Gainesville Chiropractor, Gainesville Florida: Four Generations Of Chiropractors

Four Generations of Chiropractors

There are currently four generations of Chance chiropractors. It all started because of incurable migraine headaches. Hugh ‘Chet’ Chance was an electrical engineer in Winfield, Kansas, where he lived with his wife, Edna Mary Johnson Chance, and their three children, Hugh, Dean and Vern. Chet developed severe migraines that prevented him from working. Edna Mary’s cousins, the Johnson twins, who were Chiropractors, encouraged him to try chiropractic. When chiropractic cured his migraines, Chet was so impressed he moved his family to Davenport where he and Edna Mary both started school, graduating in 1924. At the time, researchers at Palmer were developing the first thermography instrument, called the Neurocalometer/NCM. An electrical engineer, Chet, was hired by Palmer to be part of the three-man team working on the NCM. Chet also then taught Neurology and eventually became Director of the student clinic. The rest is four generations of Chance Chiropractic history.

Being a chiropractor back then was not easy. Many chiropractors were jailed just for practicing chiropractic. Dean, son of Chet and Edna Mary, graduated as valedictorian in 1935 and moved to New York to set up practice. Constantly threatened with arrest and jail for practicing medicine without a license in N.Y., Dean moved to Florida where the laws were more favorable. Instead of being content to practice without harassment, Dean set out to change the laws that restricted chiropractic practice. As a founding member of the American Chiropractic Association and Florida’s delegate to the ACA, Dean became Chairman of the Insurance and Government Relations Committee. This committee changed the laws and also got chiropractic acknowledged and covered by insurance. Three of Dean’s sons, Steve, Mike and Chris, and two grandsons, Mark and Dean, followed in his footsteps. A third grandson, Justin, is currently attending Palmer Florida.

Dr. Hugh ‘Chet’ Chance
Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic - 1924
Professor of Neurology for 35 years
Director of the Student Clinic Palmer College
Noted lecturer and author
Part of team that developed the Neurocalometer
Practiced in Iowa for 35 years
Dr. Edna Mary Chance
Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic - 1924
Practiced with Chet for ten years in Iowa
Mother of Chiropractors Dean and Vern
Dr. M. Dean Chance
Graduated Valedictorian Palmer College - 1935
Noted lecturer and author
Founding member of American Chiropractic Association
Florida’s Delegate to the ACA
Chairman of the Insurance and Governmental Relations Committee (ACA)
Chiropractor of the Year 1965
Practiced in NY and Florida for 40 years
Dr. Vern Chance
Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic - 1952
Interim Director of Student Clinic – Palmer College
Instructor in Thompson Technique
Practiced in Iowa for 40 years
Dr. Mary Ann Chance
Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic - 1959
Editor of the Chiropractic Journal of Australia
Chief Executive Officer of Australian Chiropractic Association 1975-82
Practiced in Australia for 49 years
Named International Chiropractor of Year - 2008
Dr. Steven Chance
Graduated Palmer College of Chiropractic – 1971
Former President of Florida Palmer Alumni
Palmer President’ Club
Currently in practice in Ft. Myers, Fla.
Dr. Michael Dean Chance
Graduated University of Florida – 1975 (Highest Honors) Phi Beta Kappa – Scholastic Honorary
Graduated Summa Cum Laude Palmer College – 1978
Class President - Palmer Class of 1978
Faculty Palmer College 1978-79
One of two Chiropractors selected to work at US Olympic Training Center -1984
Board of Directors - Florida Chiropractic Association
Dr. Chris Chance
Graduated Palmer College Magna Cum Laude – 1981
Former Treasurer of Mid-Fla. Chiropractic Society
Palmer President’s Club
Dr. Mark Chance
Graduated Huntingdon College -1988
Graduated Palmer College – 1992
Past President - Mid-Fla. Chiropractic Society
Palmer President’s Club
Dr. Dean Chance
Graduated University of Florida – 2000
Graduated Magna Cum Laude Palmer College – 2004
President-elect of Mid-Fla. Chiropractic Society