Dr. Neal Bailey was born in Gardenville, New York, on November 6, 1917 and spent his summers on the banks of the Shiawasee River at a rustic family cabin north of Detroit. After graduating from high school, he completed chiropractic school in San Antonio, Texas.

During World War II, both he and his beloved wife of 57 years, Florence, worked seven days a week at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Flo in the payroll department, and Neal ran a steel furnace producing high-grade armor plating for tanks. They moved to Columbus in 1944 when the first of their two daughters was born; and Dr. Bailey graduated from The Ohio State University School of Optometry in 1947 with a BS in optometry (summa cum laude) and then again in 1954 with a PhD in physiological optics under the direction of Dr. Glenn A. Fry. He and his family then moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where he created the first contact lens teaching facility at the Indiana University School of Optometry.

In 1958, the Baileys returned to Columbus and opened a private practice of optometry in a three-story home on Ohio State’s Fraternity Row. Dr. Bailey, with Flo’s help, maintained a successful practice in the campus area for many years. Dr. Bailey served the college as clinical associate professor, 1990 convocation speaker, and major benefactor to the college, its students, and faculty. In his convocation address on June 7, 1990, he gave seven sage recommendations to the class, including, “Be sure to find a good lawyer,” “Honor thy teacher—for a really good teacher is hard to find,” and “Don’t confuse professionalism with costly furnishings and spacious offices. Professionalism is an attitude that needs constant nurturing.” Dr. Bailey was the editor and founder of Contact Lens Forum in 1976 and later the editor and founder of the Contact Lens Spectrum in 1986, two leading contact lens journals that have been combined.

Dr. Bailey authored 120 articles and chapters on contact lenses and practice management and was one of the first clinical investigators of soft contact lenses in the United States. He was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including Distinguished Practitioner in the National Academies of Practice (1984), the Max Schapero Award from the American Academy of Optometry (1986), the Leonardo da Vinci Award from National Eye Research (1988), and the Dr. Josef Dallos Award from the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association (1988). In 1989, he was honored as the “Contact Lens Person of the Year” by the American Optometric Association’s Contact Lens Section. In 1992, he received the Kevin Tuohy Award from the Contact Lens Society of America. On May 26, 1995, the college honored him again by striking a new medal presented to—and named for—him: the Neal J. Bailey Medal for Development.

Dr. Bailey was affectionately called the “Contact Lens Curmudgeon” by his friends for his insistence upon the highest principles of professionalism. According to Dr. Joe Barr (OD’77, MS’79), “Dr. Bailey was precise, organized and uncompromising as an optometrist and as a businessperson. Yet he was one of the most comfortable persons to be with.”

He was famous for joking that the perfect contact lens design was a “Holecon” lens: one with a 9-mm overall diameter and a 10-mm fenestration. He once served on a panel at an American Academy of Optometry annual meeting with Dr. Robert Mandell from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry, who was also a prominent clinician, educator, researcher, and author in the contact lens field at that time. When someone in the audience asked Dr. Mandell why he wore glasses instead of contact lenses, he replied: “My wife thinks I’m sexier in glasses.” When the same question was posed to Dr. Bailey, he said: “Because Bob Mandell’s wife thinks I’m sexier in glasses too!” Such was the wit of one of Ohio State’s most prominent optometric alumni.

Dr. Bailey sold his private optometry practice at 32 East 15th Avenue in 1981 to Dr. LaMar Zigler (OD/MS ‘81), and completely retired from practice in 1983. He and Flo then moved to Worthington and later to Laredo, Texas. In his retirement years, he traveled the United States to ride his bicycle on paths created by his favorite non-optometric charity, “Rails-To-Trails Conservancy.” He passed away in December 2006. At its meeting on March 2, 2007, The Ohio State University Board of Trustees approved a Resolution in Memoriam for him.

Married Cheryl.

Dr. Dan Fuller graduated from Purdue University (BS‘80) and The Ohio State University, College of Optometry (OD‘84). He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, practicing in a hospital-based setting, until 1987. He received the Navy Commendation Medal for meritorious service. In 1987 he left active duty to join the faculty at the Southern College of Optometry, teaching in the Ocular Disease Service and holding didactic and laboratory assignments. He purchased his first private practice in 1991 and a second in 2001 emphasizing specialty contact lens fits and surgical co-management. He returned as a full-time faculty to The Eye Center at the Southern College of Optometry in 2008. He is now an associate professor; Chief of the Cornea Contact Lens Service; founding Supervisor of the Cornea Contact Lens Refractive Surgery Residency; and Faculty Chair. He has numerous publications to his credit, has lectured nationally, and continues to produce original clinical research. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and Scleral Lens Educators Society. He has three daughters, Morgan, Abigail and Claire, who are his greatest accomplishments. He writes, “There is not a day that has passed in my career where I have not thought of the optometric and life lessons learned while at the college. One of the greatest lessons learned is that no skill, no knowledge, and no accomplishment holds value if you do not pay it forward in service to others. Thank you for the opportunity to share a small part of this Buckeye’s journey.”

Dr. Michael Lyons was first introduced into eye care at the age of 7. He will never forget the first time he put on his first pair of myopic (and not so stylish) glasses prescribed by the local eye doctor. The immediate gratification of seeing the crispness of the leaves on the trees and clarity of the world around him has forever impacted the way he views his practice and the profession of eye care.

Dr. Lyons received his undergraduate education at Ohio University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in 1997 in biology with a minor in art. He went on to study optometry at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, earning his Doctoral Degree in 2001. Following his graduation, he was accepted into the Ocular Disease Residency program at Cincinnati Eye Institute. From there, Dr. Lyons joined the Cincinnati Eye Institute’s Corneal, Refractive, and Uveitis Clinic.

After seven years at the Cincinnati Eye Institute, Dr. Lyons made the decision to expand his role in eye and vision care by opening Focal Pointe Eye Care, a modern, full-service optometric clinic with state-of-the-art equipment and eyewear boutique. His years of both personal and professional eye exams helped him design a facility that is welcoming to patients and their families.

Dr. Lyons is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the American Optometric Association and the Ohio Optometric Association. Dr. Lyons is also a full-time Volunteer Clinical Instructor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati and head of the University Contact Lens Service. University of Cincinnati ophthalmology residents continue to receive hands-on training and education under his supervision at the Focal Pointe Eye Care clinic. Dr. Lyons enjoys focusing on contact lenses for therapeutic and cosmetic needs.

When Dr. Lyons is not practicing at Focal Pointe Eye Care or the Cincinnati Eye Institute, he provides low vision services at Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. He has a special interest in this field since his wife suffers from a permanent visual impairment due to juvenile macular degeneration (Stargardt’s disease). Dr. Lyons gets daily inspiration from his wonderful family, including his wife Liz and their two children, Diegan and Eleanor.

Looking back on my admission to the optometry program at Ohio State reminds me how fortunate I was to choose both Ohio State and optometry. Because my grades and test scores were adequate, albeit not spectacular, it seems that I interviewed well, and the college took a chance on me. Thus the die was cast, creating the opportunity for a wonderful and fulfilling career.

Following my optometric training I was fortunate to enroll in the Master’s/Residency in Contact Lenses at Ohio State, which in turn cemented my interest in research and led to my first academic position at the Southern California College of Optometry. As well, that Master’s degree opened other doors, and I tell my current Master’s candidates that it will do the same for them.

The training I received at Ohio State was special, due to the long and storied history of the program and, especially, the culture of academic excellence. The college’s programs lay a solid theoretical foundation that allows development of graduates into top-notch clinicians and even academics, if they so choose. I am particularly grateful to my many mentors, among them Drs. Richard Hill, John Schoessler, William Brown, and Kevin Alexander. Moreover, I am proud of my classmates, Drs. Greg Stephens, Tom Quinn, Mark Smith, and Joe and Pat Benjamin for the many unique impacts they have had on academia and research in vision science and on the profession of optometry.

Mark W. Eger, OD, FAAO has been in private practice for 46 years in Coraopolis, PA. His practice has grown from the one his father Elmer founded in 1942, as a solo practitioner, to become The Eger Eye Group today with his son Noah, two other ODs, and an ophthalmologist. Dr. Eger became a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry in 1971 after encouragement by his father, and he is happy to say that his son is a Fellow as well. Dr. Eger served on the Board of Directors of the Academy for 14 years and served as president of the organization for two years. He now sees patients on a half-time basis, giving him more time to enjoy their five grandchildren with his wife, Susan.

Dr. Min was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to the United States at age 3. During his youth, he lived in Los Angeles, Texas, Philadelphia, and Wheelersburg, Ohio, where he attended high school.

Dr. Min attended Case Western Reserve University and The Ohio State University and received his undergraduate degree in biology. Dr. Min is a 1989 graduate of the Ohio State College of Optometry. During optometry school, he served as class president for all four years and student council president for two. He received the Vistakon Award for Contact Lens Excellence and was also was named the Outstanding Senior Student by the Ohio Optometric Association.

Upon graduation, Dr. Min became the first optometrist to work at Lakeland Eye Surgeons, a multispecialty ophthalmology practice in Lorain, Ohio where he received extensive experience in pathology and pre- and post-operative care. In 1991, he decided to return to Columbus and enter private practice. Dr. Min opened Northwest Vision Center in the Dublin area and in 1992, he also purchased a practice in Chillicothe and has maintained both offices to this day.

Dr. Min has been active in the Ohio Optometric Association and has served on several committees in the past. He has also maintained ties to the college and has served as President of the Alumni Association and has also served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for several years. Dr. Min also is also a regular contributor to the online journal, Review of Optometric Business.

Dr. Min is married to Jackie, a graduate recruiter who works for the Ohio State College of nursing. Dr. Min met Jackie when he was a student clinician and he performed an eye examination on her. He has two sons, Andrew who is studying engineering at Ohio State and Alex, who is a junior at Hilliard Davidson High School. Dr. Min has spent many years coaching his sons and many other young athletes in multiple sports in the central Ohio area. In his spare time, Dr. Min enjoys cooking and traveling. He is a big Buckeye fan attending most home football and basketball games.

Dr. Min truly enjoys optometry as a profession and the relationships he builds with his patients and employees. He is also appreciative of all the friendships he made during optometry school, many of which are still very active.

Our Ohio State Optometry Class of 1964 was the last class that didn’t have the option of obtaining our optometric degree from The Ohio State University without returning for part-time, post-graduate studies. Five of us, John Allen, Roy Schlabach, Glenn Toth, Jack Youshak and I, elected to continue for our fourth year of optometric education at the University of Houston. Nevertheless I believe we all still consider ourselves to be Ohio State optometrists at heart. Following graduation in 1965, I practiced in Eaton, OH (the last exit on I-70 before reaching Indiana) for many years.

For my first 20 years in practice I did my bit in wearing out I-70, traveling to Ohio State to serve as a part-time instructor. I was encouraged in this as well as in the study of optics by one of my favorite professors, Brad Wild.

I have had a life-long interest in books and reading, and I owned and operated a bookstore café in Grandview for several years. I left the book business in 1995, and in January of 1996 I accepted an invitation to join Diversified Ophthalmics in Cincinnati on a full-time basis. Although I had a great interest in pediatric vision care while I was practicing, I decided to focus on optics and lens design after joining Diversified.

In 2003 I began writing feature articles for 20/20 Magazine and L&T (Lens & Technology) Magazine. Both publications are produced by Jobson Publishing. Although my articles do not always conform to the mainstream opinions of the large manufacturers, my editor at Jobson remains supportive of my efforts to keep clinical lens information within the bounds of fact and science.

When I joined Diversified, I don’t believe I had an official job title. That was probably because they were a bit unsure about what to do with me, a comment I’d heard before. Today I am their Vice-President of Practice Enrichment. I write a weekly bulletin for the Eye Care Practitioner (ECP) Network, a 1000+ member affiliate of Diversified. Both the bulletin and the ECP Network strongly support independent optometric practice. I also write a monthly column for Diversified’s newsletter and a weekly Bulletin for the ECP Network. I frequently consult on lens and eyewear design for optometrists coast to coast.

I have dabbled at writing fiction. The 2012 Goose River Anthology published one of my favorite short stories, Mr. Willy Talks about Tonsils, as its lead short story. At present I am still working full time. Developing a practical device to allow clinicians to measure the index of unknown lenses in-office is a current pet project. I also enjoy cooking, woodworking, reading, writing, and relaxing (in about that order).

After graduating from The Ohio State University College of Optometry in 1996, Dr. Braden E. Kail returned to his hometown of Waynesburg, Ohio to build his optometry practice. Dr. Kail began giving back to his profession by serving as a board member and President of the Ohio Optometric Association’s (OOA) Zone Three. Additionally serving his local community, he became an active member and past president of the local Lion’s Club, often providing free vision screenings at schools throughout the area.

In 1999, Dr. Kail was offered the opportunity to provide eye care for a school farther away in Honduras. This trip began Dr. Kail’s passion to provide free eye care and glasses for people in third world countries and resulted in the establishment of Cross Eyed Missions in 2000. Since then, Dr. Kail has led 18 mission trips to Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Haiti, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. His teams have seen 19,000 people and distributed 17,000 pairs of used eyeglasses with the help of local Lions Clubs. For these accomplishments he has been recognized with the Lion’s Club International President’s Award (2002), Capital University’s Young Alumni of the Year (2003), OOA’s Young Optometrist of the Year (2004), and Ohio State’s William Oxley Thompson Award (2005).

In addition, Dr. Kail has remained an active member of his community. He has served as President of the Waynesburg Business Association, a board member of Quad Ambulance, and is active at Newpointe Community Church. He has also been integral in the development of youth sports in the Sandy Valley Area. He established the Sandy Valley Little Dribbler’s program, teaching children basketball fundamentals and then co-founded the Press News Basketball League for boys and girls in 2006, providing youth basketball for children in grades 3-6. He also served on the Waynesburg Baseball Association and Sandy Valley Little League boards, coaching Little League Baseball from 2000-2008. He is currently the pitching coach at Sandy Valley High School.

Dr. Kail resides in Waynesburg with his wife, Suzanne, and four children: Jake, Luke, Elizabeth, and newly born Addison.

David S. Loshin received his BS degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and his MS (74), OD (75) and PhD (77) in Physiological Optics at The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State he was privileged to perform his graduate studies under the supervision of Dr. Glenn Fry. Dr. Loshin served as a Teaching Assistant in the College of Mathematics the entire time he was enrolled in the optometry program. As a fourth year student he applied for and was awarded an NIH Postdoctoral to complete his Ph.D. After graduation, he served as a member of both the professional and graduate faculty at the University of Houston for 18 years. During his last five years there, he also held administrative roles as Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration and Chair of the Residency Programs. He has served as Dean and Professor at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry since 1997.

Dr. Loshin has taught a variety of courses in both the professional and graduate programs with emphasis on geometrical and physical optics. He has also served as a clinical preceptor in primary care and low vision clinics. Dr. Loshin has participated on 18 MS and PhD graduate committees. His major research interests involve design and evaluation of the image quality of lenses and lens systems and assessment of the visual system primarily for patients with visual pathology and low vision. He received grant funding from the National Eye Institute/National Institutes of Health, the NASA Johnson Space Center, the State of Texas, as well as from the university and a number of corporations. He has published over 70 papers, abstracts and technical reports related to his research interests as wll a text book on geometrical optics.

Dr. Loshin has held positions on a variety of college and university committees and professional organizations including serving as President of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry for two terms. He has received several professional and service awards, including the American Optometric Association’s Low Vision Section’s Vision Care Award, Nova Southeastern University Academic Dean of the Year, and Florida Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year and is a Research Diplomate in Low Vision from the American Academy of Optometry.