William E. Morgan, DC, began his tenure as the seventh president of Parker University on June 15, 2016, following an international search led by the Parker board of trustees.
Morgan’s distinguished career has been one of unrivaled service to the profession and the patients he has served. Indeed, his life has been the personification of the Parker principles created by the founder of Parker University, James W. Parker, DC. Chief among those principles is “Loving service is my first technique.”
The new Parker president will, in turn, be the embodiment of loving service to the faculty, students, staff, and alumni of Parker University.
To greater heights
Eager to assume his new position, Morgan says, “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.’”
Asked about his vision for Parker, Morgan says, “My vision is the same as Dr. Jim Parker’s vision for this university: To produce chiropractors who are both master clinicians and master entrepreneurs. A key point to becoming a master clinician is to be a master of the chiropractic adjustment. I intend for the students who attend Parker to become the best adjusters in the world.”
Another area he’ll be focusing on are the Parker Seminars: “I wish to recreate the excitement which drew me to hear Dr. Jim Parker when I first graduated from chiropractic college. I would like to recapture the pillars of Jim Parker’s success: principles, passion, and prosperity. We intend to continue to up our game in regard to inspirational speakers, practical business training for chiropractors and their staff, and igniting passion in the chiropractors who attend our seminars.
“Our motto embodies my goals for the Parker Seminars: Igniting Passion, Transforming Lives.”
Distinguished service
Morgan was appointed as the chiropractic consultant to the Office of Attending Physician (OAP) at the U.S. Capitol in 2000. Maintaining a chiropractic clinic in the U.S. Capitol building, Morgan treated members of Congress, the Senate, and the Supreme Court two days a week.
In 2007, Morgan became the first White House chiropractor and served as the chiropractic consultant to the White House until accepting the Parker presidency. Two years later, he was appointed chiropractor for the United States Naval Academy football team.
During his stint, the Naval Academy maintained an incredible winning streak, never losing an Army-Navy game while under chiropractic care.
“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 main- stream health care,” says Oliver “Bud” Smith, Jr., DC, chair of the Parker board of trustees. “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 2011, Morgan was selected for 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.
A lasting legacy
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 injured troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a note to the Parker board chair, Admiral Mike Mullen, USN (retired) 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote:
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.
We applaud the selection of William Morgan, DC, to this position and wish him a successful tenure.
