Hall of Gratitude
Dr. Philip Pumerantz
Submitted by Jeff Keating
Phil showed me the power of turning a dream into reality
Dr. Philip Pumerantz was the founding president of Western University of Health Sciences in Downtown Pomona, transforming what was a dying outdoor shopping mall in 1977 — the year he opened the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific — into what is now the most comprehensive graduate health sciences university in the United States, with nearly 4,000 students in nine colleges and 21 programs. WesternU was founded on a philosophy of humanism and compassion, which remain the bedrock values of the university to this day and which Dr. P demonstrated every day through his leadership.
![](https://pomonapeoplepower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/060B3AC5-5E95-4E10-B271-528BE226FD07-672x1024.jpeg)
Photos & stories of people from Pomona who made a difference
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