BCOM was founded as the British College of Naturopathy in 1936 by Stanley Leif, who was Dean of the College from its beginnings until his death in 1963.
Lief was born in Latvia in 1892 and lived to see his fame as a healer spread throughout the world. He was taken to Johannesburg at the age of three and grew up in very poor health. The turning point came when he saw, by chance, a copy of Bernarr Macfadden’s magazine “Physical Culture”. This proved to be such an inspiration to Stanley that he persuaded his parents to allow him to discontinue his training in accountancy and enrol at the Bernarr Macfadden School in America. At the end of his course he qualified with honours and had improved his own physical condition beyond recognition.
After graduation he came to England to manage a Bernarr Macfadden institution in Brighton, and then went into private practice in Bristol. A little later he opened his own Nature Cure home at Orchard Leigh in Buckinghamshire. It was at about this time that Stanley Leif, with his lifelong friend John H. Wood, founded “Health for All” magazine. This publication proved in the ensuing years a valuable medium for spreading the teaching of Nature Cure to hundreds of thousands of people.
In 1925 Stanley opened the famous Champneys Spa in Tring, Hertfordshire, and there had many years of successful practice. Frazer House was donated to Leif by one of his patients on whom he had made a tremendous impression.
Stanley life was truly a pioneer and held in the highest esteem by his colleagues and students. He was president of the British Naturopathic and Osteopathic Association three times between 1945 and 1956.
Sandra Lief-Elliott, granddaughter of the late Stanley said of the anniversary, "My grandfather Stanley Lief was a pioneer in his field of medicine and he worked hard to overcome much of the criticism he received in the early days. Yet here we are - 75 years since he opened BCOM, which is now widely regarded as the best osteopathic institution, with graduating students believing in his methods and continuing what he set out to do.
Not only am I immensely proud to be the granddaughter of Stanley Lief, I am also so very pleased that there are people out there still studying and practicing his methods and sharing his wonderful work with others. I know Stanley would be overjoyed at BCOM celebrating its 75th anniversary!"
Stanley Lief Painting in Lief House Sandra Lief-Elliott at BCOM Graduation
