Making an Indelible, Positive Impact on Future Generations of Students

It's not the first thing Harry J. Walter, D.O. (COM '65), will divulge about himself—that he was a pioneer as the first osteopath commissioned into the military. In fact, it's well into the first hour of conversation that the retired family-practice physician slips in the fledgling interest in the military he had as a teenager.

"When I was in high school, the Korean War was underway and my mother, adamant that I have some control of my future, encouraged me to join the Navy Reserves," he says from his Bradenton, Florida, residence. "That three-year stint, from my sophomore to my senior year, exposed me to military training and gave me a glimpse of military life. I liked it."

But there's still a bit more to learn of Dr. Walter's journey to the life-changing steps of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCU)—what he calls a "career-defining experience"—before he proudly describes his 17 years of service in the U.S. military, beginning with the U.S. Air Force in 1966–1968, followed by 13 years in the Army Reserves.

First in Service and Creating a Professional Legacy

Following graduation from Huntington University in Huntington, Indiana, Dr. Walter acquired an interest in the medical field in a job held during his undergraduate studies.

"I worked in a funeral home in a position that today is known as a first responder," he says. "In those days, undertakers and their employees provided ambulance services to the community. I became intrigued with physicians and medicine and decided to make that my life's profession."

When the aspiring medical student worked at a hospital, he became acquainted with Dr. Jack Gallagher, a surgeon who graduated from KCU, and his plans became reality.

"I was inspired by Dr. Gallagher, and he offered to write a letter of recommendation to his alma mater in Kansas City," says Dr. Walter. "A week later I received notification of my acceptance."

Following graduation in 1965, Dr. Walter performed a family-practice internship at the former Lakeside Hospital, a teaching hospital overlooking Troost Lake in Kansas City, built from funds provided by founder and KCU alum George Conley, D.O., M.D.

"Unequivocally, KCU helped me succeed in my chosen field of family practice," he says. "Everything about my education at the university appealed to me, from the high quality and integrity of the professors to osteopathic medicine's philosophy and approach."

During his internship, a directive came from the military that D.O.s would be accepted into its ranks. Dr. Walter wasted no time in getting his application to the post office.

Commissioned into the Air Force in 1966, Dr. Walter recalls it was a remarkable day. "Being the first D.O. to serve in the armed forces was an honor and opportunity I cherish decades later." Several years later, the young physician served in Vietnam—as the first D.O.—being assigned to psychiatry.

Returning to the U.S. a year later, Dr. Walter and two KCU classmates, Dr. Gary Huggins (COM '65) and Dr. Kenneth Henderson (COM '65), partnered to open a collaborative practice in Thornton, a Denver suburb. Another KCU graduate, Dr. Donald Dunkin (COM '63), joined the trio; the four physicians built a facility, christened it Gateway Medical Center, each taking a quarter of the building for their individual specialty.

For the next 45 years, Dr. Walter grew to be one of the area's most respected family care physicians, eventually regarded for the work he did in adult diabetes.

"I liked that you could diagnose the disease early and help a patient do something about their condition," he says. "It was the embodiment of what I learned at KCU."

For six years, Dr. Walter was a member of the teaching faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, mentoring students who worked in his practice as part of their first two years of medical school.

"Giving back to those eager medical students exemplified my desire to highlight the osteopathic profession," he says.

Advancing Medicine for Generations to Come Through Planned Giving

At KCU's 2016 homecoming, Dr. Walter was recognized for his groundbreaking service in the military, receiving the coveted Star-Spangled Banner Medallion. The award celebrates a KCU graduate who epitomizes the university's core values through service to the United States of America.

"That honor ultimately defined the blending of my medical and military career," reflects Dr. Walter. "Being part of a medical profession that optimizes health and well-being through evidence-based, sustainable, integrative approaches, taking into account the whole person, and having the ability to make a positive impact on students and the military, is my lifetime achievement."

After learning about several KCU planned giving programs, and eager to support the foundation of his career, Dr. Walter created a bequest to the university in his trust several years ago.

"By providing an extraordinary education to its students, KCU is helping improve the quality of life for people around the world," he says. "That's deeply meaningful to me, and I want to support the school's efforts to train and empower tomorrow's doctors of osteopathic medicine."

Like Dr. Walter, you can play a vital role in supporting KCU's future generations of doctors of osteopathic medicine with a gift in your will or trust. To learn more, contact Jennifer Ingraham at jingraham@kansascity.edu or (816) 654-7282.