Who’s Who in Sports Medicine History

Casey Christy, MA, ATC, CSCS

Henry Gray

Authored Gray’s Anatomy Text

He published the first edition at the age of 31 in 1858

Still widely regarded as most comprehensive Anatomy text

Died of smallpox at the young age of 34

Lived most of his life in London

Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin

Pioneering French surgeon (and gynecologist!)

The Lisfranc joint and Lisfranc injury are named after him.

First described the Lisfranc Injury in 1815 after the War of the Sixth Coalition.

Lived from 1790-1847

James Robinson

Recognized as first athletic trainer in United States

Had veterinary background – born in England

First worked at Harvard in 1881, later Princeton & Yale

Known to rush onto field with water bucket & sponge to “freshen up” tired player

1885-86 Princeton annual salary was $750, half paid by alumni

Samuel Bilik

Wrote first “Athletic Training” book in 1917, sold for $.75

Book later titled the “Trainers Bible”

Russia-born, worked as Assistant Athletic Trainer, University of Illinois

Later became a doctor

Help form & fund the EATA

Cramer Brothers

Chuck and Frank Cramer founded Cramer Products in 1918

Began selling homemade “athletic liniment” made in mom’s kitchen to coaches

Supported first NATA meeting in 1950

John Lachman

Graduated from Temple University and Temple School of Medicine

Discovered ACL integrity was more easily determined with the knee closer to extension than in the position used in the classic anterior drawer test

Stanley Hoppenfeld

A pioneer in the field of spine surgery

Founding Director of Scoliosis Associates in New York.

Authored the classic text Physical Examination of the Spine and the Extremities

Daniel Arnheim

Authored classic text Principles of Athletic Training used by probably anyone who is in the field of athletic training

Gabe Mirkin

First to coin the phrase “RICE,” rest, ice, compression, elevation for the acute care of athletic injuries in The Sports Medicine Book written in 1978.

Harvard University Graduate

Board-certified in 4 specialties: sportsmedicine, allergy and immunology, pediatrics and pediatric immunology

Joe Torg

Graduated from Temple University School of Medicine

Ground-breaking research on cervical spine axial loading during head down tackle lead to football rule change in 1976 outlawing spearing

His research lead to a significant decrease in football related catastrophic cervical spine injuries

“Pinky” Newell

“The Father of Modern Athletic Training”

Founding member of NATA

Served as NATA executive secretary from 1955-1968

Served as athletic trainer at Purdue University

EATA has annual “Pinky Newell Address”

1920-1984

Gail Weldon

First female inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame (posthumously 1995)

First female athletic trainer hired by US Olympic committee

First female chief athletic trainer for US Olympic Team 1980

2nd woman to join NATA; one of first 10 women ever certified

1951-1991

Bobby Gunn

First elected president in NATA history 1970

Head athletic trainer at Lamar University before working with the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers

Marsha Grant-Ford

First certified female African-American

Rowan Athletic Training Program Director 1996-2001

Instrumental in Rowan’s CAAHEP accreditation 2001

Widely published in publications such as Athletic Therapy Today, Journal of Athletic Training and the American Journal of Sportsmedicine

Otho Davis

Served as NATA executive director from 1971 to 1989

Served as Philadelphia Eagles athletic trainer from 1973-1995

Named to All Madden Team as athletic trainer in 1999

First athletic trainer to be nominated to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009

NATA headquarters named in his honor

1934-2000

Richard Malacrea

A founding member of the ATSNJ 1975

Spent 20 years as head athletic trainer at Princeton University

Appointed by the governor to the chair the Legislative Committee of Advisors to the Board of Medical Examiners

Instrumental in ATSNJ, scholarship named in his honor

Inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame 1992

Eve Becker-Doyle

First female NATA executive director 1992

Wrote Leadership Isn’t Rocket Science: 6 Ways To Boost Your Leadership IQ

Other Female Firsts

Dorothy “Dot” Cohen, a graduate student, become the first woman to join the NATA in 1966

Sherry Bagagian is the first woman to sit for the NATA certification exam in 1972

Janice Daniels is the first woman elected to the NATA Board in 1984

Julie Max is the first woman elected as NATA president in 2000

Julie Max

Sue Falsone

First female head athletic trainer in Major League Baseball (LA Dodgers 2012)

First female head athletic trainer in any of the four major professional sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey)

She received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Daemen College In Amherst, NY, and her Master’s from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She also is a certified athletic trainer and a certified strength and conditioning specialist.