WASHINGTON, DC —During the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association’s (AOPA) 2011 National Assembly, AOPA presented the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award to Rudolf B. Becker, III, President and CEO of the Becker Orthopedic Appliance Company.
Becker Orthopedic Appliance Company was founded in Huntington, West Virginia in 1933 by Otto K. Becker, who directed the expansion of the business until his death in 1960. Mr. Becker’s wife Lucille M. Becker succeeded him and with her passion for engineering and innovation, she guided the development of the Becker Orthopedic Appliance Company until 1980 when her son, Rudolf B. Becker, III, assumed the mantle of leadership as President and CEO.
AOPA’s current President Tom DiBello, CO, FAAOP, prefaced the award with remarks about Mr. Becker’s accomplishments, “I am honored to count Rudy Becker as not just a colleague, but as a friend. He has devoted his life to our community and enriched the entire field as a bold entrepreneur.”
Mr. Becker holds a Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska and a J.D. from Tulane. Under his guidance, the company has opened Becker Metal Works, a producer of investment castings and provider of raw materials for the devices produced by Becker Orthopedic, which are sold in more than fifty countries. He led an acquisition of Oregon Orthotic Systems. Additionally, the company has continued to offer O&P services through its network of six patient care offices throughout the metropolitan Detroit-area. Mr. Becker has maintained a passion for political involvement as an advocate for O&P and has served as President of AOPA.