Veterinarian voices | Washington State Magazine

The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1899, is the fifth oldest veterinary college in the country. It turns 125 this year. To celebrate, Washington State Magazine asked a couple of alumni to reminisce. Here are their stories.

Linda Lee H. Wood ’76 DVM

I’m from Idaho Falls in southern Idaho so the WICHE program helped me be able to go to veterinary school in Washington. When I was looking at schools to complete my undergraduate studies, I spoke with Floyd Frank, who was head of the veterinary science program at the University of Idaho. He said, “If you come to UI, I’ll help you get into WSU.” So, it’s because of Frank and WICHE that I came to WSU.

Title IX was signed into law in 1972, so I think I was a beneficiary of that, too.

One of my favorite memories was our first time in anatomy lab. There were 62 people in our class. We didn’t know each other very well yet. We were at a table of, I think, six. And we were all working and learning together. It was all for one and one for all. There was just good camaraderie that linked us forever. The anatomy professors I remember the best were Bob Compton and Robert Worthman. I have fond memories of us helping each other and getting to know each other while working on a cadaver dog. There was already a dissected cat, horse, cow, and pig, which were expertly prepared by Paul Johnson. We had the opportunity to see our dog, then to study the other specimens that were already dissected for comparative purposes. That way we were able to learn about multiple species. At that time, I thought I was going to be an equine practitioner, but I decided upon small animal practice instead.

Leo Bustad was the dean of the college. In my second year, my mother passed away. After I returned to school, I was pretty disheartened. Bustad personally came to me and expressed his condolences and encouraged me to carry on. I’ll never forget his kindness.

Ghery Pettit was one of our surgery professors in our third year. We were preparing for a spay and someone made a comment in class, saying, “It’s just a routine spay.” Pettit said, “There is no such thing as a routine spay. There is no such thing as a routine surgery. Every surgery is unique because every patient is unique.” And I think that helped me to be a more careful and thoughtful surgeon.

We had a lot of great professors. Barrie Grant was one of our equine professors. One of his favorite sayings was: “No guts, no glory.” It kind of meant to go for it! The other was: “The Lord hates a coward.” He said these things to help us have the courage to face the more difficult things in life.

I married one of my classmates. After veterinary school, we went to Illinois, Missouri, and California, then back to Missouri and then to WSU. We parted ways, and after teaching at the veterinary clinic at WSU, I went to Boston in 1985 to Angell Memorial Animal Hospital. At that time, it was the second-largest small animal hospital in the U.S. I moved to Spokane in 1986 and worked at several practices before buying Wandermere Animal Hospital. I retired in 2016.

I’m involved with WSU’s Rabies Free Africa program, which is working to prevent rabies where it is spread—from domestic dogs to humans, especially children. The Rabies Free Africa program sends veterinarians and assistants to small villages to vaccinate dogs. The goal is to have Africa rabies free by 2030. It’s a great program, and I’ve been involved in continuing to support it.

How has WSU’s veterinary school changed since I was there? The physical plant has changed a lot with the beautiful new buildings and Bustad Hall. It’s so much more modern and state of the art. The professors remain very dedicated and caring people, so that hasn’t changed. Students have changed. The way they learn has changed as much of their learning is through digitally accessed material. Students are much more technically informed than we were at the time. I find that the classes are bigger, too, and a much larger percentage are women. I think there were 10 women in my class, if I remember correctly. Ten out of 62. Again, that was after Title IX. Mine was the first class that had that many women, and it’s continued to increase since then.

I have always appreciated being a WSU graduate. The veterinary school is one of the oldest and best in the country. It makes me proud that it has continued to grow and become one of the leaders in global health issues and infectious diseases. I’m thrilled that it’s still going, and its going strong!

Go Cougs!

John Mattoon ’84 DVM

Clinical professor, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine

I was part of the Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (WOI) regional veterinary medicine program. I was an Oregon-sponsored student. Since then, Oregon State has developed a standalone program and is no longer participating. The program also later expanded to include Montana and Utah, known affectionately as WIMU.

The program was—and still is—huge for people. My year, there were 28 Oregonians admitted. It’s still a small number but it’s better than one or two as in years past. The WOI program was quite innovative at the time. Attending two universities was a unique and diverse opportunity, and it has allowed me to keep in contact with both schools. A bonus was receiving diplomas from both OSU and WSU!

I came to WSU in fall 1981 to begin my second and third years of veterinary education. The WSU veterinary students welcomed us with open arms, and we became a close-knit class. I think all of us were thankful we were admitted and appreciated our educational opportunities. We studied hard but we had a lot of fun and share fond memories to this day.

We had world-renowned professors, and it was an honor being taught by them. Richard L. Ott, Richard Wescott, and Warwick Bayly come to mind. So does Steven Parish. Another memorable and influential teacher was Guy Palmer. Palmer was a pathology resident, a graduate from Kansas State University. He was an awesome teacher in our year-two pathology labs. He was approachable, engaging, and someone our age who we could look up to. He has since become a world leader in global public health and a WSU Regents professor.

We all loved Pullman, but after vet school we were all ready to leave. It’s very small, and when you’re young you want more excitement. But in the end, the Pullman community and Washington State drew me back. This is the best place, and I feel like I belong here.

There’s just something special about it, something that’s different and hard to quantify. It’s being a Coug!

After vet school, I spent two years in private practice in Portland, Oregon. Then, I was very fortunate to be selected for a radiology residency at UC Davis. I spent four years training there and became a board-certified radiologist. I went into private specialty practice for a little over a year, then I started my academic career at Oregon State in 1991. In 1997, I went to Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island, followed by Ohio State University, then back to WSU in 2006.

I had the honor of giving the Class of 2024 graduation address. I spoke how meaningful WSU’s 125th year anniversary is to me and the value of tradition. Hopefully it’s something our graduates will remember, too. WSU’s 125-year anniversary has dual meaning for me as the Class of 1984 celebrates our 40th reunion this summer, on the day of my retirement!

CVM 2024 commencement — 2024 commencement ceremony for the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine
(Photo Ted S. Warren/CVM Photography Services)

The college has really grown since my graduation. It includes several other departments that are veterinary and science-related but may not come to mind when you think of vet med. Learning technology has changed a lot, too, and WSU has been a leader in simulation learning, (substituting models for live animals). What’s really changed is the traditional use of textbooks as most students learn from tablets and their phones. In-person lectures are no longer universally attended as students prefer watching Zoom or recorded lectures at their leisure.

One thing that hasn’t changed is what are called senior papers. It’s a research project that seniors put together. They write it up in a form suitable for publication and present it to students and faculty. It’s been a decades-long tradition. I remember mine vividly: topic preparation—mine was endometrial biopsies in the mare—as well as learning how to obtain biopsies and read the histology slides, plus the trepidation of the oral presentation. I was so scared!

Throughout my career and especially since I’ve been here, one thing I’ve really come to embrace is paying back by supporting scholarships. Helping others realize their career dream is really important to us. Sometime soon, my wife and I will endow a scholarship.

My veterinary career has brought joy and satisfaction in countless ways. It has provided opportunity to travel throughout North America and around the world. I was incredibly fortunate to be selected as a vet student, and I have valued my education and my time as WSU faculty. I have always tried to convey that feeling and enthusiasm to my students.

Are you an alum of Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine? In honor of the 125^th anniversary of the college, share your vet med memories with Washington State Magazine at wsm@wsu.edu.

Memories from vets

As a member of the class of 1980, we almost did not have a graduation ceremony. Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18 covering the campus with ash. President Terrell had cancelled classes due to the poor air quality and ash-covered ground. For senior year veterinary students who were in the clinics, “classes” were not cancelled. The president was also contemplating the closure of the university for the rest of the semester. Our graduation was a separate ceremony from the rest of the university so we petitioned to allow us to have the ceremony. It was to be held on May 31. Fortunately, with the help of some rain, air quality improved and classes were resumed. We were able to graduate as planned.

Adawna Windom ’80 DVM