(Written in-part by Gary Ward)
Ivan Milton retired from Missouri State University in 2009 after 33 years of service, with the distinction of being the longest-tenured athletic trainer MSU has ever had. He was recently recognized for his service in an Award of Appreciation. Details of this Award can be viewed in the Missouri State magazine here
http://magazine.missouristate.edu/2014/02/13/ivan-milton/
Gary Ward, of the SMAT department reflects on his time with Ivan in developing the athletic training program;
Ivan and I served as co-directors of the AT education program from the beginning (1979). He and I were classmates in the graduate program in AT at University of Arizona 1974-75. He served one year at South Dakota State University before coming here in 1976 (I came in 1978). He handled the clinical side of things for the program (assigning students to sports, etc) and I did the curricular aspect, attended meetings, etc. We both taught the Athletic Injuries classes which were taken by all PE majors. At that time all of our coursework was in the PE department. He also worked with all men’s sports as the athletic trainer and I was AT for women’s sports. Both of us had dual appointments in PE and athletics. That arrangement continued along, even after we had established the on-campus sports medicine clinic in 1982 and I served as clinic director and moved out of athletics. He was instrumental in helping to establish that clinic and allowing it to function out of the training room (mostly in the afternoons). He continued to teach classes to the athletic training students, primarily the Athletic Injuries and the Organization and Administration courses. He and I continued to be co-directors of the program until Karen Toburen was hired as the program director in 1992. I’m not sure when he stopped teaching classes but I do know he was the contact person for clinical assignments for SMSU/MSU athletic teams until being succeeded by Shannon. He received the Program Appreciation Award from SMAT in 2009 in recognition if his efforts helping to establish the academic program.
Thank you to both Ivan Milton and Gary Ward; the SMAT program would not be what it is today without your efforts!