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

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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

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caliy alone. In this year he was joined by Dr. William Smith, just recently graduated from Edinburgh, Scotland, an intelligent co-worker, who became the First student of the new science. In 1894, the American College of Osteopathy was incorporated and a school building was erected in Kirksville, Missouri. The building was a small frame structure measuring fourteen feet by twenty-eight feet, and had practically no equipment. Dr. Smith was a valued instructor in this college, but aside from him, the college was pushed forward by the dogged determination of Dr. Still alone. The school was a success and attracted students from all over the country, and they in turn carried the new science back to their homes. It was one such group of students that upon returning to California decided that an osteopathic college should be established here and in May, 1896, started an organized effort to found such a college. On July 14, that year, articles of incorpora- tion were signed for the Pacific Sanitarium and School of Osteopathy and the institu- tion formally opened in the Del Campo hHotel Building in Anaheim. This was the sec- ond institution of its kind to be established in the world. It was empowered by its charter to teach the necessary branches and grant degrees. There were forty-two students in the college. Prior to the graduating of the first class, the college moved to Los Angeles and located in the Phillips Block on Spring Street at Franklin. (The California State Building now occupies this site.) This same year, June 6, 1897 to be exact, the college moved again, this time to Tenth and Flower Streets and an opening reception was held in its new quarters. The first class was graduated in January, 1898. Many schools and institutes ' sprang up in the early days. Many were organized for a double purpose. One object was to lead the people to believe that those who were teachers were especially fitted to act as physicians, and the other object was to enable the founder of these schools to gather in what money they could from tuition paid for instruction. These institutes were short-lived and not one exists today. Ptige Twelve

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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