Parker University appoints new president

May 26, 2016 – The Board of Trustees of Parker University is pleased to announce the appointment of their new president, William E. Morgan, DC. This appointment comes after an extensive nationwide search conducted by the Board of Trustees, which is headed by Oliver “Bud” Smith, DC, Chair of the Board.

In 1998, Morgan was chosen to establish the first chiropractic clinic at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, which later became Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In 2015, Walter Reed recognized Morgan with its highest honor for clinical excellence, the Master Clinician’s Award. During the last 18 years at the military’s most prestigious medical centers, he practiced in an integrative setting providing chiropractic care to the injured troops returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a note to the Parker Board Chair from Admiral Mike Mullen, USN (retired) 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he said, “I am writing to express my warmest congratulations on your selection of Dr. Bill Morgan as the next president of Parker University. You simply could not have made a better choice. I have known Bill as a matchless student and practitioner of his profession over the past 13 years. He has had an enormous positive impact on thousands of lives. This impact has been that much more significant during over a decade of war where he has innovated and been on the leading edge of chiropractic practice in sometimes overwhelming circumstances. Bill is personable, studied, and dedicated beyond the call. You truly will be blessed in his service and we will miss him immensely here in Bethesda.”

Morgan was appointed as the Chiropractic Consultant to the Office of Attending Physician (OAP) at the U.S. Capitol in 2000. At the OAP, doctors of many specialties care for members of Congress and the Supreme Court. Since 2007, Morgan has served as the chiropractic consultant to the White House. He was appointed chiropractor for the United States Naval Academy football team in 2009.
“The Board of Trustees selected Dr. Morgan based on his depth of experience as a doctor of chiropractic, alongside his continued involvement in almost every aspect of the profession, including but not limited to his ability to integrate chiropractic into mainstream health care,” said Smith. He continues, “Dr. Morgan’s comprehensive skill-set will certainly lead Parker University students, faculty and alumni toward a successful future, and we are honored to appoint him as our president.”

In 1985, Morgan received his doctorate of chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic – West Campus and soon after, married fellow Palmer graduate, Clare Pelkey. They practiced for thirteen years in California. He has completed a 2,000 hour fellowship program in Integrated Medicine. Since 2006,  Morgan has served on the Board of Trustees for Palmer College of Chiropractic. He is also a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management and holds adjunct faculty positions at F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and New York Chiropractic College. Additionally, Morgan has served as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), helping to implement the VA’s chiropractic benefit and advocate for chiropractic research.

In 2011, Morgan was appointed to the United States Navy Musculoskeletal Continuum of Care Advisory Board – an entity created to address the prevalent injuries sustained by U.S. Armed Forces Personnel during active-duty operations. Morgan also served on the Spine Subcommittee, which helps develop care algorithms for treating spinal conditions and determining the future of musculoskeletal management in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Morgan has a long history of serving in military health care. Joining the Navy at 17, he served with an elite Marine Recon company as a hospital corpsman. While in the Navy, he was qualified in parachuting, military diving, submarine insertion, jungle warfare, combat swimming, explosives, mountaineering, winter warfare and Arctic survival. Additionally, he attended anti-terrorist training at the FBI Academy.

After leaving active military service and transferring to the Navy Reserves, Morgan began his educational journey to becoming a doctor of chiropractic. While at Palmer College of Chiropractic, he transferred to a Naval Special Warfare platoon as the unit’s primary hospital corpsman. He was sent to Special Operations Technician training to learn the principles of dive medicine. For the next eight years, he served as a dive medicine corpsman/combat swimmer for a platoon of Navy frogmen in Navy Special Warfare Unit One.

Eager to assume his new position, Morgan said, “Dr. Jim Parker created a chiropractic college in 1982 with a unique spirit, adhering to the rich philosophy, art and emerging science of his profession and with a strong mission. As the new President of Parker University, it is my goal to work toward continuing Dr. Parker’s vision for the university, with special emphasis on his passion for education, entrepreneurship, healing, self-actualization and personal responsibility. Dr. Jim Parker’s focus on service is epitomized in my favorite Albert Schweitzer quote, ‘I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.’”

In 2011, Parker achieved University status, paving the way for new health care degree programs that expand students’ scope of knowledge and provide additional opportunities for Parker graduates to serve more people around the world. Parker University equips its graduates in health sciences, technology, business, and education communities to establish trends in health care and wellness through its certificate, associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. Parker University provides an innovative, learning-centered experience for students through a comprehensive curriculum, highly respected faculty, and family-oriented environment.

Source: Parker University