The Past of Wellness
Bob Bowen
April 28, 1994
Dr. John Munson, Associate Dean
School of HPERA
UWSP
Dear John,
I'm writing to thank you for inviting me as a guest to the 1994 HPERA Banquet and for the honor of receiving the special recognition award. It was a very meaningful experience for which I am humbly grateful to you and any others who were involved with the occasion.
The years have really passed quickly; all 28 of them. It is actually quite a period of time though since I interviewed with Gene Brodhagen, bless his soul, Paul Yambert and Gordon Haferbecker in the process of deciding to move to WSU Stevens Point. It was a good decision considering how my family and I have fared. Oh, it might have been better some place else but all things considered, Stevens Point has been very good to me. I've had the privilege of knowing and serving under no less then 7 Presidents/Chancellors, albeit some for a very short term as CEO but with long standing associations otherwise; they were William Hansen, whom I just knew as retiring President, James Albertson, Gordon Haferbecker, Lee Dreyfus, Phillip Marshall, and Keith Sanders with Jack Ellery and Howard Thoyre for short temporary stints.
The acknowledgments of how I have hopped around the university over the years jogged some memories which didn't make the list as it was given at the Banquet, so between you and me and any others who are being copied, I want to share a few more things I was moved to think about. In addition to coming to, then WSU-Stevens Point, as a gymnastic coach and instructor, I was a "running" cross-country coach too for 3 years. Now, all coaches in the running sports game seem to be runners, but in 1966 there seemed to be very few of us. I couldn't really keep up, but I did run alot. One of the runners allowed me to use his motorcycle some days and at meets.
My "Mr. Oops" title is really a badge of honor. I can honestly say that in 18 years of coaching and 30 years of teaching a sport that sometimes puts people in hospitals, not one of my male or female gymnasts spent one night in a hospital and that's including 4 consecutive Wisconsin State High School Championships in the early 60's when we didn't pad the surfaces and equipment like you see today. So in spite of what "Mr. Golf" says, I am darn proud of an injury free record, which only comes from knowing how to spot and being in the right place at the right time. And that's the rest of the "Mr. Oops" story. Let's add also that the Mayor of Stevens Point, Scott Schultz, was one of my recruits and I'm happy to say I was able to keep him safe, through many of his daring antics on the horizontal bar and in floor exercise tumbling. I take no credit for his subsequent distinguished accomplishments but we did keep him healthy.
Every time I see Bill Hettler I can't help but think of what his life would have been like if I hadn't gotten bitten by the Wellness bug one night in Indianapolis back in spring 1971. The infection that followed resulted in the Jack Hall and Lou Robbins’ material on Prospective Medicine being sent to Dr. Don Johnson, then head of the UWSP Health Center, which more or less moved us into the early Wellness era. What does this have to do with Bill Hettler? Well, I have a hunch that when Don Johnson and I went to the American College Health Association Convention in Atlanta in 72 where Bill Hettler was interviewed, the idea of Prospective Medicine and then Wellness, influenced a decision toward a physician that was open to more than the traditional medical model for college students. Bill's transformation to a Wellness Physician was his own doing but nonetheless a very interesting process to observe. I had a rather close-up view of it all.
Before becoming Chair of HPERA in 1972, I had the privilege of working in the WSU Health Center as their health educator for a semester. I had more or less free reign to develop and implement a few things that have lasted, namely the creation of the Student Advisory Board and helping to transplant some clinical/prevention ideas from the Indiana University Health Center where I had worked in the same role for more than a year while earning my degree. The Triage/Cold Clinic and lots of self help health enhancement brochures were examples. Being whisked out of the Health Center and into HPER administration set the stage for some other Bill Hettler happenings. It didn't take long before both Bill and Mary Fleischauer showed up in HPER (the Dept. of HPER became the School of HPERA about this time) classes and were even on payroll before I departed in 1977. By that time Bill was fully inoculated with the Wellness stuff and was off on his own so the down side of what happened in HPERA soon after didn't slow the Wellness Movement at UWSP. I should mention too that during this time we had hired the soon to be architect of the Sentry Employee Wellness Program, Ron Cook, which didn't hurt Stevens Point's claim to being the rising Wellness Capitol of the country.
Being out of the decision-makers position in August 1977 and with lots of Wellness stuff still in the works, an interesting turn of events took place. I needed a summer job in 78 and there weren't many options so one afternoon Bill Hettler and I sat down to brainstorm a possible Wellness Conference. We each went home that afternoon with the job of creating a program and logistical scheme for a national conference, or you might say come up with some pregnant ideas on how to keep the Wellness ball rolling.
After just one night's gestation the National Wellness Conference was born, the 3rd Annual Wellness Conference, no less. Since we had sponsored two local Wellness Workshops under my administration as Associate Dean of HPERA which was part of Ron Cook's summer responsibility, we were not completely dishonorable in calling this first National Conference the 3rd annual gathering at UWSP. And, there was no other such event in the country so who could complain. The staging of that event is a story in itself, but we had the Governor, the Mayor, the Chancellor and other dignitaries on stage to open the event which must have been reasonably successful because what transpired these last 17 years has had more than a modest impact on many more lives than just Bill Hettler. Possibly yours included.
Just recently I read something about Dennis Elsenrath in the local paper which cited his rise to Wellness fame. It reminded me of a comment he made at the inaugural 1978 National Conference which he attended as an observer along with Fred Leafgren, no less, and in the heat of things as I was running helter-skelter (Bill Hettler was in Frost Valley, New York with a YMCA camp program and didn’t arrive til later in the week) the comment was, “You’ve really done a great job with this conference, Bob.” My comment; “Oh, we’ll see after it’s over.” Dennis: “Don’t be afraid to take credit for something, will you!”
Well, something must have gone well because it was almost immediately decided that this sort of conference should be an annual event and we needed a special committee to put it on. That happened and the Wellness Conference Planning/Coordinating Committee was created and served for several years before the Wellness Institute and Dave Emmerling took over. The unplanned budget for the first conference was over $10,000 and was really a Continuing Education based event, since Barb Inch (different name then) handled the housing and budget matters for us. There were no special meals the first year because we just had no idea what was going to come out of that first effort. We did have recognition programs and maybe a talent night, can’t remember for sure, but it was an interesting gathering of neophytes in the Wellness business from schools, hospitals, workplaces and you name it. Even Hans Diehl from Loma Linda, California representing the Seventh Day Adventists, who were then the healthiest sub-population in the US, was there. Jim Fiegelson was Mayor, Martin Schrieber was Governor and Lee Sherman was Chancellor. Wisconsin and Stevens Point were rightfully the emerging capital of Wellness.
Joe Woodka played an interesting role in something I was involved in right after giving up any hold on Wellness conferencing. The U.S. Indian Health Service was looking for a school and a grant director of a health administration training program which somehow found UW Stevens Point in the group of possible sites. Probably because of our past record with Indian programs such as Upward Bound, tribal training and the connections of many Indians around the U.S. with Wisconsin roots: Jim Frechette among them. In fact it was in Arizona during the decision making process that I first met Jim and began our long and respectful friendship. At the time I had no idea of his artistic talent. That came later when I visited his home and studio in Rhinelander following his retirement. He’s already a legend here at UWSP with his artistic carving.
Back to Joe Woodka who was the key to the final decision as to whether UWSP should accept the grant if chosen. The issue was really quite simple but bore heavily on the fact that Joe, Dean of L&S with a commitment to support the academic side of the two year Associate Degree program, would guarantee the academic credibility of what we were about the jump into. For me, the intended program director, it was an important matter making absolutely certain that we had an academic entity that would support the program from start to finish. Joe said he would do that and so the rest is history. I think it was a half time appointment for me which entailed both administering and teaching courses which ultimately led to graduation of about 29 Indian people from all over the U.S. who earned their associate degree in Health Administration. Shirley Yazzi and many others are still out there administering USPHS hospitals and clinics all the way from Alaska to Florida and many states in between including a couple in DC, but mostly in the western part of the country.
All this because Joe Woodka would stand behind the academic integrity of what UWSP was being asked to do and I was asked to make it happen. It did and I was really proud of the way it turned out which included alternating the teaching of courses here in Stevens Point and Tucson, Arizona, lots of social times at Rocky Ridge Farm and an authentic graduation ceremony where we privately smoked a peacepipe in a circle of local tribesman over in the Fine Arts building and had Indian ceremonial drums throughout the evening. Gordon Dickey of the Menomonee Tribe gave the address that night while each of the students expressed their appreciation to UWSP for giving this opportunity to enhance their professional careers and strengthen their personal lives. To celebrate the end of it all I immediately accepted a part-time appointment in the Native American Center where I administered another IHS grant for Tribal Health Board training among the eleven tribes of Wisconsin.
The whole of these two experiences plus my time with Upward Bound indelibly altered my feelings toward Indian people. We owe them a debt we can never repay for destroying their culture. No one should ever resent giving Indian people the shirt off their backs in order to give them a fighting chance in the dominant white culture. Interestingly enough, they don’t want handouts, only a chance to maintain their dignity and be self determined. It’s too bad the people that gathered and shouted insults up on the Eau Pleine didn’t understand nor do they still understand the real purpose and message in the spear fishing. They thought the Indians wanted the walleyes. While I have hated to see the Indian people stoop to the low levels of the casinos, it’s at least one way to surreptitiously allow the non-Indian people to give something back while they self-gratify by gambling. It’s a silly turn of events but better than nothing and it satisfies the whiteman’s need for pleasure and allows a little self-determination for the Indian.
The five years I spent in full-time teaching went by very fast. It was actually an enjoyable experience though, because I really felt focused and accomplished without too much stress. It gave me a professional advantage which I seemingly didn’t have time for while split between teaching and other things. Probably the best expression of my devotion to the profession was being elected President of the State HPER Association. In some ways I wish that had happened earlier because I might have had interest in going beyond the state level in service. An interesting sidelight here is a conversation with a CUNA Health Promotion Specialist and a subsequent decision of WAHPERD’s to support and get involved in the Legislative Health and Fitness Day (LHFD) Project. I had the idea of such an event but had not really spoken with anyone about it until I had a brief conversation with Ms. Jackie (?) Munz. I basically wanted to know if she felt industry would support such an event. When she said “yes, they probably would,” things started to happen which ultimately led to the first LHFD event in 1987. Wow, how time flies when one looks back and realizes we actually did that; more than once.
My move into the international education field sort of restricted my active involvement in Wellness and Health Promotion, but there were occasions when the two areas had some connections other than my teaching courses. I’m thinking of Siegfred Mallek from Germany and his work with the European Wellness Union and how coming to the National Wellness Conference was the beginning of a series of professional exchanges which I think helped motivate his effort in Europe. The other mix of International Programs (IP) and Health Promotion (HP) was a personal facilitation of the first overseas internship for the HPERA Health Promotion program. Later, IP was helpful in assisting other HP students get involved in overseas internships so in some ways I remained connected. .
You know the rest of my UWSP story as well as I so no need to go into that. I do still reflect on your advent at UWSP and how the “magnificent seven” were bent on making sure you didn’t stay. Those were testy times but I guess we endured successfully if where you are today is any indication. Paul Hartman’s case was similarly interesting. I still maintain that Paul was a major influence on setting UWSP Athletics on a higher plane. I think Dick Bennett helped him a little with that. I’ve never regretted going to bat for him but in the same mode of thought it was great to see him spend his last professional years in a setting which really appreciated all he had to offer.
Thanks again for my being selected to receive HPERA’s recognition award. The plaque will be valued as a reminder of some very memorable years at UWSP with some great people; all worth remembering for their various and sundry contributions which helped elevate HPERA and related units to it's present status.
All the best,
Bob B.