Grunigen, Forest, 1905-1999

Forest Grunigen served as president of the California Osteopathic Association (COA) in 1943 and played a leading role in establishing the medical school at UC Irvine.

COA was established in 1900 as an affiliate of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and, along with the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (COPS), was a figurehead of the osteopathic tradition in California. In the mid-1940s, the COA, led by Forest Grunigen and the COA's Fact Finding Committee, began talks to merge with the California Medical Association (CMA), led by Wayne Pollack and CMA's Committee on Other Professions. The terms of the merger included granting Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.) M.D. degrees, elimination of the osteopathic licensing boards, and conversion of the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons into a medical school. In 1960, the AOA revoked COA's charter when it defied AOA's request to cease merger talks. This action left California without a licensing board. A splinter group of osteopaths who opposed exchanging their D.O.s for M.D.s, formed in 1960, naming themselves the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC). In 1961, an agreement between the CMA and COA was reached. The OPSC filed suit alleging that the merger was a conspiracy to destroy the osteopathic profession in California. Two more suits followed, later in 1961 and in 1962, but in all cases, the court found in favor of the defendants. In the midst of all these events, Dain Tasker, historian of the COA, was working on his history of the profession in California. Tasker had long been involved in osteopathic professional activities in California, having been the president of the first board of osteopathic examiners in 1901. This gave him a unique perspective into the topic. The manuscript was never published but there are extant copies, one of which is included in this collection; another is included in AS-027 (California College of Medicine records). COPS, now renamed the California College of Medicine (CCM), became part of the University of California system in 1963. Forest Grunigen, who was so instrumental in the COA/CMA merger, and Warren Bostick, the new dean of CCM, recognized that CCM would be better served if it were associated with on of the UC campuses. On April 5, 1967, CCM officially became a part of the University of California, Irvine.

From the description of Forest Grunigen files on the California Osteopathic Association, 1901-1990 (bulk 1941-1963) (University of California, Irvine). WorldCat record id: 190792919

Historical Background

Forest Grunigen served as president of the California Osteopathic Association (COA) in 1943 and played a leading role in establishing the medical school at UC Irvine. COA was established in 1900 as an affiliate of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and, along with the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (COPS), was a figurehead of the osteopathic tradition in California.

Osteopathy, from the Greek osteon (bone) and pathos (to suffer), was coined by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still who, in the late 1800s, sought a more holistic approach to curing disease than the traditional medicine that he and his fellow medical doctors were practicing. He believed that disease interrupted the flow of blood and nervous impulses but, through manipulation of the bones, one can restore that flow and, thus, restore health to the patient.

This non-traditional approach to curing illness was suspect to many in the medical community. Osteopathy struggled to gain credibility. In 1922 California passed State Measure 22, the Osteopathic Initiative Act. It established a board that had jurisdiction over examination and licensure of Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.) and legally recognized it as a distinct medical profession.

In the mid-1940s, the COA, led by Forest Grunigen and the COA's Fact Finding Committee, began talks to merge with the California Medical Association (CMA), led by Wayne Pollack and CMA's Committee on Other Professions. The terms of the merger included granting D.O.s M.D. degrees, elimination of the osteopathic licensing boards, and conversion of the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons into a medical school.

In 1960, the AOA revoked COA's charter when it defied AOA's request to cease merger talks. This action left California without a licensing board. A splinter group of osteopaths who opposed exchanging their D.O.s for M.D.s, formed in 1960, naming themselves the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC). In 1961, an agreement between the CMA and COA was reached. The OPSC filed suit alleging that the merger was a conspiracy to destroy the osteopathic profession in California. Two more suits followed, later in 1961 and in 1962, but in all cases, the court found in favor of the defendants.

In the midst of all these events, Dain Tasker, historian of the COA, was working on his history of the profession in California. Tasker had long been involved in osteopathic professional activities in California, having been the president of the first board of osteopathic examiners in 1901. This gave him a unique perspective into the topic. The manuscript was never published but there are extant copies, one of which is included in this collection, another of which is included in AS-027 (California College of Medicine records).

COPS, now renamed the California College of Medicine (CCM), became part of the University of California system in 1963. Forest Grunigen, who was so instrumental in the COA/CMA merger, and Warren Bostick, the new dean of CCM, recognized that CCM would be better served if it were associated with on of the UC campuses. On April 5, 1967, CCM officially became a part of the University of California, Irvine.

• 1900: California Osteopathic Association established
• 1940: Negotiations between California Osteopathic Association (COA) and California Medical Association (CMA) begin
• 1943: Forest Grunigen elected president of the COA
• 1943: Grunigen appoints Fact Finding Committee to lead merger talks with CMA
• 1952: Cline Committee report completed
• 1960: Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC) is formed in opposition to the merger
• 1961: COA/CMA merger is successful
• 1963: California College of Medicine joins the UC system
• 1968: CCM relocated to UC Irvine campus
• 1999: Forest Grunigen dies

From the guide to the Forest Grunigen files on the California Osteopathic Association, 1901-1990, bulk 1941-1963, (University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.)