California Orthopaedic Association

The California Orthopaedic Association (COA) was organized by officers of the six California chapters of the Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA) on October 27, 1975. A meeting was arranged and hosted by Dr. J. Harold LaBriola, immediate past president of the Los Angeles chapter of the WOA. The chairman presented the need to represent California orthopaedic surgeons in socioeconomic and legislative affairs statewide and nationally. Motions to form the COA passed, as did a motion that it be structured as a non-profit corporation with an IRS 501(c)(6) tax status to allow for lobbying and other activities to influence legislation and policy. The next several months were spent organizing, and finally the first officers were elected on February 2, 1976, prior to an AAOS meeting. Elected were: President, Dr. Harold LaBriola (Los Angeles) Vice President, Dr. Carl Horn (Sacramento) Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. Dean Smith (Santa Barbara) Member, Dr. Milo Youel (San Diego) Member, Dr. Arthur H...