National Optometry Hall of Fame – Press Release (PDF)
National Optometry Hall of Fame – Full List of Inductees

Nomination Letter (excerpt)

Dr. Mullen became known as the “clinical architect” for establishing what would become known as one of the most impressive community-based clinical education systems in the country.

-Roger Wilson, O.D.

Nomination Letter (excerpt)

Dr. Mullen has achieved paradigm shifts for optometry by integrating the training of optometrists into a medical community model.

Dr. Mullen placed optometric students in clinical settings where there were integrated with other health care providers for their training. A complete appreciation of the magnitude of this paradigm shift which transferred optometry to the medical community model requires recognizing that the first legislation allowing optometry to use diagnostic agents was passed in 1971, and the appeal process lasted until 1974. The first legislation for therapeutic agents was passed in 1977. Thus, Dr. Mullen’s insight and implementation was even more remarkable in that it preceded the legal status of optometry having the tools to participate in the medical community model.

He should be credited with achieving the present position of optometry within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in providing comprehensive patient care, training of optometric students and residents, and research.

His insight and implementation across the broad spectrum of professionals, researchers, members of the US Congress and relevant federal agencies was responsible not only for the readily observable achievements, but for many which are not quantifiable. An example was the prestige resulting from the status of optometry in the VA – extremely important in optometry’s legislative initiatives for expanding the scope of practice.

-Donald R. Korb, O.D.

Official Press Release (excerpt)

ST. LOUIS, June 30, 2009 – The National Optometry Hall of Fame honored two individuals for their contributions to optometry on June 26, 2009.

Dr. Charles Mullen has planned and redesigned optometry during his 33-year career. He built institutions of quality education, formed national healthcare policy and strengthened urban communities through optometric and ophthalmic care.

Dr. Mullen began work in the president’s office at the New England College of Optometry as special assistant for clinical development in 1970. He then served as executive director of the Eye Institute at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry from 1976 to 1990. Then, Dr. Mullen became director of the Optometry Service for the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington, D.C. until 1996 when he became president of the Illinois College of Optometry. Dr. Mullen retired from the Illinois College of Optometry in 2002.

An instrumental figure in moving optometry to the forefront of primary eye care, Dr. Mullen understood that optometry and ophthalmology were complementary and worked to extend care to underserved populations.