Six months after opening my office in Hillsboro I was called to military service. My one year in the medical department of the Army in the base hospital gave me quite an insight into medical methods which made me more determined than ever to be a good chiropractor.
After my discharge from the armed service I started practice in June, 1919, in Dallas which was the beginning of my opportunity to do something for my profession. Having been honored with the vice-presidency of the State Association while I was in the Army and a year later elevated to the presidency after severance from the service and with the good help and cooperation of a splendid cabinet of officers and directors we soon built up the Association to a very fine, active and dedicated membership. In those early days the Medical camp was most active in bringing us to trial.
In 1919 I organized the Dallas County Chiropractic Society and was elected its first President. I have been honored with a membership in the International College of Chiropractors, 32nd Degree Mason, a Shriner, Master of the 22nd Degree.
One of the finest things in my career was the association of our Dallas office of my good and loyal friend, Dr. Clyde M. Keeler, in 1925. The next year we were called into court and after three successive trials we finally obtained an acquittal. It was during this time that I became involved with an injunction suit by a crooked, dishonest attorney and after spending $2,600.00 we found that we had been badly misrepresented.
In 1922 I was invited to join a group of twenty-five chiropractics to organize a National Association, free and apart from any School domination or influence. So the birth of the American Chiropractic Association took place in New York City in October, 1922. Ten years later it was my privilege to be in the vanguard of the group to amalgamate the ACA with the UCA and bring about the present National Chiropractic Association. This was quite an expensive venture but to me it was my chief interest and I considered it to be my responsibility to help elevate the profession. Higher educational standards and good schools and colleges came as a natural result.
All the while I was not unmindful of my duty to my own state and never a legislature was in session in Texas that I was not at Austin with my co-workers doing our best to get chiropractic properly regulated. When the present law was enacted in 1949 I was in the gallery of the State Chamber, and believe me it was the greatest thrill in my professional career when the chairman voted “AYE” which broke the tie vote and created our law.
My wife has shared my interest and enthusiasm over the years. She was honored by the National wives Auxiliary and became National President in 1940. Now my pride and joy are wrapped up in “Son, Dr. John” whose record speaks for itself. I am living for the day when grandson, John Jr. will be carrying the banner high in our state made safe and sane for chiropractic.
Pioneers, like myself, hope always to fit into the pattern of progress of our honored profession for we have labored hard to bring it a long way into the sunshine of prosperity and favorable public opinion.
A profession’s greatness is in direct proportion to the vision, soundness and unselfishness of its leadership. I would like to think that the Keeler Plaque Committee awarded me the symbol of unselfish service on the basis of some contribution they believed I had made over the years to my chosen profession.
I was awarded the Keeler Plaque, at the T.S.C.A. Convention in 1958, in Dallas.
