50th Anniversary Celebrations

In 1995 the Canadian chiropractic profession celebrated the most remarkable year in chiropractic history, the centennial of chiropractic, the hundred and fiftieth birthday of the Canadian-born founder, DD Palmer, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.

The year began on January 19 with a flag-raising ceremony to usher in the fiftieth anniversary of CMCC. The Honourable Harold Jackman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was one of several special guests who participated in the celebration and commended CMCC on the achievements of its first fifty years.

In June the Canadian Chiropractic Centennial Convention brought chiropractors together from across Canada and around the world. The Convention was a resounding success, from the opening ceremonies parade of provincial and national flags, to the gala banquet.

Friday, June 2 was CMCC’s day at the Convention. It featured a meeting of the Governors’ Club members, and the graduating classes who were celebrating their 46th, 45th, 40th and 35th anniversaries. CMCC also hosted an Open House and Carnival for the convention participants.

The Centennial Convention was a proud symbol of the unity of the chiropractic profession, and no single event demonstrated that unity more than the unveiling of the poster for the chiropractic centennial stamps by Canada Post. Among those who shared the dream of the chiropractic stamp in Canada was Dr. Greg Dunn, who coordinated an information campaign promoting the importance of 1995 to chiropractic in Canada and throughout the world. The full series of stamps were unveiled in Port Parry on September 17, 1995. Four stamps celebrated 150 years since DD Palmer’s birth, the 100 years of the profession, and the 50 years of chiropractic education at CMCC.

Monday, September 18, 1995, the actual date of CMCC’s fiftieth anniversary, was a deeply nostalgic occasion. Dr. Herb Lee began the day’s events with a reminiscence of the opening of the College. He shared these memories with graduates of the first class who were able to attend after 50 years in the profession. CMCC paid tribute to Dr. John Duckworth, one of the most beloved and respected professors. The establishment of an anatomy museum at CMCC was one of Dr. Duckworth’s dream and, in honour of his memory, the College dedicated the J.W.A. Duckworth Memorial Museum of Anatomy as part of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The year long celebration came to a close with the flag lowering ceremony in January 1996.

1995 provided not only a memorable milestone in the history of the profession but also a most fitting foundation to launch us into the next hundred years of chiropractic and the next fifty years of CMCC.