Honoring a legacy: 5 key figures in the history of osteopathic medicine

In June, the osteopathic profession marked the 150th anniversary of A.T. Still, MD, DO, introducing the principles of osteopathic medicine. Since that fateful day in 1874, osteopathic medicine has evolved into a unique and influential part of U.S. health care. Over the next several months, The DO will continue to honor Dr. Still’s visionary contributions, along with the many DOs who have followed in his footsteps.

Although we can’t spotlight every historically significant DO, given the countless physicians who have pioneered groundbreaking work and shaped the profession’s rich history, we are proud to feature a select few who have made a lasting impact.

Here are five such individuals who have greatly influenced the field of osteopathic medicine.

A.T. Still, MD, DO (1828–1917): Revolutionary founder of osteopathic medicine

As the founder of osteopathic medicine, A.T. Still, MD, DO, was a medical revolutionary. The son of a Methodist preacher and physician, Dr. Still lived a typical frontier boy’s life until 1853, when his father moved the entire family to Kansas. Dr. Still knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a physician. In common 1850s practice, most physicians received their training through another practicing physician. While there is a possibility that Dr. Still received more formal training at a medical school in Kansas City, no records remain to verify when and where this training may have taken place.

Dr. Still traveled to his patients’ homes to deliver care through the methods available at the time. During the Civil War, Dr. Still enlisted as a hospital steward. In his own home during this time, his first wife passed away due to childbirth complications, while his two children and an adopted child passed away due to meningitis. In his second marriage, he lost his daughter to pneumonia.

With all of the loss in his life and the trauma of the Civil War, Dr. Still rejected most of his medical studies—which promoted treatments that are now known to be harmful—and searched for better methods. He became convinced that many diseases could be alleviated without drugs.

Dr. Still began providing his own, unique medical treatments, based on theories he had developed about healing and the human body. Most of the time, many patients did not believe in his medical theories.

After moving around, he finally landed in Kirksville, Missouri, where his ideas were accepted. On June 22, 1874, Dr. Still famously “flung the banner of osteopathy to the breeze,” a moment that the osteopathic medical community is celebrating 150 years later. Slowly, Dr. Still built up a good reputation for providing medical care that helped many patients, including those who had been told by others that their ailments were not treatable.

In 1892, the American School of Osteopathy (now known as A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, or ATSU-KCOM) was formed in Kirksville. On Dec. 12, 1917, the founder of osteopathic medicine passed away; he was mourned by patients, students and graduates of ASO. Read more about Dr. Still’s life in The DO’s review of his autobiography.

John Martin Littlejohn, DO (1865–1947): The visionary who brought osteopathic manipulation to Europe

John Martin Littlejohn was born in Scotland in 1865. He studied medicine as well as theology, law and philosophy at the University of Glasgow. In 1892, he moved to the U.S. to study at Columbia University in New York. Legend has it that Dr. Littlejohn suffered from a potentially deadly throat ailment, which led him to seek care from Dr. Still. In the late 1800s, during the infancy of osteopathic medicine, people flocked from far and wide to Kirksville, Missouri, to see Dr. Still, and Dr. Littlejohn was among them.

After being treated (and inspired) by Dr. Still, Dr. Littlejohn decided to study osteopathic medicine. In 1899, he was named dean of the American School of Osteopathy. From there, Dr. Littlejohn and his two brothers went on to Chicago to establish the American College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, which later became Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (MWU/CCOM), although family disagreements later led to him to transferring ownership of the Chicago school.

Around 1913, Dr. Littlejohn returned to Great Britain, and in 1917, he incorporated the first osteopathic institution in Europe, the British School for Osteopathy, which trained students to provide osteopathic manipulative therapy. Throughout his career, Dr. Littlejohn advocated for the recognition and integration of osteopathic medicine into the broader health care system, albeit sometimes to the disliking of Dr. Still. Dr. Littlejohn’s legacy continues to influence osteopathic manipulation, and he is remembered as a global pioneer in the field.

Forrest “Phog” Allen, DO (1885–1974): Pioneer of holistic coaching and basketball champion

Forrest “Phog” Allen, DO, is not only a basketball coaching legend, but also a pioneer in sports medicine and sports psychiatry. Before heading to osteopathic medical school, he became the University of Kansas’s (KU) basketball coach in 1907. He took a short hiatus to study at what is now known as Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) in Kansas City, Missouri, and he graduated in 1909.

Following graduation, Dr. Allen returned to coaching basketball at KU. His accomplishments blossomed from there. Some attribute this to his osteopathic training and his “magic touch,” also known as osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Dr. Allen pioneered a holistic approach to caring for his young athletes’ physical and mental health.

Dr. Allen’s team went on to win three national championships. He made waves on the global basketball stage as an integral part of the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team’s coaching staff during the 1952 Summer Olympics, when the team brought home the gold. Dr. Allen was so revered at KU for his work with the Jayhawks basketball team that the school named its basketball auditorium after him.

Ethel D. Allen, DO (1929–1981): A champion of change in medicine and beyond

Ethel D. Allen, DO, led the medical world not only in her clinic, but also in the Pennsylvania state government and Philadelphia City Council. At just five years of age, (the future) Dr. Allen knew she wanted to be a physician. Her early career started in the laboratory, where she worked as a chemist for the United States Atomic Energy Commission. Intending to pursue an MD degree, an unfortunate back injury led Dr. Allen to being effectively treated by an osteopathic physician using OMT, which ultimately inspired her to choose osteopathic medicine.

However, the barriers Dr. Allen faced as a Black woman in the 1950s were almost insurmountable. She spent seven years applying to medical schools before finally being accepted by Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), from which she graduated in 1959. Following graduation, Dr. Allen went on to form the Community Committee on Medical School Admissions to help increase the number of Black students applying and gaining admission to medical school. She also served as a mentor at PCOM.

Dr. Allen practiced medicine in Philadelphia, working throughout the community by making house calls in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. In 1975, Dr. Allen became a Philadelphia City Councilwoman and gave a speech in support of President Gerald Ford’s nomination at the Republican National Convention. She was also made the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1979.

After leaving politics, she began working at the Philadelphia School District as a school clinician. In 1981, Dr. Allen underwent open heart surgery, during which she tragically passed away at the age of 52.

Ken Nemoto, DO (1900 ASO attendee): Influential international osteopathic physician

Ken Nemoto, DO, a native of Akita, Japan, introduced osteopathic manipulation to Asia. Dr. Nemoto attended Tokyo Medical University and graduated in 1892, going on to complete a one-year program at the Medical College of Shila, Tokyo. After completing this one-year program, Dr. Nemoto then completed one year of postgraduate work at one of Japan’s imperial universities.

After graduating from this program, he was employed by the Japanese government for four years. During this time, Dr. Nemoto worked in the hospital of a Japanese prison, where he became a member of a society with the goal of prison reform. He then was appointed by the Japanese government to investigate the conditions of United States prisons.

While in the U.S., Dr. Nemoto pursued additional postgraduate work at the present-day Rush University Medical College in Chicago, but he was also interested in the science of osteopathic medicine. He was determined to bring osteopathy to Japan. Because he already had a Japanese medical degree, Dr. Nemoto was only required to complete one year of additional studies. In 1900, he entered the ASO and eventually received a complimentary degree of osteopathy from the school.

Upon his return to Japan, Dr. Nemoto provided osteopathic manipulative therapy to Japanese prisoners. He later branched out his services and used these techniques in practice for the people of Japan. There are currently two schools of osteopathy in Japan: Still Academy Japan in Tokyo and Japan Traditional College of Osteopathy in Kobe.

Related reading:

Timeline: A breakdown of the history of osteopathic medicine

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

Two historical artifacts reveal details about the start of osteopathic medicine