1941 — First criteria for chiropractic school accreditation is established by NCA Director of Education John Nugent, DC; 12 schools are accredited in 1941.

The NCA had initiated the development of an accreditation process in 1935 with the creation of its Committee on Educational Standards. Nugent, a former PSC student, was appointed NCA’s first Director of Education in 1941.

The process of assembling accreditation standards and establishing a recognized accrediting agency was an arduous one. Proprietary schools were abolished, enrollment requirements now included a high school diploma, and a chiropractic degree was now earned through a four-year course.

The ACA’s Council on Chiropractic Education was recognized as chiropractic’s official accrediting agency by the U.S. Office of Education in 1974.

REFERENCES

Moore, J. Stuart. Chiropractic in America: The History of a Medical Alternative,Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
Wardwell, Walter I. Chiropractic: History and Evolution of a Profession, Mosby, 1992.