Alumni:

2011 – Bill Simons, O.D., ‘82

O.D., Southern California College of Optometry
Private Practice, Helena, MT
Past President and Member, Montana Optometric Association (MOA); Past President and Member, Great Western Council of Optometry; twice MOA Optometrist of the Year and recipient of the MOA Special Achievement Award; service on American Optometric Association (AOA) Practice Management Committee and Statutory Scope Committee; MOA AOA-PAC Representative; co-founder and managing partner of Summit Optical, a co-op optical laboratory; founding member and past president of Helena Education Foundation.

2010 – Philip B. Smith, O.D., ‘68

O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry
Private Practice, San Diego, CA
Past President, Board Member (8 years) and Member, California Optometric Association (COA); President of San Diego Optometric Society, Chair, LSCOA PAC; San Diego Lions Optometry Clinic co-founder; pre-Optometry Student Mentor; Keyperson for local, state and national legislators; co-founder of San Diego Family Therapy Foundation.

2009 – Wiley Curtis, O.D., '82

O.D., Southern California College of Optometry
Private Practice, Arlington, TX
Past President and Member, Texas Optometric Association (TOA); Optometrist of the Year, TOA; Young Optometrist of the Year, TOA; President's Award Recipient, TOA; National Keyperson of the Year, American Optometric Association

2008 – Gene D. Calkins, O.D., ‘68

O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry (Southern California College of Optometry)
Past President and Member, South Bay Optometric Society; Member, California Optometric Association; Member, American Optometric Association; Past Chairman and Member, Vision West Board of Directors; Fellow, American Academy of Optometry; Former Member, California State Board of Optometry.

2007 – Donald E. Jarnagin, O.D., ’70

O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry (Southern California College of Optometry) Trustee, 1998-2007; President, Arizona Optometric Association; Optometrist of the Year, Arizona Optometric Association; President, American Optometric Association; Fully Endowed, Dr. Donald E. Jarnagin Endowed Scholarship; Fully Endowed, Woody and Dorotha Jarnagin Endowed Scholarship; Benefactor, Jarnagin Primary Eye Care Center

2006 – David T. Wakabayashi, O.D., '70

O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry (Southern California College of Optometry)
Assistant Professor, Southern California College of Optometry; Director, Alumni Association, Southern California College of Optometry; Life Member, Alumni Association, Southern California College of Optometry; Past President, Asian American Optometric Society; Past President, Member, Orange County Optometric Society; Charter Member, American Optometric Association Contact Lens Society; Member, Association of Contact Lens Educators; Fellow, American Academy of Optometry (F.A.A.O.); Delegate, California Optometric Association; Private Practice in Irvine, California

2005 - Mark M. Morris, O.D., '63*

O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry (Southern California College of Optometry)
Member, San Francisco Optometric Society; Member, California Optometric Association; Member, American Optometric Association; Member, Bay Area Optometric Council; President, Alumni Association of the Southern California College of Optometry;  Chairman. Council of Regents of the Southern California College of Optometry

2004 - Wayne W. Hoeft, O.D., '59

O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry (Southern California College of Optometry) Life Member, Kiwanis International; PTA, Youth Service Award; First Recipient, State of California Governors Award "Health Professional of the Year"; Distinguished Governor Award, Kiwanis International; Excellence in Low Vision Award, Retinitis Pigmentosa International; Professor Emeritus, Southern California College of Optometry; President, Los Angeles Optometric Society; Member, California Optometric Association; Member, American Optometric Association; Fellow, American Academy of Optometry

2003 - James Cox, O.D., '67

O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry (Southern California College of Optometry)President, California Optometric Association; President, Rio Hondo Optometric Society; President, Freeland Chamber of Commerce; President, Lions Club; Fellow, American Academy of Optometry; Fellow, College of Optometrists in Vision Development; Fellow, European Society of Optometry

2002 - Duane deCroupet, O.D. '70

Optometrist in Private Practice
A.A., Menlo College
B.S., University of Southern California
O.D., Los Angeles College of Optometry (Southern California College of Optometry)
Member, San Fernando Valley Optometric Society; Member, California Optometric Association; Member, American Optometric Association; Diplomat, National Board of Examiners in Optometry; Fellow, American Academy of Optometry; Chairman, City-County Affairs, Glendale Chamber of Commerce; Chairman, Glendale City Planning Commissioner; President, Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council.
Board Term: 1996 - present

2001- Tony Carnevali, O.D. '75

A 1975 graduate of SCCO, Dr. Carnevali has served with distinction throughout his career in both private practice and academe. In 1995, following nearly 20 years in private practice in Glendale, CA, he joined the faculty at SCCO as an assistant professor and the Director, Optometric Center of Los Angeles. He has also been an active participant in the San Fernando Valley Optometric Society, the California Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. He served as president of the State Association in 1991-92. He was honored as 2001 Optometrist of the Year by the state association.

2000- Rodger T. Kame, O.D., '62*

A 1962 graduate of SCCO, the Los Angeles, optometrist earned worldwide recognition as an expert in the field of cornea and contact lens research having lectured and published extensively on the subject. He was a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and served as chairman of its Contact Lens Section. Dr. Kame was also a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), and a Diplomate of its Cornea and Contact Lens Section. He also served as an adjunct associate professor at SCCO, where he shared his cornea and contact lens expertise with students in the classroom, and with alumni and other practitioners via continuing education courses.

1999- Hershel B. Welton, O.D., '62

A 1962 graduate, the Anaheim, optometrist has enthusiastically served the profession, his community, and his alma mater in a variety of roles. He is a member of the AOA, COA; former director, Orange County Optometric Society; member, SCCO Board of Trustees, 1969-78; SCCO Trustee Emeritus; Board of Directors, SCCO Alumni Association, 1989-97; Life Member, SCCO Alumni Association; 1999 co-chair, Class of 1964 Reunion; donor, SCCO Annual Fund; and member, SCCO Council of Regents. He also has the distinction of being a member of the two SCCO Presidential Search Committees that brought Richard L. Hopping, O.D., D.O.S., and Lesley L. Walls, O.D., M.D., to the College.

1998- Robert L. Gordon, O.D., '71

A 1971 graduate, Dr. Gordon began his optometric career as a staff optometrist at the U.S. Army Health Clinic, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Following service to his country, he established a private optometric practice in Encino, California. Dr. Gordon is primarily involved in the evaluation and treatment of the visually impaired and investigations into specialized designs of contact lenses and specialized visual enhancement systems for the visually impaired. He is a past president, California Optometric Association (COA), 1989-90; and a member, COA Board of Trustees, 1986-90. He currently holds the rank of Associate Professor at the Optometric Center of Los Angeles.

1997- Akio Kanai, O.D., '72

A 1972 graduate, Dr. Kanai's accomplishments in service to the profession are wide ranging and extensive - from annual vision screenings in the Indo-Chinese refugee camps in Thailand to the chairmanship of the All Japan Optometric and Optical Association. Dr. Kanai is a member of the All Japan Optometric and Optical Association, Nihon Gan Kogaku Gakkai and Zen Nihon Gankyo Renmei. Dr. Kanai was instrumental in establishing an endowed student loan fund that annually provides low-interest assistance to financially needy fourth year students thereby, enabling them to complete their educational goals.

1996- Warren Harvard Low, O.D., '52

A 1952 graduate, Dr. Low has been a member of the SCCO's Board of Trustees for more than 25 years. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for three years, and has been active on nearly every one of its committees. Dr. Low is also a generous financial contributor to his alma mater. He is a SCCO Founder, and SCCO Visionary. He is also active in state and national optometric organizations. He's served for many years as a Key Person for the California Optometric Association, and has chaired its annual tennis tournament since 1986.

1994- Richard H. Kendall, O.D., '51

A 1951 graduate, Dr. Kendall is the twelfth recipient of the Alumni of the Year Award. Dr. Kendall has served on the American Optometric Association on the Third Party Advisory Committee and the Project Team on Certification. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer for the California Optometric Association. With over 30 years of community involvement and participation in scouting, Dr. Kendall has served as the Vice President Western Region, Boy Scouts of America; and former Council Commissioner and President, Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America.

1993- Lynn Caffrey Gabriel, O.D., '78

Pasadena Optometrist Lynn Caffrey Gabriel, ’78 is the eleventh recipient of the Alumni of the Year Award. Dr. Gabriel has well served SCCO and the profession of optometry on the local, state, and national levels. She has been President of the San Gabriel Valley Optometric Society three different times and she became a Trustee of the California Optometric Association in 1988. After successfully working her way through the Executive Committee, she was elected President of the California Optometric Association, becoming its first woman president.

1992- Robert L. Severtson, O.D., '51

San Gabriel Optometrist Robert L. Stevertson, has maintained a private practice since 1951, first in Alhambra, CA then in San Gabriel. In addition to this, he served for 28 years on SCCO’s Board of Trustees, nine on the executive committee. For his devotion to SCCO, he was named trustee emeritus in 1984, upon his retirement from the board. He also gives his time and talent to community organizations. He has been on the board of Trustees of the La Casa Community Center in San Gabriel, the Alhambra Rotary Club, the Alhambra Chapter of the Red Cross, the United Way and Alhambra Youth Employment.
 

1991- L. Earl James, O.D., '48*

Orem, UT resident and Optometrist L. Earl James was named Alumni of the Year in 1991. Demonstrating his loyalty to SCCO, Dr. James served on the Board of Trustees for 29 consecutive years, while maintaining his private practice. He was Chairman of the Board from 1972-75, during which time SCCO relocated from downtown Los Angeles to the Fullerton, CA campus. “I enjoy retired life a great deal. I’m getting use to the four seasons with rain, snow and the hot weather. I can still drive my car, and see my mother and two sons in Utah, and my two daughters in San Diego and two adopted Indian children in Phoenix, AZ.”