Districts

William I. Linder, DO, Advocate Award

Created in 1997, the award simultaneously honors the memory of Dr. Linder, who served for many years as writer and editor of the COA publication The Advocate, as well as an individual who is a strong supporter and activist for osteopathic medicine. The recipient need not be an osteopathic physician or COA member.

Through the newsletter, Dr. Linder married his writing skills and his great love of medicine. Many of his articles were called prophetic in their ability to predict some of the ways in which medicine has evolved. He was a great proponent of osteopathic medicine and osteopathic medical education. One of the songs he loved to play on his guitar (he was not only a skilled physician and talented writer, but also a musician) was one he wrote himself about Dr. Andrew Taylor Still.

In 2017, Dr. Linder's daughter wrote a book, Family Gene: A Mission to Turn My Deadly Inheritance into a Hopeful Future, about him and his illness,

2021
 Dawn C. Dillinger, DO
2020
 Geraldine N. Urse, DO
2019
 Deborah Woods
2018 Charles G. Vonder Embse, DO
2017 Eugene F. Trell, DO
2016 Paige S. Gutheil Henderson, DO
2015 Audrone R. Biknevicius, PhD 
2014 William J. Burke, DO 
2013 Thomas M. Anderson, DO
2012 Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA
2011 State Rep. Terry A. Johnson, DO
2010 Richard J. Snow, DO
2009 Robert L. Cox, DO
2008 Peter A. Bell, DO
2007 Richard A. Vincent, MBA
2006 Margaret Vild
2005 Richard A. Smialek, DO
2004 Gerard M. Papp, DO
2003 Jon F. Wills
2002 J.R. Costin, DO
2001 George F. Dunigan II
2000 Carl R. Backes, DO
1999 George L. Eckert, DO
1998 Allen S. Birrer, DO
1997 Anita M. Steinbergh, DO