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. 2008 Mar;52(1):38-66.

William D. Harper, Jr, MS, DC: anything can cause anything

Joseph C Keating Jr  1
Affiliations

William D. Harper, Jr, MS, DC: anything can cause anything

Joseph C Keating Jr. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2008 Mar.

Abstract
in English, French

Trained as an engineer and a chiropractor, William D. Harper, Jr. made his career in the healing arts as instructor, writer and president of the Texas Chiropractic College (TCC). A native of Texas who grew up in various locales in the Lone Star State, in Mexico and in the Boston area, he took his bachelor's and master's degree in engineering in 1933 and 1934 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his chiropractic degree at TCC in 1942. Dissatisfied with the "foot-on-the-hose" concept of subluxation syndrome (D.D. Palmer's second theory), Dr. Harper studied and wrote about aberrant neural irritation as an alternative explanation for disease and for the broad clinical value he perceived in the chiropractic art. In this he paralleled much of D.D. Palmer's third theory of chiropractic. His often reprinted textbook, Anything Can Cause Anything, brought together much of what he had lectured and written about in numerous published articles. He was well prepared for the defense of chiropractic that he offered in 1965 in the trial of the England case in federal district court in Louisiana. The case was lost when the court ruled that the legislature rather than the judiciary should decide whether to permit chiropractors to practice, but Harper's performance was considered excellent. He went on to guide the TCC as president from 1965 through 1976, its first 11 years after relocating from San Antonio to Pasadena, Texas. Harper built the school - its faculty, staff and facilities - from very meager beginnings to a small but financially viable institution when he departed. Along the way he found fault with both chiropractic political camps that vied for federal recognition as the accrediting agency for chiropractic colleges in the United States. Dr. Bill Harper was a maverick determined to do things his way, and in many respects he was successful. He left a mark on the profession that merits critical analysis.

Ingénieur et chiropraticien de formation, William D. Harper Jr. a fait sa carrière dans le domaine de la guérison en qualité d’instructeur, d’auteur et de président du Texas Chiropractic College (TCC). Originaire du Texas, il a grandi dans des diverses villes du Texas, du Mexique et de l’agglomération de Boston. Il a obtenu son baccalauréat et sa maîtrise en génie en 1933 et 1934 de Massachusetts Institute of Technology et, en 1942, a obtenu son diplôme de chiropraticien du TCC. Peu satisfait du concept « foot on the hose » (« pied sur le boyau ») du syndrome de subluxation (la deuxième théorie de D. D.Palmer), le Dr Harper a étudié et écrit sur le sujet de l’irritation neurale aberrante comme une explication de rechange pour les maladies et pour la valeur clinique plus vaste qu’il a vu dans l’art chiropratique. En ce sens, il a suivi une trajectoire semblable à celle de la troisième théorie de D.D.Palmer. Son ouvrage « Anything Can Cause Anything » (« Tout pourrait causer tout »), qui a eu plusieurs réimpressions, a regroupé la plupart de ses cours et de ses articles publiés. Il était bien préparé pour la défense de la chiropratique qu’il a présentée en 1965 dans « le procès England » au tribunal du district fédéral en Louisiane. Il n’a pas eu gain de cause parce que le tribunal a statué qu’il en revenait à la législature plutôt qu’à la magistrature de trancher sur le sujet de l’autorisation aux chiropraticiens d’exercer leur profession. La prestation du Dr Harper devant le tribunal a été considérée excellente. Il a ensuite dirigé le TCC en tant que président du 1965 au 1976 – les premières 11 ans de l’institution après sa relocalisation de San Antonio à Pasadena, Texas. On a attribué au Dr Harper la construction de l’école – sa faculté, son personnel et ses installations. Avant de partir, le Dr Harper a veillé à ce que cette école, qui a connu des débuts modestes, devienne une institution qui, malgré sa petite taille, était financièrement rentable. Il a également critiqué les deux camps politiques de la chiropratique qui rivalisaient pour obtenir la reconnaissance fédérale pour devenir l’organisme d’accréditation pour les institutions d’études chiropratiques aux États-Unis. Le Dr Bill Harper était un non conformiste, déterminé de poursuivre à sa façon, une philosophie dont il a réussi sous plusieurs aspects. Il a profondément marqué la profession qui mérite de l’analyse critique.

Keywords: Harper; Texas Chiropractic College; chiropractor.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The Alamo; from the 1930 edition of the Texas Chiropractic College yearbook, the Dixie Chiro.
Figure 2a
Figure 2a
Front view of the San Antonio campus of the Texas Chiropractic College at 618 Myrtle Street, San Pedro Park, 1930.
Figure 2b
Figure 2b
Dr. James R. Drain, circa 1940.
Figure 2c
Figure 2c
Cover of the first issue of the ACCA News, 1938, featured the presidents of four straight chiropractic colleges.
Figure 3
Figure 3
This image of D.D. Palmer’s 1903 class in Santa Barbara appeared in the first issue of The Chiropractor for December 1904; caption reads: “(Note:- The cut on Page 13 was the class present when nerve heat was first announced. From left to right they were: Lucas, ‘Old Chiro,’ Collier, Smith, Wright, Paxson, Reynard)”.
Figure 4a
Figure 4a
Cartoon from a catalog issued by the Palmer School of Chiropractic, circa 1925 provides a visual metaphor of the supposed mechanism of subluxation syndrome.
Figure 4b
Figure 4b
Dr. B.J. Palmer, circa 1920.
Figure 5a
Figure 5a
Dr. Bill Harper; from the 1951 edition of the College yearbook, the Pisiform.
Figure 5b
Figure 5b
Dr. William D. Harper, Jr.; from the August 1950 issue of the TCC News Letter.
Figure 5c
Figure 5c
Myrtle Avenue in San Antonio was home to both the San Antonio Junior College and the Texas Chiropractic College; from the December 1952 issue of the TCC News Bulletin.
Figure 6a
Figure 6a
Dr. Ben L. Parker; from the June 1951 issue of the Texas Chiropractor.
Figure 6b
Figure 6b
Dr. Julius Troilo; from the March 1953 issue of the TCC News Letter.
Figure 6c
Figure 6c
Dr. Jim Russell, 1959 (courtesy of James M. Russell, D.C.).
Figure 6d
Figure 6d
Dr. Clatis W. Drain; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, Pisiform.
Figure 6e
Figure 6e
Dr. Ruth Eklund; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, Pisiform.
Figure 6f
Figure 6f
Dr. Theo Holm; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, Pisiform.
Figure 6g
Figure 6g
Dr. C.B. Loftin; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, Pisiform.
Figure 6h
Figure 6h
Dr. H.E. Turley; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, Pisiform.
Figure 6i
Figure 6i
Dr. Herb Weiser; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, Pisiform.
Figure 7a
Figure 7a
Bobbie Norma Rogers, R.N.; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, the Pisiform.
Figure 7b
Figure 7b
Left to right are: Dr. Bill Harper of TCC; U.S. Representative from Alabama, Honorable Kenneth Roberts, and Donald O. Pharaoh, D.C. of the PSC; from the TCC Newsletter for May 1956.
Figure 8a
Figure 8a
Dr. William D. Harper; from the 1955 edition of the TCC yearbook, the Pisiform.
Figure 8b
Figure 8b
Left to right (back row) are Drs. Robert Magnuson and James Reese; left to right in front are James E. Bunker, Esq., legal counsel for the NCA and Dr. Bill Harper, invited presenter at the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Chiropractic Association; from the November 1961 issue of the Journal of the National Chiropractic Association.
Figure 9a
Figure 9a
Dr. Jerry England, circa 1957.
Figure 9b
Figure 9b
Dr. Paul J. Adams, circa 1959.
Figure 9c
Figure 9c
J. Minos Simon, Esq., 1964.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Dr. Joseph Janse addresses the crowd during the 1969 dedication of Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College’s new campus.
Figure 11a
Figure 11a
Members of the ACA Committee on Standardization of Chiropractic Principles, left to right: Drs. Clarence Weiant, William D. Harper, Joseph Janse, A. Earl Homewood, and Helmut Bittner; from the July 1965 issue of the ACA Journal of Chiropractic.
Figure 11b
Figure 11b
This image of the ACA’s new headquarters in Des Moines appeared in the October 1964 issue of the ACA Journal of Chiropractic.
Figure 11c
Figure 11c
Drs. Joe Janse, Bill Harper and Bobbie Rogers Harper; from the 1968 TCC yearbook, Alpha.
Figure 12a
Figure 12a
This advertisement for Harper’s Anything Can Cause Anything appeared in the March 1980 issue of the TCC Review.
Figure 12b
Figure 12b
Emblem of the Texas Chiropractic College created by Dr. William Harper.
Figure 12c
Figure 12c
Dr. Bill Harper (left) receives an award from Texas College board chairman Dr. Jim Russell (right) during the College’s 1966 homecoming while Dr. Bobbie Rogers Harper (center) looks on.
Figure 13a
Figure 13a
Drs. Clarence Weiant and James Russell during enshrinement ceremonies in the TCC’s Hall of Honor, August 1981 (photo courtesy of Dr. James Russell).
Figure 13b
Figure 13b
Dr. John Nash.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Dr. Ron Slaughter (left) and TCC senior student Richard Mikles, 1983.
Figure 15a
Figure 15a
This idealized image of the Texas Chiropractic College’s Pasadena campus appeared on the cover of the August 1966 issue of the state society’s periodical, the Texas Chiropractor.
Figure 15b
Figure 15b
Dr. William D. Harper, Jr., from the 1968 Texas Chiropractic College yearbook, Alpha.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Core faculty members and administrators of the Texas Chiropractic College (left to right) Drs. Darrel Prouse, David Ramby, Bill Harper, Johnnie Barfoot, David Mohle and John Nash; from the 1970 edition of the College yearbook, the Alpha.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Cover of the Digest of Chiropractic Economics for May–June 1970 featured the founders of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges. Clockwise from the upper left are Drs. Carl Cleveland, Jr., David D. Palmer, Ernest G. Napolitano, Carl S. Cleveland, Sr., William D. Harper, Jr. and William N. Coggins.
Figure 18a
Figure 18a
Dr. Bill Harper during homecoming, August 1976; from the October 1976 issue of the TCC Review.
Figure 18b
Figure 18b
President Emeritus William Harper congratulates newly inaugurated TCC President Johnnie Barfoot in August 1977.
Figure 19
Figure 19
Dr. William Harper; from the April 1976 issue of the TCC Review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Harper WD. Autobiographical sketch, unpublished, 1982. from the archives of the National University of Health Sciences; Lombard, Illinois:
    1. Dzaman F, Scheiner S, Schwartz L, editors. Who’s who in chiropractic. 2. Littleton CO: Who’s Who in Chiropractic International Publishing Co.; 1980. p. 114.
    1. Keating JC, Davison RD. That “Down in Dixie” school: Texas Chiropractic College between the wars. Chiropractic History. 1997 Jun;17(1):17–35.
    1. Rehm WS. Who was who in chiropractic: a necrology. In: Fern Dzaman, Sidney Scheiner, Larry Schwartz., editors. Who’s who in chiropractic. 2. Littleton CO: Who’s Who in Chiropractic International Publishing Co.; 1980.

    1. Hender HC, registrar of the Palmer School of Chiropractic. Letter to whom it may concern, 23 September 1943 (Special Collections, Texas Chiropractic College Library).

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