History of the MDA
The Motorcycling Doctors Association 1977 – 2004

    A. Ranald Mackenzie is the founder of the MDA. In response to an ad he placed in Road Rider magazine, the following persons eligible for membership attended the organizational meeting at the Howard Johnson Motor Inn in Independence, MO on August 27, 1977.

With the exception of Doctors Boren, Frank, McSwain, Meyer, Morrison, Plate and Schuster all others present became founding members. The meeting was also attended by Charles Pahl from the American Medical Association, Charlie Williams from ABATE of Missouri, Dan Webber, a news representative from Hampton, New Hampshire, and Gary Winn from the American Motorcyclist Association.

Original Members    First Meeting    Second Meeting    Third Meeting    Fourth Meeting   

Fifth Meeting    Sixth Meeting    Seventh Meeting    Eighth Meeting    Ninth Meeting   

Eleventh Meeting    Twelfth Meeting    Thirteenth Meeting    1998 Pigeon Forge Meeting 

    As you can see, the meeting sites have been moved around the country to accommodate the widespread membership.  Only two of the founding members have been able to make all of the meetings; Jack Goldberg and Bob Colvin.  Jack has made all of them on his bike and Bob went to the first two in his car, and the rest on his bike.

     This is the story of a group of multitalented and unselfish health professionals who ride motorcycles.  At every meeting we make a generous donation to some local charity and leave a trail of good will. The continuing success of the MDA depends upon continuation of the willingness to serve displayed by all of the members.  Ranald MacKenzie can from New York and Arnie Gutman from Chicago to a mid-year Executive meeting in Evansville, IN.  Steve Cosgrove and Bob Colvin met with Ranald at Jack Goldberg's in Columbus, OH in 1983 for another executive committee meeting.   Every program chairman has traveled hundreds of miles setting up meetings.   The policy committee consisting of Drs. Goldfiles, Shampaine, Kane, Snider, Mackenzie, and honorary member Dale McCormack met in Chicago November 21, 1986.  As long as the is willingness to serve persists, the MDA will grow and serve its purpose of contributing to the safety and welfare of the activity and its participants.

(This material prepared as a joint effort by Bob Colvin, Jack Goldberg, and Ranald Mackenzie.)