History
The organization has its roots in Davos, Switzerland, where Dr. George Goudy attended the first veterinary ASIF course in December 1970:
“The VOS really had its inception [on] the ski slopes of the Alps. The Parsenn run at Davos to be exact. The occasion was the first veterinary AO (ASIF) course. We had a chartered plane from New York which, with our spouses, we filled. When we arrived in Davos most of the American contingent were billeted in two nearby hotels and we soon became a compatible group. This compatibility was later to pave the way for the formation of the VOS. On our last day I had been skiing with the late, great Jacques Jenny. As we were riding up the very slow lift I asked Jacques if there were an American equivalent to the European Veterinary [Orthopedic] Organization. Jacques answered no and then turned to me with the facial expression he achieved when he had found a solution to any problem. With that smile he said, ‘That is what you should do, George.’ I demurred as I felt that there were many more qualified people who were leaders in the field. Jacques continued his urging and I was relieved when we reached the top of the lift. That was our final run of our final day of that conference and I promptly put Jacques suggestion out of my mind.”
Dr. George Goudy, letter to Dr. Ernest Boone. May 11th, 1989.
After hearing of the passing of Dr. Jenny, he remembered those words: “That is what you should do, George.” So Dr. Goudy started to make phone calls, mainly to those that had been at the Davos meeting, to see if there was interest in a similar meeting in the US.
The purpose of VOS as Dr. Goudy and Dr. Jenny envisioned it was to combine the findings of the Academicians and the work of the practitioner.
It took some time to get everything organized and the first annual meeting was held at the Wildwood Hotel in Snowmass, CO in February of 1974. It was attended by 33 people, many of whom had also been part of the 1970 ASIF seminar. It was decided that since the inception of VOS was associated with the snow, this common interest with orthopedics and snow should continue. The following year attendance quadrupled, and 135 people arrived at Snowmass for VOS.
The 1980 annual meeting was a warm weather meeting aboard a cruise in the Caribbean to please the non-skiers. This warm weather meeting was proposed to happen every third year, having two ski meetings and one warm weather meeting. They were discontinued due to low attendance after just the second warm weather meeting.
VOS Past Presidents
2024: Randy Basinger
2023: Wanda Gordon-Evans
2022: Jose Garcia-Lopez
2021: Ross Palmer
2020: Janet Van Dyke
2019: Jeff Godwin
2018: Alan Cross
2017: Rich Evans
2016: Steve Petersen
2015: Kenneth Bruecker
2014: Mike Kowaleski
2013: Trevor Bebchuk
2012: Russ Tucker
2011: Mike Conzemius
2010: Nicole Ehrhart
2009: Jimi Cook*
2008: Charles DeCamp
2007: Lucy Shields Henney
2006: Wayne McIlwraith
2005: Steven Fox
2004: Steven A. Martinez
2003: Daniel D. Lewis
2002: Curtis W. Probst
2001: Brian S. Beale*
2000: Robert D. Welch*
1999: Richard E. Lau
1998: Gail K. Smith
1997: Dennis C. Law
1996: Randy J. Boudrieau (deceased)
1995: Robert K. Schneider*
1994: Robert L. Goring
1993: Alan J. Nixon (deceased)
1992: Ernest G. Boone
1991: Gretchen L. Flo
1990: Jim Wright
1989: Joerg A. Auer
1988: Erick L. Egger
1987: Mark S. Bloomberg (deceased)
1986: Herman Deitrich (deceased)
1985: Wayne Boam (deceased)
1984: Arnold S. Lesser
1983: Guy B. Tarvin
1982: Terry D. Braden*
1981: Kenneth R. Sinibaldi
1980: Donald L. Piermattei (deceased)
1979: William D. Hoefle*
1978: R. Tass Dueland (deceased)
1977: George Goudy (deceased)
1976: Wade O. Brinker (deceased)
1975: Wade O. Brinker (deceased)
1974: Formation Year
* No longer an active member
