Centennial
President’s Medal Recipients
Many people have been part of the proud history of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) and Salus University. Alumni, faculty, and friends of the College helped establish PCO as a pioneer and leader in the field of optometric education and the profession of optometry. The following people - highlighted on Medal Mondays - were honored on May 20, 1995 at the 75th Anniversary Gala Celebration for their outstanding contributions to the College and the field of optometry and vision care.
During the weekend of the Centennial Gala Celebration, additional alumni, faculty, and friends were honored.
Lawrence A. Ragone, OD ’53, FAAO
Dr. Ragone joined the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) faculty in 1965, and, at the time of his retirement in 1993, he held the academic rank of associate professor. He has ultimately made his mark on optometry in New Jersey and particularly in the City of Camden. He is the founder and director of the Camden Optometric Center and a consultant to the Camden Public School system as well as coordinator of eye screening services for the Camden County Department of Health. Dr. Ragone has served on the New Jersey Board of Optometric Examiners and has worked extensively within the Lions organization. In 1985, he received the E.C. Nurock Award, New Jersey Optometric Association’s most prestigious award. Dr. Ragone has been the recipient of two Commendatory Resolutions from the New Jersey General Assembly and one from the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholds. He received the Albert Fitch Memorial Alumnus of the Year Award from PCO in 1991. And, from 1999 through 2001, he served as the president of his alma mater’s Alumni Association. In 2008, he received the second annual Humanitarian Award from the Order Sons of Italy in America, Mt. Ephraim Lodge 2362 for his lifelong dedication to the Camden Eye Center and for his efforts to bring vital eye care services to thousands of people in need in his hometown. That same year, he was a nominee for the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Citizen of the Year.
