The plans for Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) began when Chairman of the LMU Board of Trustees Autry O.V. "Pete" DeBusk met Ray Stowers, D.O., F.A.C.O.F.P. Both were members of the MedPAC Commission, a Medicare advisory board in Washington, D.C. DeBusk, an LMU alumnus, shared his dream of a college of medicine at LMU with Stowers, a rural family physician. After conducting a year-long feasibility study, LMU announced it was pursuing a college of osteopathic medicine and named Dr. Stowers as vice president and dean. The college was named in honor of its initiator, and the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine was born. The four-story, 105,000 square foot building was opened to its inaugural class of osteopathic medical students on August 1, 2007.