Alumni Spotlight
Chiropractic Pioneer, Naturopath at Heart
By Fraser Smith, ND
The graduates of National have gone everywhere
and continue to do amazing things. In June of
2018, my wife Debra and I had the pleasure
of visiting Paris, France. The people, the food,
the art and the majesty of the city were all
memorable (especially the delicious, healthy,
natural non-GMO food!). But one experience
that stands out was the time we got to spend
with Dr. Christian Laurent, a remarkable
alumnus of National University.
D
r. Christian Laurent graduated
from National College of
Chiropractic (the forerunner
to NUHS) in 1971. He met his
wonderful wife Candy, a Wisconsin native,
and returned to France to be one of the first
chiropractors in that country. That was just
the beginning of an incredible adventure.
Dr. Laurent studied at National during
the time of President Joseph Janse, who he
credits to this day with encouraging him
to keep going as a student and as an early chiropracteur in France. Growing up in France,
he wanted to pursue this work; his mother supported his dream to study in Chicago at a
world-renowned institution. He is very proud of the training he received and has returned for
Homecoming many times.
The demand for chiropractic care was so great when he opened his doors in the early 1970s
that, his wife told me (he is too humble a person to tell me himself), the patients were lined up
outside his third story office all the way down the stairs to the street! He still practices in that
office in the charming town of Lagny Sur Marne outside of Paris.
But life was not easy for the young doctor. He, like all pioneers had his trial by fire. He
quickly earned the respect of local physicians including orthopedic surgeons. But, there was
one surgeon who did not like chiropractors. This physician had lost his hospital privileges
and was perhaps threatened by the competition. He made a formal complaint to the health
authorities and the police came and confiscated all of Dr. Laurent’s office equipment, including
his adjusting tables. One kind local MD gave him a table so he could continue his work.
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