Infrastructure ACOFP: OUR CONTINUING HISTORY 43 John P. Sevastos, DO, FACOFP, recalls becoming associated with ACOFP in the first years of his practice. His experience is typical of the pragmatic way the state societies were managed in the early years of osteopathic general practice. Dr. Sevastos recollects: “Dr. George Cozma, past president of ACOFP (1963–1964), practiced in Cleveland and became a very dear and close friend of mine. He took me under his wing as I came back to Cleveland to start my practice. For some reason, I think he saw something in me that I personally did not recognize; he insisted that I take over as president of the Ohio Society of General Practitioners. The group of physicians was small with a total membership of 40 or 50 at the most. They had a small treasury consisting of approximately $155. At one of our Ohio Osteopathic Association meetings, George took me by the arm and said we were going to the Ohio Society of General Practice board meeting. When we walked into the room, there were four individuals already present: the president, vice president, secretary, and one other member. With the six of us present, the meeting commenced with the reading of the minutes, after which they handed me the gavel, and George Cozma informed me that I was now the president. What an interesting beginning for a little country doctor to find himself as president of the Ohio Society of General Practitioners. I really had no idea where or what was going to come of this Ohio Society. But I was young and was full of confidence, so immediately upon my return to Cleveland, I contacted our local Cleveland Academy Executive Director, John Robson. I said I am now president of the Ohio Society of General Practitioners. I am going to need some of your help and expertise, and I have approximately $150 in the treasury. So, we sat down, and I came up with the idea of starting a newsletter to get the word out to the GPs in Ohio. We established dues for the membership, and I contacted pharmaceutical companies and asked them to give financial support to develop the newsletter. We also secured money to pay Mr. Robson for some of the time that he was expending. From that humble beginning, the Ohio Society of General Practitioners had its first newsletter. I took it upon myself to send the first edition to my dearest friends, Larry Koplovitz and Joe Stella. To my surprise they were not aware that there were ACOFP state societies. After they read my first newsletter, which I must say was a rather nice production, they took it upon themselves to organize the group in Pennsylvania.”
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