Through its history, Des Moines University has changed its name no fewer than five times. Founded in 1898 as the Dr. S.S. Still College of Osteopathy, its name was simplified to the Still College of Osteopathy (1905), and then changed to Des Moines Still College of Osteopathy and Surgery (1940s), College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery (1958), University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences (1981) and finally – whew! – Des Moines University (1999).
Despite all the changes, the institution remains “the best” at what it does, preparing future health care providers and leaders, as this ad about the Dr. S.S. Still College proudly proclaimed. And while the University now has more than 300 full-time employees and multiple courses of study, DMU can continue to say its faculty are “large and strong” in their fields, widely reputed in their professions and “actively engaged” in the education and success of their students.
