Gregg family donates optometric book collection to SCCO
December 21, 2010The family of former Professor Emeritus James R. Gregg, O.D., donated his collection of optometric books and journals to the Southern California College of Optometry’s (SCCO’s), M.B. Ketchum Memorial Library.
The donation includes copies of the 15 books he authored that focused primarily on the profession of optometry. Dr. Gregg died at the age of 94 in September 2009.
“The college is most grateful to the Gregg Family for its thoughtful donation,” said SCCO President Kevin L. Alexander, O.D., Ph.D. “We’re honored to be entrusted as the caretakers of Dr. Gregg’s treasured collection.”
“Dr. Gregg was a powerful figure in the history of SCCO as well as the profession of optometry,” noted Dr. Alexander. “A prolific writer, Dr. Gregg’s columns, articles, monographs, textbooks and presentations covered a wide range of optometric subjects, and appeared in virtually every professional publication. His book ‘Origin and Development of the Southern California College of Optometry, 1904–1984,’ continues to serve as the primary reference for the history of our great institution.”
Dr. Gregg authored three popular history books for the profession: “The Story of Optometry, American Optometric Association: A History” and “History of the American Academy of Optometry, 1922–1986.” His writings appeared in 200 different magazines or journals totaling more than 500 articles. In addition to the 15 books he authored, he also wrote more than 900 newspaper columns that appeared in more than 150 newspapers, and about 100 brochures on vision.
He also was successful as an outdoor writer. He published hundreds of articles on fishing, conservation, camping, and travel including cover stories for Field and Stream magazine. He combined his technical writing on optometry and his love of outdoors and became a leading writer on vision for the sportsman and wrote the book “The Sportsman’s Eye.”
Dr. Gregg served on SCCO’s faculty from 1947–84 and was named Professor Emeritus in 1984. He was interim dean of Academic Affairs from 1975–76 and grants administrator from 1976–84.
He received numerous awards and accolades over his long career. The California Optometric Association named him Optometrist of the Year in 1956, and he served that organization as president in 1958. In 1982, the AOA presented him with its Distinguished Service Award, and in 1989 SCCO’s Alumni Association named him Distinguished Alumnus.
He was inducted, posthumously, into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in June 2010.
