History of the Western Orthopaedic Association

The Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA) was the first U.S. regional Orthopaedic organization established in the United States and predates both the ABOS (1933) and the AAOS (1933). The written history of the now 103-year-old Association was first recorded in 1976 by then-President Thomas Taber, MD of Phoenix, Arizona. He later noted that he abstracted information from two previous WOA Presidents – Steele Stewart, MD of Honolulu (1934) and Merril Mensor, MD of San Francisco (1948). This was updated more recently by Dr. William McMaster (President in 2010).

Although Orthopaedic surgeons in Los Angeles and San Francisco were meeting as the Los Angeles Orthopedic Club as early as 1922 and had formed a joint meeting with San Francisco in 1923, the WOA was not officially incorporated until 1932.  Some of the early names in the Los Angeles Orthopedic Club included Charles Leroy Lowman (President in 1936), Ellis W. Jones Sr., Halbert Chancel, Alfred Gallant (President in 1947), Steele Stewart (President in 1934), John Dunlap (President in 1939) and John Wilson Sr. In San Francisco, the names included James Watkins (first President of the WOA in 1933), Walter Baldwin, Howard Markel (President in 1948), Leonard Ely, Arthur Fisher, Thomas Stoddard, Edward Bull, Jack Haas and James McChesney.

In reviewing the history of the WOA at the 1967 Annual Meeting, Dr. Steele Stewart noted that he and Howard Markel (1943) spoke of the possibility of a Western Orthopaedic Association while they were on the freighter SS Maui as it sailed toward San Francisco in the 1930’s.

The Western Orthopaedic Association became the first Orthopaedic society west of the Mississippi. It joined the American Orthopaedic Association (formed in 1888), the Clinical Orthopaedic Society (originally the Central States Orthopaedic Club, 1912) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (1933).

Initially proposed in 1929 as a merger of the Los Angeles and San Francisco Orthopaedic Clubs, the Constitutional Committee consisting of Drs. Howard Markel, Thomas Stoddard, Charles Lowman and Steele Stewart provided for three geographic sections for the new organization:

• Northern (British Columbia, Washington and Oregon),
• Central (Northern California, Nevada and Utah), and
• Southern (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Hawaii).

Early Annual Meetings were rotated between San Francisco and Los Angeles, with one in Yosemite in 1951. 

James Watkins of San Francisco became President at the first meeting held in San Francisco, in 1933. Seattle became the next chapter in 1937, and Roger Anderson was elected President. Chapters that followed over the next five decades included Arizona, Gulf Coast, Hawaii, Idaho, Los Padres, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern California, North Texas, Orange County, Oregon, Panhandle High Planes, Puget Sound, Rocky Mountain, Sacramento Valley, San Diego, Sequoia, South Texas, Spokane, Utah, Western Slope and Wyoming. Most of these chapters evolved into State Orthopaedic organizations over time, though some remain independently active to this day.

The Annual Meeting sites have continued to rotate between California, Hawaii and a venue in one of the other 14 member states to this day. The original meeting format of a strong Scientific Program combined with social functions has remained consistent through the years.

Highlights of the early presidential line are worth noting:

1933: Dr. Watkins, the first WOA President, was the City Health Officer in San Francisco from 1907 to 1910.  He had studied Orthopaedic surgery in various European centers, working with Drs. Hoffa, Lange and Lorenz. His wife, Eleanor Fairman Preston from Virginia, was herself a recent medical graduate.

1934: The second WOA President was Steele Stewart, MD, from Honolulu. He was the Chief Surgeon at Shriners Hospital until 1946 and was involved in a controversy over fee scheduling for doctors on the island of Oahu. Subsequently, the state of California heard about this endeavor and became the first state to utilize a Relative Value Scale for physician fees. Hawaii followed thereafter.

1936: The Fourth WOA President Charles Lowman, MD, founder of the Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles, was a recipient of the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At one time, he was the only Orthopaedist between San Francisco and New Orleans. He died at the Orthopaedic Hospital at the age of 97.

1944: The WOA was inactive from 1944 to 1946, due to World War II. In 1942, there were 89 Members. After Alfred E. Gallant was elected President in 1947, the WOA resumed meetings with its 12^th held at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. This was the first meeting where a commercial exhibit was presented (reportedly with great success). This success enhanced the treasury, and the organization achieved financial stability. 

1952: Vernon P. Thompson, MD. was elected WOA president in 1952, and his primary interest was in establishing a competitive award for presentations by Resident surgeons. The initial WOA Resident Orthopaedic Surgery award was initiated through his efforts.

Dr. Thompson received his Orthopaedic training at Stanford and the Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital. After earning his Orthopaedic degree he joined the Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Downey, California.

He organized a yearly Resident program for the Western Orthopaedic Association’s Annual Meeting, including the presentation of research papers. An award was given for the best presentation, still presented annually as the Vernon Thompson Award.

Dr. Thompson passed away in 1961.

1954: Guest speakers became part of the program in 1954.

1955: President Warren White, MD of Honolulu (Shriners Hospital) published a paper in JBJS in 1953 called “The Development of Orthopaedics in the Far West,” highlighting the WOA.

During Dr. White’s Presidency, the WOA was incorporated as a “not-for-profit organization” with the stated aim of supporting scientific, educational and charitable activities for the advancement of the art and science of Orthopaedic surgery.

1957: The Presidential gift of a Presidential Medallion was established. From 1980 until 2008, the medallion was incorporated into a Presidential Plaque. The tradition of presenting Presidential Medallions was reestablished during the presidency of Dr. Ramon Jimenez in 2008.

In 1948, there were 198 members, and by 1958 there were 698. The chapters and the membership steadily increased, and by 1960 there were 16 chapters in all 14 western states. 

1960: JBJS became the official journal of the WOA, and for some years after the meeting abstracts were incorporated into the Journal.

1971: Junior members (under the age of 42) were welcomed to the WOA Board.

1977: Lloyd Taylor was President of the WOA in 1977. After he passed away, an award in his honor was established by Richard Welch, MD (President in 2001), who recognized that Dr. Taylor’s passion was Resident education. In 1949, while at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Dr. Taylor had established the formal Armed Forces Orthopaedic Residency training program which he directed at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco before becoming the Director of the San Francisco Orthopaedic Residency.

1980: Dr. John Smith Jr. was elected President.  As an Army veteran and graduate of Orthopaedic residency at Tripler Army Medical Center, he pioneered orthopedic surgery in Hawaii and helped thousands of patients and other doctors with his skills for nearly 50 years.  Along the way he trained many other members of the WOA, including Dr. Richard Haynes (President in 2005) who established the John Smith Military Resident Award in his honor.

1989: Dr. Sanford Anzel (1989) was elected WOA President.  He had completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic and practiced in Orange County. He was one of the founders of the residency program at the University of California, Irvine as well as Chief of Orthopaedics at the VAMC in Long Beach, California. In addition, he served as President of the California Orthopaedic Association and was a charter member of the America Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. The Sanford and Darlene Anzel Award was established in his honor.

Also in 1989, Dr. Rodney Beals (President in 1981) initiated a Travelling Professor Program, which continued through 2002. The awardees included David Hamblen, PhD, FRCS, Thomas Taylor, FRCS, Rene Marti, Ian Learmouth, FRCS, Christian Gerber, MD, Ian Kelly, FRCS, Ross Nicholson, FRCS, John Leong, MD, Anthony Pohl, MD, Lars Engebretsen, MD, Donald Howie, MBBS, Lennart Hovelius and Klaus Parsch.

1990: Thanks to a $100,000 endowment to the WOA from the Howard H. Steel Orthopaedic Foundation, the Howard H. Steel Lecture was established to support a key-note presentation on a non-Orthopaedic topic of interest at each Annual Meeting. The Steel Lecture is one of the most well-attended events each year.

1991: Dr. Harold Willingham having been a member of the WOA since 1966, had served the WOA as Secretary from 1978 to 1981, Treasurer from 1983 to 1984, and was on the Board of Directors from 1989 to 1991, when he became President in 1991. Dr. Willingham practiced in Tucson, Arizona and was one of the principals in the establishment of the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute. The Harold and Nancy Willingham Award was established as an endowment fund for Resident education.

2002: Following Robert Eilert’s 2002 Presidency, the WOA added the ex-officio position of Managing Director. The Managing Director serves in an advisory capacity to the Board and provides continuity to the organization as the Board transitions from year to year. The Managing Director serves for three years and can be nominated for a second three-year term. Dr. Eilert served as Managing Director from 2004 to 2010, followed by Lawrence Housman from 2010 to 2016, William McMaster, MD, Ted Stringer, MD, followed, and Robert Slater, MD, currently holds the position.

2009: Dr. Linda Rasmussen was elected President of the WOA.  Past President of the Hawaiian Medical Association and Hawaiian Orthopaedic Association, she was the first woman to lead a regional orthopedic society as well as the second woman to become a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

2016: During the Presidency of Dr. John Tongue, of Oregon, the WOA Board established the Blair Filler, MD Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of Dr. Filler who has served the WOA in many capacities, including President in 2004. He is credited with re-organizing the governance, leadership and oversight of the WOA during his presidency. The Blair Filler Award was established as an annual award to honor those special individuals who throughout their career have demonstrated and promoted the highest values of the WOA. Dr. Filler was the first awardee at the 2016 Meeting in Indian Wells, CA.

2016: Under the leadership of John Tongue, MD, the WOA voted to form the Western Orthopaedic Foundation, a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt foundation allowing contributions to further the mission of improving Orthopaedic education. In 2018, Robert Slater, MD (2017 WOA President) was elected as the first President of the Foundation. Since its inception, the WOF has partnered with OREF to support Resident research in the western region, as well as establish yearly named awards to support Resident travel to the Annual Meeting.  The WOF now supports six named endowments, multiple annual travel grants, up to three OREF Resident Research Grants, and numerous Resident and Young Investigator Research Awards each year.

2020-2023: The Pandemic years were hard on every membership organization, particularly those that emphasize in-person education and large lectures. The WOA was fortunate to have two invested and dynamic leaders step forward to maintain stability during these years when, in 2020 and 2021 no in-person meeting could be held. Dr. William Maloney (2020 and 2022) of Stanford, and Dr. Nitin Bhatia (2021 and 2023) kept the WOA on an even keel during a period of shrinking membership and cancelled Annual Meetings.  Thanks to their stewardship, the 2022 Meeting was a return to form and a rebound year for the WOA as a whole.

2021: The 85th Annual Meeting was conducted through a virtual presentation format. The virtual seminar was provided at no cost to WOA members, residents, fellows and medical students, and offered to non-members for $25. The virtual seminar program featured the latest research presented through abstract presentations and webinars.

2022: The first in-person Post-Pandemic Annual Meeting was held in Maui, Hawaii, and was a tremendous success. President William Maloney passed the reins, for a second time, to incoming and former President Nitin Bhatia.

While the WOA has been led by members from many of our 14 member-states, a number of Presidents of the WOA have come from the Hawaii Chapter. In addition to Steele Stewart and Warren White, Ivar Larsen (1967), William Gulledge (1974), John Smith (1980), Donald Jones (1988), Thomas Grollman (1996) and Linda Rasmussen (2009) all practiced and taught in the Hawaiian Islands. Both Oregon and Texas have also contributed 7 members to the Presidential line.

The WOA has been proudly represented by four female Presidents, Dr. Linda Rasmussen of Hawaii, Dr. Ellen Raney of Oregon (2013), Dr. Valerae Lewis of Texas (2014) and Dr. Cynthia Kelly of Colorado (2025).  Dr. Ramon Jimenez, a leader in the AAOS, OREF and AOA, and founder of the American Association of Latino Orthopaedic Surgeons, served as President in 2008. 

In recent years the organization has developed a self-assessment exam (SAE) program which offers ten credit hours at each WOA Annual Meeting, which is beneficial for all Members’ maintenance of certification with the ABOS. The program grew out of a meeting organized by Bill McMaster, MD (2010) with Shep Horowitz of the ABOS and Chuck Freitag of Data Trace Management Services. The financing of this concept was linked to Ortho-Preferred liability insurance (a division of Data Trace) and facilitated by David Reicher (President of Data Trace).

WOA leadership has played an important role in Orthopaedic advocacy.  The WOA led the conversation concerning the importance of regional organizations having a seat on the AAOS Board of Councilors (BOC). Bill McMaster, MD (2010) advanced the concept, offering that the regionals would bring unique perspectives to the national organization. He led negotiations, and the regionals were provisionally accepted onto the BOC in 2009. The first WOA representative was Robert Slater, MD, who did a superior job including being selected to serve on the BOC Executive Committee during his tenure.

The current WOA Board of Directors includes President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Past President, Treasurer, and Members at Large, Junior Members and Resident Members, the Program Co-Chairs, the WOF President, and our Lay-member.

As of December 2018, the WOA had 1,012 Members in five categories: Active, Senior Active, Allied Health, Military, and Resident/Fellow.  During the Pandemic membership dropped significantly but has begun to recover with the return to normalcy. 2025 membership is now over 900.

Since 2003, the WOA has contracted with Data Trace Management Services to provide their financial and logistical expertise to the organization. Blair Filler (President in 2004) and Robert Eilert (President in 2002) were instrumental in managing the transition to Data Trace, which allowed the WOA to regain (and maintain) a firm financial state.

Audrey McDonough-Cameron serves as the Executive Director for the WOA’s Data Trace Senior Management team.

As the organization prepares for its 90th Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the WOA continues to be the premier regional organization welcoming Resident, Fellow and faculty participation to further the art and science of Orthopaedic surgery. The meetings maintain a harmonious balance between scientific and social formats, and their value to all who participate endures year after year.

Robert McLain, MD November 2025.