xii Published in ACOFP’s Our Continuing History, First Edition, 2004. It is a well-known fact that California is the trendsetter for the nation. From film productions to palimony, Silicon Valley to silicone implants, California has been a force in shaping America’s thoughts, actions, and customs for many years. It seems only natural that this land of “dream makers” would produce a group of foresighted osteopathic general practitioners with the vision and courage to start a national movement. The major thrust of that movement would be to advance the standards of general practice in the field of osteopathic medicine and surgery and to use any legal means to preserve and secure all rights, privileges, and immunities enjoyed by other branches of the healing arts. The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians was born Feb. 11, 1950, meaning that if it lasted 50 years, the anniversary would be celebrated at the dawn of the new millennium. Millennial celebrations are a time when all nations and people set about reviewing their accomplishments and remembering their roots. This spirit touched the college’s archivist as well, and work was started on the production of a concise history that could be attached to the front of ACOFP’s Membership Directory. The final draft was slated to appear during the year 2000 as part of a 50-year remembrance. As we compiled what data we had, more questions than answers arose. We knew this would be a much bigger undertaking than just one small article. Earlier archival committees recognized that many of the leaders were advancing in age and began to interview them on tape. Those tapes contained many recollections, but fitting recollections together into a firm timeline was more difficult than we thought. Records of the ACOFP Congress of Delegates were available for the official record, but they lacked the human side of history that is so interesting to all of us. The college had existed in five separate locations ranging from an opulent penthouse office to private homes. Each move exacted a toll on records and resources that equated to the loss of many key pieces of information. An attempt had been made to compile a formal history of the American College of General Practitioners in Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery around 1960, the 10th year of its formal organization, but the archivist FOREWORD 75YEARS CELEBRATING
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2NjI=