Sid E. Williams

Sidney E. Williams (March 18, 1928 – December 27, 2012), known primarily as Dr. Sid, was an American chiropractor most well known for establishing the largest single-campus chiropractic school, Life University. Williams was also president of the International Chiropractors Association, serving as its seventh president from 1982 to 1985, and was an instrumental figure in the creation of Life Chiropractic College West.

Early life Sid Williams was born on March 18, 1928, in Rome, Georgia. He attended Tech High School in Atlanta, Georgia and while there earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps where he served as a Lieutenant Colonel and captain of the drill and rifle team. During his sophomore year at high school, Williams also joined the football team as a quarterback, and was starting for the team after only three weeks of fall practice.

During Williams' last year of college football he sustained many injuries, and was amazed at the care he received from a local chiropractor in Atlanta. These meetings would cover the philosophy and use of chiropractic care in day-to-day life, and would be a staple of the chiropractic profession for the rest of Williams' life. In 1982, Williams was elected as the president of the ICA, and served in this position until 1985. Following his service as president he resided as ICA Chairman of the Board, and as Chair of ICA’s Legislative Committee. Due to his contributions to chiropractic and the ICA, Williams was awarded with the Chiropractor of the Year award from the ICA in 1985. During one of their summer Life DE meetings, the Williams' raised over 500 thousand dollars ( dollars) to fund the program. The campus was originally leased from the Lockheed Corporation, and on January 20, 1975, Life Chiropractic College opened with a pioneer class of 22 students.

During his tenure, Williams grew the school's total enrollment to over 3,500 students, making it the largest chiropractic college in the world at the time. Williams also was determined to field a nationally winning basketball team and hired Roger Kaiser to coach at Life. The team, a member of the NAIA, went on to win three national championships while Williams was president — one in 1997, 1999, and 2000.

Williams was also a key figure in the creation of Life Chiropractic College West, in Hayward, California.

In 2002, due to issues surrounding Life's accreditation with the Council on Chiropractic Education, Williams was forced to retire. Over fifty areas for improvement were cited for the loss of accreditation, most of them stemming from differences between the agency and Williams' own philosophy. One year after his retirement the school regained its accreditation status.

On December 24, 2011, Williams suffered from a stroke in middle cerebral artery which took him out of the public spotlight. He battled with recovery for one year before dying due to complications of pneumonia on December 27, 2012, in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Publications Looking Back To See Ahead: Editorials On Chiropractic Science, Philosophy And Principles, With Essays On Leadership And Motivation (1994) Lasting Purpose: Mindset for Success (1996) The Road to Success Starts in the Heart: An Anthology of Lyceums (2009)