A lot has changed since the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University
was housed in Room 107 of the Science Building in the summer of 1975. “A Vision Realized:
A History of the MCO,” chronicles the college’s journey to its current state-of-the-art
facility in Big Rapids.
The 68-page book, written by MCO professors emeritus Dr. Robert Carter and Dr. James Saladin, contains several archival photos and “celebrates the pioneering spirit of MCO alumni, faculty, staff and students.”
“This is a piece of Ferris’ history that has to be told,” said Carter, one of three original MCO faculty members. “The new Michigan College of Optometry building is a tangible symbol of what many of us already knew, that the college is at the forefront of vision care education and research.”
The book includes chapters on MCO’s growth each decade and sections that explore the growth of optometric practice and how Ferris adapted to the modernistic changes in optometry over the years.
“There was pressure to site the college at a larger university,” Sadalin said. “The MCO’s success is proof that Ferris was the best home for the college.”