Kenneth W. Padgett, D.C. was formally sworn in as the fourth president of New York Chiropractic College (NYCC) on Saturday, May 5, 1990.
The theme of Dr. Padgett's inaugural address was both stirring and inspiring. In a few brief moments, he honed in on what will become the focus of his goals as president. He spoke of the college's new theme, "Tradition in Transition," emphasizing his pledge to preserve the NYCC's great traditions, while encouraging innovative and creative thinking.
Dr. Padgett's speech also included his thoughts for the near future. He said that for NYCC, this will be a decade of tremendous development; for chiropractic, it will be one of reaching forward, breaking down barriers, and gaining full parity. For NYCC, it will mean striving for even better education, which is the foundation of progress in any profession; for chiropractic, it will mean working toward higher standards, which will enable the profession to compete successfully and take a front row seat in health care arenas.
Dr. Padgett went on to say that progress does not come easily. All of us know that the healing art of chiropractic has "arrived." We have fought our major battles and we have won. We have proudly, sometimes defiantly, demonstrated that chiropractic provides a unique service to humanity. People are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of natural health care.
The new president of NYCC also said that he sees DCs on staffs of hospitals throughout the United States and that the DC graduate should feel as comfortable and equipped to administer to a hospital bound patient as he or she would within the familiar confines of the office.
The essence of Dr. Padgett's speech was summed up in the following statement:
"These strides will not come easily, but they will come. At the center of these revolutionary changes will be chiropractic accredited educational institutions. Always, our hallmark, our vehicle for achievement, must be quality, superior education. It will be through our steadfastly embracing only the highest of standards in education that we can envision our ideals---and attain them. While this has been a New York Chiropractic College philosophy, we must consistently remind ourselves and rededicate ourselves. Only by doing that will we be able to prepare tomorrow's doctors to meet the future with confidence."
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