1962 — Effective April 2 Palmer College of Chiropractic will teach liberal arts courses in addition to the four year chiropractic curriculum, marking the first time that an institution of the profession has launched such a program.

Announcement of the historic move was made by Dr. David D. Palmer, college president, Feb. 24 in Hollywood, Calif., to several hundred chiropractors attending the Mid-Year Symposium of International Chiropractors Association.

Students who enroll at Palmer College for the April quarter, and thereafter, will be required to attend the new liberal arts courses, except those who submit college transcripts showing satisfactory completion or equivalent courses. There will be no additional charge to Palmer College students for the new courses.

“The graduate chiropractor,” Dr. Palmer said, “as a professional man in this day and age, must have considerable cultural stature, and must conform to the image in the mind of the public that a professional person is well-informed in historical and socio-economic subjects, as well as in the academic areas of his particular field.”

The educator stressed that in today’s complex world success is more dependent upon ability in human relations, social interaction, communications, and evaluative skills, than only in occupational competency.

“This does not mean,” he emphasized, “that we are going to stop progressing in the technical and scientific areas of chiropractic…No — far from it!”

The new Liberal Arts Division, Dr. Palmer said, has as its objectives the improvement of communications skills, social consciousness and ethical values, geographical and historical perspective, and fine arts appreciation.

The first course, English composition, will help the student improve his ability to communicate. It will include development of better reading skills, improvement of vocabulary, spelling, study organization, and note-taking methods.

Mastery of these basic skills, he added, is essential to the student’s proper pursuit of professional subjects. This is no different, he pointed out, than an Air Force pilot learning fundamentals in a training plane before he is given instruction in a supersonic jet fighter.

Dr. Palmer said the move to expand the curriculum was made only after careful consideration of the needs of the student and graduate of today. The counsel of professionals in the field of higher education and the expressions of chiropractors responding to a questionnaire sent to more than 7,000 field doctors greatly influenced the decision.

Courses will be added, he said, at the rate of one new subject per quarter and classes will be held three hours each week. All courses will be taught by professors who have, as a minimum, a masters degree in their respective areas of instruction.

Dr. Palmer offered to share with “any and all other chiropractic colleges” the research information gathered by Palmer College as a preliminary to considering the new liberal arts program.

In closing, he said, “The time is here — now — for all of us to do the things that we must do. Liberal arts at Palmer College is one of our contributions this year toward a larger and stronger chiropractic profession.”