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David Millis in front of his Philadelphia store
around the turn of the century.
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Industrial and banking
dynasties, as examples, have left us a colorful and often dramatic history. Now, for the first time, we will reveal a little known phenomenon that, in the world of optometry, is likened to the legacies of world famous families.
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I would like to introduce the family names of Eger, Bennett, Winston, Millis, and Rosemore/Greenberg. These are the people who have added depth and breadth to the history and advancement of optometry. At least three generations were required for them to qualify for this testimonial. I may be taken to task for omitting others but I ask forgiveness since it is an unintended error. I also would like to point out that lack of space is the only reason we were not able to list the myriad of kudos, awards, elected offices, community leadership citations, testimonials and prizes that each family has accrued over the generations.
Dr. Elmer Eger was the progenitor of the Eger clan in Coraopolis, PA. He graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1941 and served in the air force during WWII as a hospital commander at Peterson Airfield in Colorado. Following his stint in the service he returned to Coraopolis and started a practice there with his cousin, Dr. Milton J. Eger. Others followed them into Optometry. Dr. Ronald Solomon, class of '62, is Dr. Elmer Eger's brother-in-law. Dr. Milton Eger's son is Dr. Arnold Eger, class of '62 and there is a cousin, Dr. David Sherman '84. Dr. Elmer is credited with inventing the Eger Stressometer and LogMar Comparison Pocket Screener. He held a position on the faculty of Nova Southeastern Univ. from 1993 to 1998. His work with low vision and geriatric care has been widely published. Dr. Eger admits that his restrained view of self importance was challenged when he received word that he had been conferred with a Life Fellow by the American Academy of Optometry.
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Dr. Elmer Eger's son, Mark, received his degree in optometry in 1968 from Ohio State College. He became an optometry officer at Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, Miss. He returned to civilian life and joined his father in their practice in 1971. Dr. Elmer Eger retired in 1983. Mark was elected to the Academy Board of Directors in 1998 and assumed the presidency in 2008. While we were able to discover an endless liturgy of his accomplishments, too numerous to mention here, he has never divulged his golf handicap. Their son, Dr. Noah Michael Eger is currently a partner in the practice. Another son, Jason Aaron is a Director of Project Management for an international software company in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Noah Eger joined his dad in the family practice in 1997 and is the third generation optometrist in the family. He graduated with honors from PCO in 1997. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the AOA. |
(L to R): Elmer H. Eger,
Mark W. Eger, Noah M. Eger
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Dr. Irving Bennett
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Dr. Irving Bennett is one of the most well known and respected optometric personalities in the nation. He graduated from PCOS in 1944. His brother came out of the army then and attended Columbia University College of Optometry and graduated in 1947. He offered to help with Irv's college tuition with a proviso that a four year college course in one of the professions would be selected. It narrowed down to podiatry, pharmacy or optometry. We are grateful that he chose optometry. |
Irv Bennett remains as one of the most significant influences on American optometric journalism. He edited "The Pupil" at PCO and then rose to the editorship of the Pittsburgh Society newsletter, the POA official magazine The Pennsylvania Optometrist and finally became only the second editor in chief of the Journal of the AOA for a period of six years. He was the creator and publisher of the Optometric Management magazine. Also, he was the creator and producer of the Vision Expo concept then known as Optifair.
At PCO, The Irving Bennett Business and Practice Management Center was named in his honor. Bennett has been a long time supporter of education and has endowed an annual academic rewards program in his home town of Beaver Falls, PA. The AOA has honored him with a Distinguished Service Award, its highest honor. He was inducted into the Optometric Hall of Fame a few years ago. Currently he is president of the AOA Foundation, which is a charity organized, after Katrina took place, to assist optometrists in jeopardy due to events beyond their control. He is also president of the newly organized "Optometric Historical Society."
Linda Bennett, Irv's daughter opted to change from a teaching career to optometry and followed in her father's footstep. She graduated from NECO in 1980 and presently conducts a very successful practice in Belmont, MA. Irv's son, Donald attended the Univ. of Wisconsin and graduated from Optometry School of Indiana Univ. in the mid seventies. After a two year stint working with an ophthalmologist he matriculated at the Univ. of Cincinnati School of Medicine. He now practices secondary and tertiary ophthalmology in Louisville, KY. The third generation is represented by Rebecca Huey Maida, Linda's elder daughter. Rebecca also graduated from the University of Michigan and followed her mother's footsteps by changing to an optometric career after two years as a teacher. She graduated from the New England School of Optometry in 2008 and joined her mother's office the following summer. Irv Bennett's daughter and granddaughter have continued to emulate Irv's example and are standout personalities in their profession and community.
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Dr. Martha Rosemore Greenberg, of Huntsville, Alabama, is a 1974 graduate of Southern College of Optometry, and has been named O.D. of the South by the Southern Council of Optometrists. In 2006, Dr. Greenberg was honored with SCO's Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by the college upon a graduate. She is serving a five year term on the Alabama Board of Optometry and on the Alabama Medicaid Optometric Peer Review Board. |
Dr. Martha Rosemore Greenberg
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The family legacy of optometry is passed on to her son, Dr. Stuart Greenberg who is a 2001 SCO graduate. Dr. Mindy Greenberg Jacobs is the elder daughter and graduated from Nova Southeastern University. The second daughter is Dana Greenberg Biederman who graduated from SCO in 2005. Dr Martha and her daughter were featured in an article that appeared in Women in Optometry magazine. Dr. Greenberg is the daughter of Dr. Frederic Rosemore (deceased), a 1948 SCO graduate who received SCO's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
This became a historic event since it is the only time in SCO alumni history that a father and a daughter each received the award. They were also the first father and daughter alumni elected to the presidency of the Alabama Optometric Association. Dr. Greenberg, upon the occasion of accepting a recent honor, was quoted as saying, “With all three of my children being optometrists, their professional future is dependent on our actions now. By example, my father encouraged a responsibility to always ‘give back’ to our profession. Considering the many outstanding optometrists who have shared the distinction of ‘O.D. of The South,’ I am both humbled and honored to join their ranks."
Southern College of Optometry continues to contribute to our optometric dynasty theme by offering the story of the Winston family of Knoxville, Tennessee. Harold Winston, O.D. '41 and his sons, Jerry, O.D. '67 and Barry, O.D. ‘74, practice together. Barry's son, Sam is a third year student at SCO. Dr. Harold Winston has been active in several gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races in Tennessee. His other civic and professional interests include local and national president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and activity involving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Jerry Winston, O.D. says, "Watching my father enjoy working with people got me interested in optometry." Dr. Jerry has also served as past president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, as well as his temple and is active in politics. Barry Winston, O.D., is also currently involved in politics. He recruits students and provides generous financial support to SCO causes.
Another optometric pioneer was David Millis. He was born in Russia and moved to Philadelphia as a young man. By all accounts, he was a kind man with a great sense of humor. He practiced in west Philly and died several years before his son, Shay, entered PCO. Shay practiced in Reading for some years before settling in Elizabethtown, PA in the late forties. Active in the local Rotary Club, he also was a local optometric society president. Those who remember Shay always talk about his wit. He died in 1966, a year before his son, Barry, started at PCO.
Barry Millis, OD graduated from PCO in 1971, and started practicing in Carlisle, PA until 1985 when he moved with his young family to Philadelphia. He had a special interest in visual training and spent ten years working on a computerized vision testing and training program that earned a patent. Barry now has a full time nursing home practice. It was not until several years after college that Barry’s son Adam decided to follow the family's footsteps. After two years of night school to get his science credits, Adam entered PCO where he found his calling. He now practices with his dad, the first son of the four generations to enjoy this distinction.
The merits that the members contribute to their respective dynasties is best described by Dostoyevsky when he said, "It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them...the character, the heart, generous qualities and progressive ideas."
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