Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery - Dental Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 10 text:

PROFE .OR1AM JOSEPH A. CUTTITA OCTOBER 25, 1910 NOVEMBER 9, 1976 i ne suaaen aeain ot ur. Joseph A. Cuttita, Professor Emeritus of Dentistry in the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, formerly Assistant Dean for Admissions and Associate Attending Dentist in Presbyterian Hospital, on November 9, 1976, just a few short months following his retirement on June 30th, severely shocked the faculty, student body, supporting staff and alumni of our school. With his demise we lost one of the most highly respected and beloved members of our dental family. Dr. Cuttita was born in New York City on October 25, 1910, and received a baccalaureate degree in 1932 and a Master of Science degree in Chemistry in 1935 from Fordharn University. He was awarded a Doctor of Den- tal Surgery degree here at Columbia University in 1929. Following graduation he was appointed Assistant in Dentistry in the Divi of Stomatology and rose successively to Instructor in 1942, Assistant Professor in 1946, Associate Professor in 1956 and Professor i Dentistry in 1965. Dr. Cuttita enjoyed the satisfaction of and was noted for having two careers during his professional life-long association with our dental school, namely that of clinician-teacher-researcher and that of an admissions officer. In the former capacity he taught dental anatomy and dental therapeutics, but his greatest love was that of teaching oral diagnosis and radiology, wherein he excelled not only in depth of knowledge and skills but especially in his natural ability to communicate with students. His personal warmth and empathy for students was recognized early in his career and soon acknowledged by appointments as Faculty Advisor to the Student Council and Chairman of the Internship Committee, in which posts he served for many years. And then he was made a member of the Admissions Committee, a position he held for 29 years, 22 years of which he served as the Director of the Committee. It was in this latter position that the unusual and vast potential and the oustanding ability of this man were fully realized and appreciated, and it was in this field that he made his greatest contributions. Not only did Dr. Cuttita structure a highly efficient and effective system of screening, interviewing and evaluating candidates for admission, thus assuring for our school the choicest appli- cants from the thousands who sought admission each year, but also served as a masterful guide, using tact and wisdom in wisely counseling unsuccessful applicants into related health science fields. His leadership in the field of Admissions became widely- known and many newly appointed admissions officers in other dental schools sought and imitated his methods. Dr. Cuttita served on numerous committees of the American Dental Association, the Council on National Board Examinations, the First District Dental Society and the Columbia Dental Alumni Association. He was a member of the American Dental Association, American Association for Dental Research, American Association for the Advancement of Science, New York Academy of Science, American College of Dentists, Omicron Kappa Upsilon and Sigma Xi. He served as secretary of the Columbia Chapter of Upsilon, the honorary dental society, for 18 years and was awarded the Bronze Plaque for Meritorious Service by the Columbia Alumni Associa- tion. Dr. Cuttita is survived by his wife, Olga, and six daughters, Mrs. Merwyn (Mary) Carroll, Mrs. Lawrence (Olga) Ibsen, Mrs. John (Ellen) Welch and Joy, Denise and Regina Cuttita. It is interesting to note the emphasis on dental education in the Cuttita family. Mrs. Carroll is a graduate of our School of Den- tal Hygiene with both a bachelor ' s and master ' s degree and is the wife of an oral surgeon who is also a graduate of our dental school, of the Class of 1966. Mrs. Ibsen also holds a bachelor ' s and master ' s degree from our dental hygiene school and is now serving on pur faculty. Mrs. Welch is the third member of the Cuttita family to be awarded a master ' s degree in dental hygiene and is presently the Director of Dental Health Sciences at the Springfield Community College. Denise holds aBachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Columbia and is on the staff of St. Luke ' s Hospital. Joy Cuttita is a mathematics major, holds a master ' s degree from the University of Maryland and is with the Bureau of the Mint in Washington, D.C., and the last of the six daughters, Regina, is a student at Marymount College. To the Cuttita family we extend our deepest and most sincere sympathy on their loss of a loving husband and father, one who was deeply attached arid devoted to his wife and family. And Joe, we of the dental school family are indeed fortunate in having known you, in working with you, in learning from you and in just being with you these many years. We have found through you the true meaning of faith, loyalty and devotion. We shall miss you, remember you and honor you. DR. E.V. ZEGARELLI

Page 9 text:

A FEW WORDS FROM OUR FOREMAN As this article is being written in December, construction crews are busily working above us, below us and right in our midst. The clinic floors are traversed with footprints of cement dust. Gaping holes in the ceiling of the 8th Floor Clinic, each with its plastic drop annoyingly disturb the symmetry of the clinic and puncture its efficiency. And hard-hatted workmen with jackhammers are pounding away incessantly as we try to per- form health services in a professional environment. But worst of all, with the 7th and 9th Floor Clinics in the process of being totally re- constructed, all our clinic activities are concentrated on the 8th Floor and, as you know, in order to provide more time and extract maximum utilization from our operator units, three clinic sessions have been scheduled each day, the frist beginning at 8:30 A.M. and the ast ending at 5:30 P.M. Despite our best efforts we are indeed miserably and agonizing- ly over-crowded; we bump into each other, squeeze past each other, step on each other ' s toes and practically sit on each other ' s laps. The faculty apologizes to the Class of 19 77 for these inconveniences, and we are sorry that you may not ever enjoy the pleasures of working on all three floors of our com- pletely renovated and refurbished clinics. However, you will have had (hopefully) a taste of what the modern dental clinic will be when the 7th and 9th Floor clinics are completed in March. But despite the inconveniences of reconstruction we are confident that your over-all clinical experiences will not have suffered significantly; you are as well-educated and trained as any class we have graduated. And do remember, you will be known as The Reconstrution Class or The Transition Class , titles you will frequently recall and cherish in the future. You had the best of the old and a taste of the new ! And so, to the Reconstruction Class we of the faculty are deeply indebted for your patience and tolerance. We sincerely compliment you on your perseverance and performance and highly congratulate you on your graduation. May the Good Lord doubly bless you and keep you! And may He shower upon you the gifts of Health, Happiness and Prosperity rl EDWARD V. ZEGARELLI, D.D.S. Dean

Page 11 text:

IN MEMORIAM DAVID M. MONAHAN, D.D.J 1939 - 1976 Now you are sad, but I will see you again, and your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you. John 16:22 With affection and respect we remember David Monahan. «, d 1 ? b3 i h ! re i :e ' . ve I d his dental degree from St. Louis University. He comple ' ciate Clinical Professor. His attitude toward his profession was guided by the philosophy by which nis lite: do what is right and do it in the best way possible Thi set for his students and, together with his wife Kitty, for Timmy, Julie and Matthew. His life was short but in his thirty-seven years David putation for honesty, dedication and achievement. He too K eac m im mm -.. ' - -■ = — - .-- vi ivj un. VVOMIILM Ul 1113 IIICMU3IIIU. ni personality - casual, sincere, gentle - earned the respect of his colleagues ai love of his friends. He touched each one of us in a special way. It was a privilege to know him. We shall miss him.