A life-size animatronic mannequin of Dr. D.D. Palmer finds its rightful place in the replication of his Davenport, Iowa office in Life West’s Chiropractic History Museum.
“We got the animatronic D.D. Palmer because we wanted to highlight the founder of the chiropractic profession,” Life West professor and Chiropractic Museum curator, Dr. George Casey said.
The D.D. Palmer mannequin was a gift from the President’s Circle. The mannequin is able to imitate muscle movements, create realistic motions in its limbs, and to speak. The Chiropractic History Museum aims to use D.D. as a teaching method for students to engage with the history of chiropractic.
“What we hope to do is to create snippets of content that D.D. will share — such as the discovery of the first chiropractic adjustment, the education of chiropractic, the dynamics the subluxation complex, and more,” Dr. Casey said.
Life West President, Dr. Ron Oberstein, is ecstatic to have the D.D. Palmer mannequin on campus. In the President Circle e-newsletter, Dr. Oberstein expressed his gratitude to its members, stating “it makes the student experience at Life West so valuable, being able to sit in a room with D.D. Palmer and having him teach you the history of chiropractic.”
During the first week of the 2018 winter quarter, the Life West tribe was able to “meet” Dr. Palmer during the weekly Friday Seminar.
Dr. Oberstein had an entertaining back and forth conversation with D.D. (voiced by Life West mentor doctor, Dr. Brian Flannery), on stage. Following their talk, students in the audience had an opportunity to ask D.D. some questions as well.
This may only be the beginning of the Palmer family coming to life in the Chiropractic History Museum. Plans of an animatronic B.J. Palmer and Mabel Palmer are currently under discussion.
Students, staff, faculty and Life West alums are invited to visit D.D. Palmer in the Chiropractic History Museum during visiting hours.
Email Dr. Casey at gcasey@lifewest.edu for more information about the Chiropractic History Museum.
