150 years of osteopathic medicine: How a DO civil rights leader and a trailblazing DO military physician helped shape osteopathic history

In June, the osteopathic profession celebrated the 150th anniversary of A.T. Still, DO, MD, flinging the banner of osteopathy to the breeze. Since June 1874, osteopathic medicine has become a distinctive and influential part of health care in the United States. Throughout the next year, The DO will continue to celebrate both Dr. Still’s visionary work and the inspiring DOs who have carried on his legacy.

While we aren’t able to feature every historically significant DO in this series, as there are countless osteopathic physicians who have done groundbreaking work and contributed to the illustrious history of the osteopathic medical profession, we are proud to highlight a few individuals who have left their mark.

Here are two historically significant DOs who have had a significant impact on the profession.

William G. Anderson, DO: Trailblazing civil rights leader

Born in 1927, AOA Past President William G. Anderson, DO (1994-1995), is a living legend in the osteopathic profession. Dr. Anderson became a prominent physician after graduating from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM) in 1956. After completing his internship, he relocated to Albany, Georgia.

Throughout his medical training, Dr. Anderson faced discrimination. During his internship, he realized he was not being assigned to treat any white patients. Taking a chance, Dr. Anderson specifically asked to see white patients as well, and his brave actions affected change in the hospital system.

During a 2021 virtual forum with AOA staff, Dr. Anderson shared, “This all put a strain on me, but it tested a system that had been in place since the end of slavery. Sometimes you have to test the waters, and you’ll find the waters are not as cold as perhaps you thought they would be.”

The burgeoning Civil Rights Movement led Dr. Anderson to help establish the Albany Movement in 1960, the first mass movement in the civil rights era when protestors marched to end community segregation. The Albany Movement became the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement in southwest Georgia. Dr. Anderson worked closely with civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, along with countless other activists.

Later, Dr. Anderson moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he had a 25-year career in surgery at the Art Center Hospital. He also maintained a medical group practice until 1984. Dr. Anderson also joined the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) to teach surgical anatomy. He spearheaded the university’s “Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey” lecture series, which brought civil rights leaders and experts to the campus for over 20 years.

When asked at the AOA staff forum what the profession can do to support underrepresented minorities, Dr. Anderson said, “We have to encourage today’s youth more. One of the ways we can do that is by telling them that scholarship money is available. We have to make sure that African American students and other minority students who aspire to be physicians are not frightened away by the high costs of medical education. I helped start a minority scholarship fund with the American Osteopathic Foundation for this reason.”

In addition to these accomplishments, Dr. Anderson also served as associate dean of A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM), as a member of the board of directors at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and an active member of the NBOME board of directors from 2003 to 2014. In 1994, Dr. Anderson became the first Black president of the AOA. He was also a member of the AOA’s Board of Trustees for two decades. He is a published author and United States military veteran.

In 2023, Dr. Anderson addressed the AOA Board of Trustees at the annual House of Delegates. While addressing the challenges he has faced throughout his life and career, Dr. Anderson proudly stated, “If you do not give me a challenge, you’re not going to get the best out of me.”

Thomas Quinn, DO: Military leader, professor and champion of women DOs

Thomas A. Quinn, DO, is a man who has worn many hats throughout his impressive career in the profession. In 1966, he graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). Dr. Quinn’s career began when he became one of the first osteopathic physicians commissioned as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy. He served in the military for 24 years.

At the time of his retirement, Dr. Quinn had achieved the rank of colonel and was serving as the state surgeon for the Pennsylvania National Guard. Dr. Quinn also simultaneously worked as a family physician for 22 years in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1990, Dr. Quinn relocated to Florida, where he became the national medical director for the Human Workers’ Compensation Division and the medical director for the Florida League of Cities.

Later in his career, Dr. Quinn took a swing at education and, in 2004, he became one of the inaugural professors at the newly opened Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine-Bradenton (LECOM-Bradenton) campus, where he continues to teach to this day in his current role as clinical professor emeritus. In a previous interview with The DO, Dr. Quinn said: “I’ve always loved teaching. After I moved to Florida and found out LECOM was building a medical school here, I was one of the first to apply for a faculty position.”

In addition to his educational and clinical work, he authored the 2011 book “The Feminine Touch: Women in Osteopathic Medicine,” which profiled notable women DOs from the profession’s past and present (available for purchase through Amazon). Dr. Quinn credits his wife with inspiring him to write the book: “I had been planning to write a pictorial history of the profession. My wife, Sissy, suggested that I focus my book on women in osteopathic medicine because nothing like that had been written before. It was a story that needed to be told.”

Dr. Quinn’s book notes that Dr. Still encouraged women to attend the American School of Osteopathy, which opened in 1892, during a time when most MD medical schools refused to admit or even consider female applicants. By 1908, 35% of all osteopathic physicians in the U.S. were women, “The Feminine Touch” points out.

In 2017, the book was adapted by PBS and made into a documentary. That same year, the documentary won a Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for best historic documentary.

Related reading:

Pioneers and progress: Celebrating 150 years of osteopathic medicine

New documents illuminate the Civil War legacy of A.T. Still, DO, MD

Timeline: A breakdown of the history of osteopathic medicine