Dr. Fred Barge, 1988

1988-89 — The nation’s two largest membership societies of chiropractors, the International Chiropractors’ Association (ICA) and the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) sought unsuccessfully to amalgamate in the late 1980s.

The Digest of Chiropractic Economics for March/April 1989 reported the defeat of the merger plan, which occurred when a vote within the ICA membership reached a majority (50.3 percent) in favor, but fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the society’s charter.

ICA president Michael Pediggo confers with ACA president Kennetth Luedttke on the campus of Palmer College West circa 1986.

Among those who had sponsored the amalgamation was ICA president Michael D. Pedigo, DC, who was succeeded in office by Fred H. Barge, DC, PhC.

Principal opposition to the merger came from ICA’s chairman of the board, Sid E. Williams, DC. In the years since, the two organizations have continued to spar with one another but have also found bases for cooperative action on some specific issues. Pedigo subsequently served as president of the ACA.