| I always knew that whatever profession I choose, part of the work should be outdoors. When I was in high school, I worked during the summers on ranches and for the forest service. At the time, I considered majoring in forestry. However, I suspected that promotions in that field might depend on how well you got along with your supervisors. As a young boy, I had developed an interest in medicine from having an uncle who was a physician. Animals had always been a part of my life. Growing up, I had owned a horse as well as several household pets and had experience with livestock. Keeping with the natural combination of my love of animals and medicine, veterinary medicine seemed like a logical choice. I could do what I enjoyed and perform the job as I thought it should be done. When I was President of the WSVMA in 1955, we were a closely-knit group who all volunteered our work. There was no paid secretary and Dr. John Ellis distributed the newsletters. Dr. Bernard Pinckney was secretary. The public relations committee gained statewide recognition when they were instrumental in securing a raise in pay for meat inspectors. Dr. Harris and Dr. Jones worked in developing an organizational survey, which showed there were 327 members and $5,824.41 in the treasury. Our meetings were usually opened with Dr. Stapp spontaneously leading the group in “The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.” In all, I served on the WSVMA board for 23 years. Many wives worked with their husbands and enjoyed an active auxiliary. Since some of the veterinarians had not joined the association, I made as many personal contacts as possible to explain the benefits to be derived from all veterinarians participating. Our public relations program encouraged local groups to sponsor a booth at local fairs as an excellent way of acquainting the public with veterinary medicine. I have never regretted the choice I made to be a veterinarian, and the opportunity it provided to mix with people as well as care for animals. |
