reprinted in Health for Texans the month following.
Young Chiropractor of the Year
While the Keeler Plaque served the older doctors very well it was felt that a method of recognizing the services of younger doctors would also be appreciated. Accordingly the “Young Chiropractor of the Year” award was established, restricted to doctors under forty years of age, and based on professional and civic achievements.
Recipients to date:
1955-56 Dr. George Fowler
1956-57 Dr. L. G. Thomas
1957-58 Dr. Paul Hollinshead
1958-59 Dr. R. E. McMeans, Jr.
1959-60 Dr. M. E. Garrett, Jr.
1960-61 Dr. Douglas Ray
1961-62 Dr. Jay H. Perreten
1962-63 Dr. J. D. Thornton
1963-64 Dr. George Gossage
1964-65 Dr. S. M. Elliott
1965-66 Dr. Walter Rhodes
1966-67 Dr. Eugene Blackwell
1967-68 Dr. Bob Glaze
1968-69 Dr. Roy Beller
1969-70 Dr. Clay Salyer
1970-71 Dr. Charles Downing
1971-72 Dr. Bill Timberlake
1972-73 Dr. Ron Garrett
1973-74 Dr. Jerry Whitehead
1974-75 Dr. Richard Brassard
1975-76 Dr. Tom Rice
1976-77 Dr. Donald H. Handley
The Ladies’ Auxiliary of TSCA
Beginning in 1949, the year chiropractors won their licensing law, the ladies’ auxiliary was reorganized – and the term should be used judiciously.
The auxiliary had functioned for a number of years previously but it was more or less fragmented; it pursued worthy goals but not always state goals. It was made an official part of the Texas State Chiropractic Association under the vision of Dr. H. H. Kennedy who, after consulting with the leaders among the women, proceeded to reorganize the ladies in their present form – at least until their first constitution, written by Mrs. John Hilty, was adopted in 1953.
On October 13, 1949, in Brownwood, Texas, the ladies (later renamed “women’s) auxiliary was organized with Mrs. L. G. Thomas serving as the interim president during the reorganization period. Officers were elected and Mrs. R. L. (Mona) Myers became the first elected president; Mrs. Mae Hilty was elected elected to the presidency for two terms following Mrs. Myers.
Auxiliary Presidents
Vernell Thomas 1949-1950
Mona Myers 1950-1951
Mae Hilty 1951-1952
1952-1953
Carol Muilenburg 1953-1954
1954-1955
Ella Davis 1955-1956
Olllie Wickersham 1956-1957
1957-1958
Ellen Hollinshead 1958-1959
Jeanette Gossage 1959-1960
Barbara Little 1960-1961
Mrs. E. E. Hiatt 1961-1962
Betty Elliott 1962-1963
1963-1964
Cleo Warner 1964-1965
1965-1966
Rosie Smith 1966-1967
Juanita Lundberg 1967-1968
Margaret Anderson 1968-1969
Lucy Harris 1969-1970
May Brassard 1970-1971
Carolyn Bourns 1971-1972
Ruby Perkins 1972-1973
Jeanine Biddison 1973-1974
Marge Hunstead 1974-1975
Rosyne McMinn 1975-1976
Dottie Murphree 1976-1977
Mary Rice 1977-1978
The first project for the auxiliary was the attended nursery. First done in 1949, it has been a standard feature at every convention since. The second project emerged as Mae Hilty vigorously proposed for increased library facilities for Texas Chiropractic College. After her untimely death by drowning while vacationing in Arkansas June 26, 1953, the project was enlarged in 1954 as the Mae Hilty Memorial Library Fund and the Texas Chiropractic College Library was soon named the Mae Hilty Memorial Library.
Through the years following Mrs. T. O. Davis, Mrs. H. W. Wickersham and Mrs. John Muilenburg, among others, have pursued the library project with vigor.
The third great auxiliary project was the scholarship fund, designed to locate, encourage, and partially finance students in chiropractic college. Mrs. Jack Horn, Mrs. Jeanette Gossage, Mrs. R.L. Cochran, Mrs. Ralph Perkins (now Dr. Ruby Perkins), Mrs. Bob Glaze, Mrs. A. G. Welling, and Mrs. Gerald Anderson deserve special mention for their continuing work on the project.
Other ladies deserving of special mention are Mrs. Chs. E. Smith, Mrs. Jack (Rosye) McMinn, Dr. Mary Bronson, Dr. Pauline Allen, Dr. Mary Ann Pruitt, Dr. Mildred Sachse, Mrs. R. L. Nimmo, Mrs. Paul Hollinshead, and Mrs. Jack (Peggy) Horn.
The Gavel Club, composed of past presidents of the auxiliary, was organized June 13, 1969, in San Antonio under the leadership of Margaret Anderson. The first Officers were: President, Mrs. Carol Muilenburg; Vice-President, Mrs. Vernell Thomas; Secretary, Mrs. Ollie Wickersham; and Historian, Mrs. Margaret Anderson.
Mrs. A. A. Davenport, Mrs. Jack Pry, Mrs. John Faris, Mrs. G. E. Johnson, Mrs. G. M. Brassard, Mrs. W. W. Lundberg, Mrs. We. E. Harris, Mrs. Melvin Garrett, Mrs. Jack Thornton, Mrs. N. S. Anderton, and Mrs. George Fowler were also mainstays in the 1950s for the auxiliary. Mrs. R. M. Little was the editor of the 1958 “Helping Hand,” the first issue of the auxiliary’s publication.
In 1969 the ladies auxiliary honored Mrs. Ophelia Elliott, the secretary for TSCA, with an honorary life membership.
Notes prior to 1949:
Officers in 1946 were President, Mrs. E. B. Hearne; Mrs. A. G. Welling and Mrs. D. W. Harris, Vice Presidents: Mrs. L. B. Millsap, Secretary and Mrs. George Cotton, Treasurer.
In 1947 and 1948 Mrs. D. W. Harris was President, Mrs. M. M. Mihovil and Mrs. Hugh Warren were Vice Presidents. Also mentioned in important posts were Mrs. Vrigil Chrane, Mrs. J. R. McMurrain, Mrs. George Curtsinger, Dr. Mamie Pester and Mrs. Tolbert Smith.
For his foresight and continuing support, the ladies desired to honor Dr. H. H. Kennedy with an honorary membership in the ladies’ auxiliary, a status later to be shared only by Dr. R. S. Florence and Dr. Devere Biser.
The Keeler Plaque was presented each year at the convention to one of the doctors but, for the ladies, there was no comparable award although everyone knew one would be as well deserved because numerous ladies had distinguished themselves greatly through the years.
Dr. Kennedy suggested that if the ladies saw fit to establish such an award he would personally bear its cost. Recognizing an opportunity of merit the ladies responded by establishing the program which officially began in 1971.
The award, now officially named the Kennedy Award, soon became a status symbol and is given to the selected woman to be honored for unseen work in years past. Award winners to date are: Mrs. T. O. Davis (Ella), Liberty, 1971; Mrs. P. L. Myers (Mona), Wichita Falls, 1972; Mrs. A. G. Welling (Helen), Sherman, 1973; Mrs. H. W. Wickersham (Ollie), Kingsville, 1974; Mrs. J. H. Horn (Peggy), Fort Worth, 1975; Mrs. D. E. Biser (Lena), Dallas, 1976; Mrs. G. L. Gossage (Jeannette), Robstown, 1977.
The following statement was made by Dr. Kennedy as he presented the first Kennedy award to Mrs. T. O. Davis:
“The Kennedy Award will be an annual award to be given each year to a member of the auxiliary who is not only active now, but has been for many years and contributed leadership, dedication, and unselfishly of her time to further Chiropractic and Chiropractic Auxiliary work on both a local level and a state level."
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* M.T., not M.D.