College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons - Cortex Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

Page 18 text:

The following year the Dr. S. S. Still College of Des Moines was purchased by the American School, resulting in the subsequent migration of several staff mem- bers to Los Angeles. They, with a number of former Des Moines students intended to affiliate with the Pacific College, but for some reason, unknown to this writer, failed to do so, but instead incorporated the Los Angeles College of Osteopathy in September, 1906. The new school progressed rapidly and soon became one of the outstanding osteopathic colleges. The Los Angeles College located on South - Street just one door south of the present clinic location. The plant consisted, in 191 2, of a three-story brick administration building facing on Hill Street, a four-story clinical and surgical building in the middle of the grounds, the main college building of five stories, at the Clay Street end of the grounds, and a four-story hospital build- ing adjoining the last at 322-324-326 Clay Street. In 1910, we find the Pacific College giving the degrees. Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Osteopathy for the completion of the four-year elective course. All the requirements of the American Medical Association as to subjects and hours were met or exceeded. In 1914, at the state convention held at Stockton, affiliation of the two colleges was advised and within three weeks a committee of seven met to consider ways and means. On June 13, that year, a mass meeting was held for final action on the consolidation of the two colleges and the money necessary for the action was pledged ($50,000.00). On July 21, articles of incorporation of the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons were signed under the educational laws of the State of California. Under the provisions of its incorporation all of its income and endowment must be directly utilized for the training of students, no earnings being paid on its stock. The new organization took over the quarters of the Los Angeles College on South hHill Street due to existing leases. The college remained there four years. Shortly after this the United States entered the World War and along with all the other schools in the country the activities of C. O. P. S. were quite restricted. (It is of interest to note that the war forced the U. S. C. Medical College to close its doors.) The college then moved from its hHill Street quarters to the San Fernando Building at Fourth and Main Streets. P. i ' c- PoUltlfll

Page 17 text:

The Pacific College was not a commercial enterprise and for tfiis reason fiad an exceptionally fiigfi class of teachers from the start. From the very beginning the school required a two-year course of study and each year was ten months long so each student had twenty months of training. This was in a time when many of the reputable medical schools had courses of three years of six months to the year, thus giving their students eighteen months training as contrasted to the twenty months received at the Pacific College. At the end of the two-year course of study the college granted the degree, Diplomate in Osteopathy. In 1900 the school offered on optional three-year course of instruction. Quoting the Fifth Annual Announcement, 1900-1901 : Two regular courses are now offered, the three-year course and the two-year course. In the longer course all of the subjects are taken up more fully than in the shorter, and we most heartily recommend the more thorough course, knowing that all professional men wish to be OS proficient as possible in their work. This will appeal to all who wish to be well equipped for practice. The two-year course we offer for the present for those who do not have time to complete the other. For the completion of the two-year course the above degree (D. O.) was still granted and for the three-year course the degree, Doctor of the Science of Osteopathy (D. Sc. O.) was granted. Quite shortly after this the degree, Doctor of Osteopathy was adopted and in 1903 the three-year course became compulsory and an optional four-year course was offered. The Pacific College was the first school to grant the degree. Doctor of Osteopathy and has always had the longest course of any osteopathic college. When it was requiring twenty months of work it was possible to graduate from some schools after one year of work. If is interesting to note that Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery has recently revived the degree. Doctor of the Science of Osteopathy as an honorory degree to be granted to men whose work has been outstanding in the profession. Early in 1904 the Pacific College of Osteopathy incorporated and assumed all the interests of the Pacific School and Infirmary of Osteopathy and in October that year, the college moved to the Pacific College of Osteopothy Building at Mission Road and Daly Streets. Page Thirteen

Page 19 text:

After the war the need for a permanent home was felt by the officials of the college, so in 1921, the board of trustees purchased the site at Griffin Avenue and Mission Road opposite the General HospitaL The old Pacific College Building was cut in two and moved to the new location where it was re-assembled. The porches were cut off and the outside was stuccoed and it formed the nucleus for the present group of buildings. At first all departments, clinic, office and laboratories were housed in the one building. As the student body grew on old frame cottage in the rear was utilized as the dissection laboratory . From this time on the college has grown steadily. A new building replaced the old dissection laboratory and it housed the dissection and chemistry laboratory. A gymnasium was built, but feeling the pinch for space, the college moved the dissection laboratory to the gymnasium and replaced it in the other building with the bio-chemistry laboratory. An administration building and auditorium were next erected. While all this expanding was going on the clinic was moved downtown to Main Street near Fourth and then to its present location at 317 South hHill Street where it now occupies four floors in the John Luckenbach Building. All the old buildings of the Los Angeles College have been demolished and a parking lot is all that can now be seen. Glancing over some of the departments, we find that they have traveled far. When the college was located in the San Fernando Building, the dissection laboratory was housed in a nearby garage, which left much to be desired from the students viewpoint. When the college moved to the present location, the laboratory was located for a while where the obstetrical clinic now is. Dissecting material was scarce even as late as 1921 and a female cadaver was )u5t impossible to obtain. The laboratory v as next moved to the third floor and then to an old frame cottage of four small rooms, in the rear of the main building, where the chemical laboratories now stand. The cottage was noted for a complete lack of dependability in its flooring and for a unique system of ventilation which had been provided by the ravages of time and which allowed fresh air, sunlight or rain to pass without inter- ruption through almost any spot in the roof. The cottage v as so small that the pro- P.ige Fijleen