Treasurer's report of the Iowa State University Veterinary Medical Alumni Association (ISUVMAA), 1990.

This is the first in a two-part series of articles dealing with orthopedic infections, and will examine osteomyelitis as a clinical condition ·from its initial development through to its clinical resolution. Osteomyelitis is a term describing an inflammatory condition which involves the periosteum, cortex, and/or medullary cavity. While fungal, viral and parasitic invasion of bone are known, it is bacterial contamination and overgrowth that most commonly results in osteomyelitis. Regardless of the particular pathogen involved, bone typically becomes infected by one of two primary routes: hematogenous or exogenous.

I remember in undergraduate being strongly discouraged 'from entering the profession of veterinary medicine. I was told repeatedly that there were too many veterinarians and livestock numbers were declining so veterinarians would not be needed in a few years. I cannot count the number of times I was told, "there is no future in veterinary medicine, there is no money in it." My response was "I'm not doing it for the money, I'm doing it because it is what I WANT to do." I have always enjoyed caring for animals and since third grade I have set my goals in that direction. Besides, like everything in life, I knew the high number of veterinarians was just a trend. Likewise, I knew trends always cycle and the situation would change. I was not sure when this would come about. It might not be right away, but someday I knew I would see the opposite of what they were telling me. So I went ahead with my plans and with what I knew would make me happy.

Adam Murray McVickar Thornton, a sophomore veterinary medicine student at Iowa State University, died of cancer Thursday, March 21, 1991 at 4:55 a.m. Adam was born in West Chatham, Massachusetts on April 27, 1958. Adam spent most of the last fourteen years in Iowa. Adam left Massachusetts in 1977 to attend Grinnell College, where he graduated with a degree in urban planning in 1981. He met his wife, LuAnne, at Grinnell, and they were married in 1984.

Photos of the graduating class of 1991 of the College of Veterinary Medicine.