The George Arvidson Award 
for Meritorious Service to Chiropractic 
75th Annual Congress 
Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards 
April 7, 2001 
San Antonio, Texas 

Overview: This award is the Federation's highest individual honor. Named for FCLB Past President Dr. George Arvidson of Minnesota, it recognizes integrity, service, sacrifice, vision, and commitment in the arena of chiropractic licensure.

The George Arvidson Award for Meritorious Service to Chiropractic was created by the Federation in 1992 to honor the integrity and service of a man whose entire life stood proudly for chiropractic. George believed in the political process, and he believed in the obligation of each doctor to sacrifice to better the profession.

He balanced gentleness and human compassion with tough actions against those whose practiced outside law or regulation. He had a dream, a vision for the Federation, and no one could have been prouder than he was when we moved into a new era of professional service to licensure in the past ten years. This is the Federation's highest individual honor. 

The selection of the recipient is made thoughtfully and with joy as we  continue to keep alive the dreams of George Arvidson, the gentle man with the great heart, the radiant smile, and the deep love for chiropractic.

Each year, a right choice clearly emerges to uphold the honor represented by this prestigious award. This year is no exception. Our 1993 award began the tradition with Don Petersen. The quality of his support for licensure is undiminished.

The 1994 winner, Dr. Rex Wright of Kansas, combined both current and past service. He enriched our history with what he gave, and our present with his bold vision for tomorrow.

In 1995, the award went to the man to whom George had passed the torch of FCLB leadership - Dr. Brent Owens of Florida.

In 1996 the award went to co-winners, Drs Paul M. Tullio and Frank G. Hideg, Jr., for their combined regulatory service and their untiring efforts to secure a sound future for the our organization.

1997 focused on Canada's humble and relentlessly dedicated visionary, Dr.  Daniel Saint Germain.

In 1998, Dr. Peter D. Ferguson was honored, not just for what he has given regulation but also for the call he has answered - and what he has yet to contribute to national service.

1999 sent the award around the world to Australia, where Dr. Ed Devereaux has shaped the Australian regulatory story with his passionate commitment to public protection.

The dawning of the new millennium in 2000 placed our highest honor in the healing hands of a person who has served education and regulation, and who has fought tirelessly for legislation to benefit the patients, Dr. Ken Padgett.

The occasion of our Diamond Jubilee presents us with the opportunity to shine a light upon a man who has sacrificed much for chiropractic licensure and regulation. This year's winner credits his tireless energy to chiropractic. 

With a diverse background in professional management, his keen attention to detail has elevated both the expectations and the performance of the regulatory world. 

His wordsmithing is precise and thoughtful. He is both stubborn and visionary, a strange and unique combination of qualities that converge in one simple phrase: you can depend on him. His integrity and honesty are unparalleled. 

Faced with a potentially debilitating illness at a young age, it was a chiropractor who literally commanded him to rise up out of his bed and be healed. It was his subsequent return to health over the next year that  inspired his brothers to pursue their professional degrees as doctors of  chiropractic. 

A lifelong patient, he took a different route from his brothers -- for a while -- with an early career in journalism which was complemented by his artistic abilities as a photographer. 

He moved rapidly upward in progressively responsible administrative and executive management positions with Bendix Corporation, the Coopers and Lybrand accounting firm, and a major law firm in Houston.

Yet this profession had never quite lost its hold on him. In 1986 he yielded to the call of chiropractic and brought his administrative and management experience to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Over the past fifteen years he has doubled the size of the NBCE operation, expanding its testing services in Parts III and IV. Under his watchful eye, the National Board built its new facility, a remarkable and stunning testament to efficiency and artistic presentation.

In addition to an extended cadre of consultants, test committee volunteers, and test site administrators, he manages a professional staff of 35 people.

Under a dignified and proper exterior lies an easy sense of humor, a passionate commitment to truth, and something of a red-haired rascal.

His beautiful and gracious wife Sue and his three children are his anchor, his love of good music feeds his spirit. His dedication to quality in testing is his gift to us.

For his vision, his integrity, his self-sacrifice, and his exceptional commitment to public protection through excellence in examination, the 2001 George Arvidson Award is presented to a true gentleman, Horace C. Elliott.

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