I was born in Bellmead, (close to Waco, Texas), at home and became the 7th child of Stephan, immigrant from Germany, and Otillia Porsche. My parents, after they were married, moved to Waco and then later to Bellmead. My mother was a homemaker and my father was an electrician for the Katy Railroad. What made this so unique, was that my mother had a 3rd Grade education and my father completed the 6th Grade in Germany.
As I grew older, 9-10, I had repeated episodes of tonsillitis which became debilitating. There was a female, Mrs. Box, who lived down the street, who told my mother she was a chiropractor, she could massage and treat me for inflamed tonsils. My mother sold empty glass bottles for money to pay Mrs. Box, which cost her $0.50 per treatment. These treatments allowed me to go to school without absences, but I continued to have periodic episodes of tonsillitis.
In the 7th Grade, I attended LaVega School, and had a “crick in the neck.” My Teacher, Mrs. L. E. Williams noticed the obvious pain that I was in, called my mother and asked if she could take me to her son, who was a Chiropractor. My mother agreed. With only one adjustment by Dr. John Ed Williams, in Waco, I experienced complete relief and was sold on chiropractic. Playing football in High School, I availed myself of periodic and most importantly, “free” adjustments from Dr. John Ed.
Graduation from High School was in 1956, and I matriculated at Baylor University. Going to school during the day and working at night for General Tire and Rubber Company made the afternoon classes very difficult. I later got a job with the Katy Railroad as a “mud hop” during summer vacation allowing me to continue my classes at Baylor for another year.
Prior to marrying Pat Lewis, a High School sweetheart in 1959, I was drafted into the United States Army and served for 2 years during the Cuban Crisis and was honorably discharged. I returned to Houston and resumed my employment at Shell Oil Company where I started working 1 year prior to my Armed Service “vacation."
Going to night school was taking me a long time to obtain a degree. I knew that an education was important, but I had no goal or direction as to where my education was headed. Frustration became a daily occurrence. One day while working at Shell, I looked in the yellow pages of the telephone book under Chiropractors, picked a name and called the doctor. I don’t even remember his name. He was a Palmer graduate and he gave me some information about Chiropractic and recommended that I attend Palmer. Moving my family with one child was financially impossible. He then mentioned that there was a chiropractic college in Pasadena – Texas Chiropractic College. This was right up my alley as I would not have to move and I could continue to work, even though it would be part time.
Pat and I discussed it, as she would have to work and be the primary provider. She agreed and I made an appointment at T.C.C. to visit the campus. The students at T.C.C. were extremely friendly and all were wearing ties and Sunday pants. I completed the application and began T.C.C. in the fall of 1966. During the next four years I was elected as the Student Body President and got to know Dr. William D. Harper quite well. Dr. Harper asked me to be his proctor.
I received my chiropractic degree from Texas Chiropractic College in 1970. I joined the Texas Chiropractic Association shortly thereafter, and have been a member ever since. I have served on numerous TCA committees over the years. I had an integral part in writing of The Texas Guidelines for Chiropractic Quality Assurance and Practice Parameters, published in 1994. I served as the Chiropractic representative on study groups of the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission to develop guidelines of the spine and upper extremity treatments.
T.C.C.’s Post Graduate Department offered courses in Orthopedics that would lead to becoming a Diplomate. Following this 3 year program, I finally passed the Diplomate examinations and received that status in 1987. Several of the doctors in the orthopedics class expressed a desire to form a council for those who had completed the course, as a not-for-profit organization that would have the purpose of education the general D.C. I became a charter member of the Texas Council of Chiropractic Orthopedists. While in this organization I have been able to bring continuing education to the doctors of Texas in order that they might better serve their patients and the profession.
Due to my overwhelming interest in education, I became a member of the T.C.C. Alumni Association Board serving as a Director, onto Vice-President and then two consecutive terms as President. After serving my tenure for the alumni, I became a member of the T.C.C. Board of Regents and ultimately became its Chairman. During my term on the Board of Regents the college went through a great many changes. Later, I received the William D. Harper Science of Existence Award, the highest award from T.C.C.
I have been elected to serve as the District Director and on the Board of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, representing nine other states as well as Texas. I am also on the Board of the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters.
I am presently a resident of Quail Valley in Missouri City and have been for the past 27 years. Pat and I, now married for 39 years, have three married children, 2 sons which also live in Quail Valley (which makes it convenient to visit the grandchildren), and a daughter who lives in San Marcos, Texas, with her 3 children and her husband who is also a Chiropractor. I like to brag about my 7 grandchildren. I have been in practice for the past 6 years with my son, Dr. Eric Tondera in Houston. My other son, a junior, is employed as an auditor for El Paso Gas and Transmission Company in Houston.
An award of this magnitude is a very humbling experience to be named among the men and women that have previously received it, the pioneers and leaders of Chiropractic.
