SCCO President Kevin L. Alexander, O.D., Ph.D., with, Janell Shearer Bassett, the daughter of the late Professor Emeritus James R. Gregg, O.D., D.O.S., D.O.L., '48. The Gregg Family recently donated his collection of optometric books and journals to the College's M.B. Ketchum Memorial Library.

The family of Professor Emeritus James R. Gregg, O.D., D.O.S., D.O.L., '48, has donated his collection of optometric books and journals to the Southern California College of Optometry's (SCCO's), M.B. Ketchum Memorial Library. The donation includes copies of the 15 books he authored that focused primarily on the profession of optometry. Dr. Gregg died at the age of 94 in September 2009.

"The College is most grateful to the Gregg Family for its thoughtful donation," said SCCO President Kevin L. Alexander, O.D., Ph.D. "We're honored to be entrusted as the caretakers of Dr. Gregg's treasured collection.

"Dr. Gregg was a powerful figure in the history of SCCO as well as the profession of optometry," noted Dr. Alexander. "A prolific writer, Dr. Gregg's columns, articles, monographs, textbooks and presentations covered a wide range of optometric subjects, and appeared in virtually every professional publication. His book, Origin and Development of the Southern California College of Optometry, 1904–1984, continues to serve as the primary reference for the history of our great institution."

Dr. Gregg authored three popular history books for the profession. They are: The Story of Optometry, American Optometric Association: A History, and History of the American Academy of Optometry, 1922–1986. His writings appeared in 200 different magazines or journals totaling over 500 articles. In addition to the 15 books he authored, he also wrote over 900 newspaper columns that appeared in more than 150 newspapers, and about 100 brochures on vision.

He also was successful as an outdoor writer. He published hundreds of articles on fishing, conservation, camping, and travel including cover stories for "Field and Stream" magazine. He was a regular contributor to "Family Camping" magazine and his articles spanned the geography of all 50 states. He combined his technical writing on Optometry and his love of outdoors and became a leading writer on vision for the sportsman and wrote the book, "The Sportsman's Eye."

Dr. Gregg earned two baccalaureate degrees from the Ohio State University – B.S., Business Administration, 1937, and B.S. in Optometry, 1942. He earned the O.D., degree in 1948 from SCCO, then known as the Los Angeles College of Optometry. He served on SCCO's faculty, 1947–84 and was named Professor Emeritus in 1984. He was Interim Dean of Academic Affairs, 1975–76 and Grants Administrator, 1976–84.

He received numerous awards and accolades over his long career. The California Optometric Association named him Optometrist of the Year in 1956 and he served that organization as President in 1958. The College bestowed two honorary degrees upon him, Doctor of Ocular Science, 1956 and Doctor of Letters, 1965. In 1982, the American Optometric Association presented him with its Distinguished Service Award and in 1989 SCCO's Alumni Association named him Distinguished Alumnus. In 2004, he was named one of the College's Centennial Honorees. He was inducted, posthumously, into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in June 2010.

Established in 1904, SCCO is a private, non-profit, educational institution dedicated to educating today's minds to provide tomorrow's eye, vision and health care. SCCO grants a four-year, professional degree, Doctor of Optometry (OD) and a Master of Science in Vision Science (MS). The College's superior clinical education program provides patient care experiences in community optometric clinics; exposure to the delivery of optometric care in multi-disciplinary settings; and experiences in practices serving a wide variety of ethnic and socio-economic patient groups.

Photo Gallery:

Looking over the donation of books and journals from the personal collection of the late Professor Emeritus James R. Gregg, O.D., D.O.S., D.O.L., '48 are (l-r): VP of Advancement and Marketing Paul A. Stover, M.Ed.; Janell Shearer Bassett, the daughter of Dr. Gregg; President Kevin L. Alexander, O.D., Ph.D.; and Director of Library Services D.J. Matthews, M.L.I.S.