The first of a two-part feature examining the role of research in securing the future of osteopathic medicine, this article describes the historical development of research, specifically how it has come to symbolize valued intellectual and institutional markers in society. Administrators of colleges of osteopathic medicine are called on to increasingly support research-related activities to fully develop the intellectual potential of their faculty. Only through faculty development can osteopathic medical training institutions achieve their fullest potential and thereby secure a stable future for the profession.