His name may have launched a thousand eyecare centers. But Dr. Stanley Pearle says he wasn't even sure he wanted to use his last name when he founded Pearle Vision in Savannah, Ga. in 1961.

"Frankly, I questioned whether the name Pearle for the name of our company was correct. The advertising agencies in those days kept telling me that it was a good name," he says. Now, the 80-year-old Dr. Pearle -- as everyone knows him -- still appears in TV commercials for Pearle Vision, though he's characteristically modest about pioneering the concept of one-stop, total eyecare.

Pearle, who has four children, 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, now lives in Dallas where he remains actively involved as a counselor and ambassador for Pearle Vision, which became a subsidiary of Cole National in 1996. The company has nearly 850 stores in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Dr. Pearle is also a board member of the Pearle Vision Foundation, which provides grants for research and vision education programs.

Where did you get the idea for one-stop eyecare?

It wasn't totally original. I've always tried to look at optical companies around the country and tried to keep up with what consumers were looking for. It seemed to me that they always wanted convenience.

What kind of problems did you run into early on, back when you were considered a "commercial O.D."?

The commercial optometrists were considered "bad boys" in optometry back in those days. The rules advocated by the independent optometrists and the associations of independent optometrists were very restrictive. Other regulations were so severe that it became very difficult to be what I called an "advertising optometrist," which is what I was in those days. Today, it's a different story.

How did you promote your business?

The main thing was strong advertising . I remember when I started, even before Pearle, I always felt that public relations and advertising was very, very important. I think that's what got us started.

Do you consider yourself a pioneer in the industry?

Only in the sense that I believed it was important for O.D.s to present themselves in attractive and convenient locations.

Do you enjoy appearing in the commercials?

It's kind of nice. My children have gotten more enjoyment out of it than I have. I have an ego like everyone else -- although I don't think that it's an exaggerated one.

What advice would you give to a young O.D. just getting out of school today?

I highly recommend optometry as a career today. I think the future is absolutely great . My advice would be -- to young O.D.s, or old O.D.s for that matter -- is obviously to continue to develop your skills. But, in addition to that, my recommendation would be to develop a strong base of business knowledge, because it's so important to understand marketing, managed vision care, and the competition.

What were you like as a child?

I grew up in a very modest background. My experiences as a young man had a lot to do with building my character. I was very active in the Boy Scouts organization. I know it had a lot to do with my life. And, of course I've always been very active in sports and still enjoy sports of all kinds.

Do you play sports?

Well, I played tennis up until a few years ago. I'm 80 now. I played well into my 70s, but my back started bothering me, so now I have to do other kinds of exercises, like riding a stationary bike.

What do you see in the future of optometry?

Optometrists are becoming more like ophthalmologists. Opticians want to be optometrists. I see a big development that way, and I think it's good that the scope of practice is growing. The future looks great for the three Os. And, I think the relationship between the ophthalmologists and optometrists is better now than it has been, even though there are some problems legally. Recently, there's been increased cooperation and I think that's excellent for the future of the eyecare field.

What can the three Os do to get along with one another better?

Communication -- that's the main thing. We will all be more successful if we talk constructively about our mutual concerns.

When people stop you on the streets, what do they say?

They say, "Oh you're that eyeglass man." It doesn't happen too often on the street, but when I'm on a plane and people see my name, they say, "Oh, I see you on TV."

Do they try to get advice?

No, not really. I give too much advice anyway. So I don't go out of my way to give it. EB