David Goss '72, OD '74, Publishes History of Optometry

David Goss '72, who earned his optometry degree from Pacific in 1974, has written From Spectacle Making Trade to Scholarly Profession: A History of Optometry in the United States, published by Pacific University Press in 2022.

The book examines the span of optometry history with a primary focus on the United States. Along with an overview of the history of optometry from the invention of spectacles to recent years, the book considers the maturation of the optometric examination from simple trial and error of spectacles to today's comprehensive eye and vision examination; the history of optometric education from the brief instructional programs offered in the late 19th century to the challenging academic programs of the present; and the increasing sophistication of optometric publications. 

Goss is the emeritus professor of optometry at Indiana University, where he earned a PhD.