Issue 10 - July2004

Celebrating 100 years of chiropractic

It is commonly held that D. D. Palmer made his first chiropractic adjustment in 1895 (although it may actually have been 1896 or in 1897). As the centennial anniversary of that adjustment approached, the profession looked forward to a grand celebration. The non-profit Chiropractic Centennial Foundation (CCF) launched a number of celebrations:

• International celebrations. Copenhagen hosted an Inter-Scandinavian Chiropractic Centennial meeting in 1995 which drew participants from Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, the United States and elsewhere.

The Canadian Chiropractic Association organized a gala event in Toronto, which included “guest appearances” by actors representing D.D. and B.J. Palmer, who offered retrospectives on the chirocentury, but couldn’t quite manage to reconcile.

• Rose Bowl Parade. A chiropractic float was constructed for the New Year's Day Rose Bowl Parade.

• Scholarly conference in Washington. A conference was convened in Washington, D.C., during the summer of 1995. Its purpose was to present scientific, scholarly and professional papers.

• Historical celebrations in Davenport. The Davenport celebration emphasized the history of the profession.

The Davenport gathering drew a crowd of some 5,000 doctors, their families and friends of the profession. Highlights of the celebration in Davenport included invited addresses by three prominent chiropractors: Pierre-Louis Gaucher-Peslherbe, DC, PhD; W. Heath Quigley, DC, M.A; and Virgil V. Strang, DC.

Dr. Gaucher-Peslherbe, whose doctoral dissertation in the history of medicine had involved a treatise on the theoretical roots and implications of the founder’s theories, offered an analysis of D.D. Palmer’s legacy. Dr. Quigley, nephew of Mabel Palmer, DC, and witness to much of the chiropractic saga, discussed the role his Uncle B.J. had played throughout the years.

Dr. Strang, longtime member of the Palmer faculty and chairman of the college’s philosophy department, reviewed the life and times of the third generation of Palmer chiropractors: David D. Palmer, DC.

The festivities provided multiple opportunities for meetings of various international, national and local professional groups and agencies, who rearranged their schedules to coincide with these once-in-a-lifetime events.

• Concurrent AHC conference. The historical association held its annual Conference on Chiro-practic History during the Davenport convention, with prizes for best historical papers awarded by the CCF.

It was a time to remember and the CCF sought to preserve the images of that year with a volume that traces the chiropractic centennial commemorations. Copies have been provided to all chiropractic college libraries, so that a record will be available as we approach the bicentennial.