A $1.7-million donation that would have been used to help create a controversial chiropractic school at Florida State University instead will go to the University of South Florida, which will use the money to finance an endowed chair in chiropractic biomedical research, the St. Petersburg Times reported this morning.

Florida State returned the money last year to the donors, the Lincoln College Education and Research Fund and the Florida Chiropractic Foundation, after its plan to open the nation’s first chiropractic college at a public university ran into strong opposition (The Chronicle, January 28, 2005). Faculty members fought the proposal, questioning the scientific validity of chiropractic medicine and expressing concern that it could taint Florida State’s reputation at a time the university’s fledgling medical school was awaiting full accreditation.

Although the state Legislature appropriated $9-million to build the school, the Board of Governors of Florida’s public universities rejected the plan (The Chronicle. February 4, 2005).

Officials at the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine told the newspaper that the new professorship was part of their increasing emphasis on sports medicine and physical therapy.