BJ Palmer, Son of the Founder of Modern Chiropractic
Bartlett Joshua Palmer, known to the world as BJ Palmer, was born to Daniel David Palmer and Louvenia Landers McGee Palmer on September 10, 1881, in What Cheer, Iowa. When D.D. Palmer developed his theory that a partial dislocation of the vertebrae could alter nerve flow and contribute to many diseases, he was initially reluctant to share it with others, including his son.
He eventually chose to teach the work by opening a school alongside his magnetic healing infirmary in Davenport, Iowa. That decision pulled BJ into the center of a young profession and set the stage for its growth.
(More information about D.D. Palmer, Father of Chiropractic)
BJ Palmer, a Dedicated Student
BJ was one of his father’s first students. He took the work seriously and handled responsibilities around the infirmary, often the first to arrive and the last to leave. In 1904 he was among the first graduates of the Palmer Infirmary and Chiropractic Institute.
Early Legal Battles for the Right to Practice
In the early years, opponents tried to stop chiropractic by charging chiropractors under medical statutes. They called it “practicing medicine without a license,” even though chiropractic was a distinct, drugless approach. Many early chiropractors faced arrests and courtrooms because they refused to abandon patients who were getting results. That commitment built the legal and cultural foundation for the profession.
D.D. Palmer was convicted in 1906. BJ avoided jail, kept teaching, and helped organize the profession’s defense. Those struggles were not blemishes. They were proof of resolve. Decades later, a federal antitrust case confirmed there had been organized efforts to “contain and eliminate” chiropractic, which puts those early arrests in clear historical context. The takeaway is simple: chiropractors fought for the right to provide the care people asked for, and patients won.
Owning the Palmer School of Chiropractic
During that turbulent period the school was transferred to BJ through arbitration. He had already been serving as president since 1904. The settlement was recorded at $2,196.79 and included books and osteological specimens. The institution became the Palmer School of Chiropractic (PSC). Today, Palmer College remains one of the most recognized chiropractic colleges in the United States.
Many Chiropractic Colleges Open
Under BJ’s leadership, PSC expanded to over a thousand students in the 1920s. Three major campus buildings rose in Davenport: the Administration Building, the D.D. Palmer Memorial, and the B.J. Palmer Hall. Within about fifteen years, more than thirty additional chiropractic schools opened. John Howard’s National School of Chiropractic moved to Chicago and is now the National University of Health Sciences. As new schools developed their own identities, Palmer continued to refine his father’s concept of innate intelligence and trained a growing network of practitioners.
Palmer Advances Chiropractic Through Research
BJ advanced methods of spinal analysis and adjusting through careful study. He introduced X-ray imaging into the curriculum, which he called spinography, and placed equipment directly in classrooms and clinics so students learned from real cases. He authored more than 70 books, along with pamphlets, lectures, and research pieces. He also embraced new communication tools, operating radio stations in Davenport and Des Moines to share health programming with the public. The visibility helped raise standards and spread awareness of chiropractic around the world.
Legacy Passed to Dave Palmer, the Educator of Chiropractic
BJ Palmer died in 1961. Leadership of the school passed to his son, Dr. David Daniel “Dave” Palmer, who studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School to prepare for the role. With his grandfather known as the Father of Chiropractic and his father remembered as the Developer of Chiropractic, Dave became known as the Educator of Chiropractic for modernizing operations and academic programs. He renamed the institution Palmer College of Chiropractic, a name it carries as a lasting part of the profession’s history.
