Calves that survive dystocia are often affected by injury, stress, pain, inflammation, hypoxia, acidosis and low overall vitality. Yet, vigor scoring systems, like the Apgar score used with human infants, have not been developed and validated. It was the objective of this research to quantify the effects of dystocia, to relate these effects to measurable signs of reduced vigor, and to develop a scoring system from these data. It was hypothesized that the proposed scoring system would be well-correlated with the physiological status of the calf, as well as future health and growth. Data from a comprehensive literature review and 3 separate investigations were used to develop the scoring system. Data were managed in Microsoft Excel and exported into Stata/IC 10 for variable screening and statistical modeling. Univariable or multivariable linear regression models were constructed to determine associations between specific physiological or clinical outcomes of interest. From these basic observations, a newborn calf VIGOR assessment tool was developed that could be quickly and easily performed by dairy producers. The final tool included 10 separate measures, under 5 categories. Visual appearance included measures of meconium staining and tongue/head swelling. Initiation of movement focused on time to sternal recumbency and standing. General responsiveness was assessed through 4 measures, including suckling reflex, the straw tickle test, tongue pinch, and eye reflex. Oxygenation was classified by mucous membrane color. Finally, the rates of heart beats and respirations per minute were scored in 3 broad categories. Using these measures, calving assistance was highly associated with decreasing newborn calf vitality. However, increased time between birth and VIGOR assessment significantly improved the score, due to a longer recovery interval following birth. Associations of meconium staining and eye reflex with assistance at calving were not consistent and should be re-evaluated. In conclusion, the proposed VIGOR Scoring System is ready for dissemination and large-scale assessment, as well as the development of an iPad app for convenient data collection, storage and analysis.