Northwestern University Dental School - Purple and Gold Yearbook (Evanston, IL)

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In the winter of 1890-QI there were a number of men who had obtained some prominence as teachers in dentistry in Chicago who were not then engaged in teaching. Dr. Thomas L. Gilmer gave a dinner at the Leland Hotel, to which Drs. George H. Cushing. Edgar D. Swain, Edmund Noyes and XV. V. B. Ames were invited, and to whom he opened the subject of the formation of a new dental school. There were at the time two or three dental schools in the city that were not succeeding well, and the question of the reorgan- ization of some one o-f these was discussed, with the result that Dr. Gilmer was authorized to investigate the advisability of the purchase of the American College of Dental Surgery, then under the control of Dr. Clendenen. At a subsequent meeting Dr. Gilmer reported adversely to the purchase of that plant. Chicago University was then in process of organization, and an interview was had with Presi- dent Harper with reference to the organization of a dental school as a department of that university, but at that time they were not ready for such an undertaking. The discussion of various schemes con- tinued from time to time until the resignation of the faculty of the University Dental College- seemed to create an opening in that direc- 'tion. Dr. Henry Wfade Rogers had recently become President of Northwestern University and was actively engaged in bringing the professional schools, which had previously but a nominal connec- tion with the university at Evanston, into a close relationship. He was seen with regard to the reorganization of this college, which he actively favored. After a number of conferences between the parties interested, which included the outgoing members of the old faculty and the officers of Chicago Medical College. an organization was effected under the charter of Northwestern University. and the charter of the University Dental College from the state allowed to lapse. In making this change the word college was dropped and the word school substituted, in accord with a policy of thc univer- sity, in which the teaching organizations under its jurisdiction are called schools rather than colleges. The new school took the name Northwestern University Dental School. Chicago Medical College also came int-o a closer relationship with the university and took the name Northwestern University Medical School. The new dental faculty was composed of Edgar D. Swain CDeanj, Edmund Noyes CSGCl'6iQ211'j'Il, G. Y. Black. GCOVHU H- 221

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Q YY! Q 'ON' 1 3! Nw fm ww I N -9' - 'R , . 9 w University Dental College, which preceded North- western University' Dental School, was organized under a charter from the State of Illinois in 1887. i,VA .r'-L The first session was held in the winter of 1887- he iiiii 1888 with a class' of six students, the dental faculty consisting of VV. VV. Allport QEmeritusj, L. P. Haskell, R. P. Ludwig, John S. Marshall QDeanj, A. E. Baldwin, Charles P. Pruyn, C. R. Baker and Arthur B. Freeman. An agreement was effected between President 'Cummings of Northwestern University, Nathan S. -Davis, Dean of the Chicago. Medical College, and the faculty of the new dental college, by which its students should take lectures in anatomy, physiology,histology, materia medica, patho-logy and surgery with the medical classes, but this agreement involved no further con- nection with the medical college. Also, the connection with North- western University was nominal and prospective, the university assuming no responsibility for the denta.l college. The new college was lo-cated on Twenty-sixth Street, near the medical college. The students were required to take a course of three years, of seven months each, before graduation. This was the first dental college to make this requirement, and this fact operated very much against its success in obtaining students, so that its classes remained very' small, there being only eleven students at the end of the sec-ond year. VVith the beginning of the third yearthe three-year course was made optional, and the students were allowed to elect to take a two years' course. At the end of the fourth year the class numbered nineteen. The college could not continue to meet its expenses on the income derived from this number of students. and at the end of the year the faculty resigned, This was in the spring' of ISQI. ' 220

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Cushing, J. S. Marshall, Charles P. Pruyn, Isaac A. Freeman, Thomas L. Gilmer, Arthur B. Freeman, B. S. Palmer, W. V. B. Ames, Arthur E. Ma.tteson, E. L. Clifford, G. W. Haskins, G. VV. Vlfhitfield, D. M. Cattell and H. P. Smith. Arrangements were made with the medical school by which the dental stude-nts took the lectures in anatomy, physiology, histology, chemistry, materia medica and therapeutics, medical jurisprudence and genera.l surgery with the medical classes. The school was re- moved to more commodious quarters on Twenty-second Street, but near enough to be convenient to the medical school, which was also removed to new quarters -on Dearborn Street near Twenty-fourth. In the summer of ISQI the NationalAssociation of Dental Faculties passed an orde.r which required all schools affiliated with it to extend the co-urse of study to three terms of not less than six months each in separate years before graduation., This order was complied with at once and the neworganization began its first session with a class of fifty-three students, only six of who-m came from the old scho-ol. 'After two years in this location the schoo-l was m-oved into new buildings erected on Dearborn Street, between Twenty-fourth and Twenty-lifth streets, and was housed with the medical school, each, however, having its o-wn rooms, clinical outfits and laboratories. In this location., and with these arrangements, the school was fairly prosperous and the number of students more than doubled, so that in the fall of ISQS there were a hundred and twenty-eight. VVith this number in the dental school, and the continued increase in the medical school, the space was overcrowded, so that it became neces- sary to procure additio-na.l b-uildings outside fo-r a portion of the labo-ra.tories of the dental, school. This arrangement was very unsat- isfactory, as it required much running to and fro, and it was clear that something else must be do-ne in order to accommodate the in- creasing demands. - ln the mean-time the American College of Dental Surgery had been purchased -by Dr. Theodore Menges and o-thers, its equipment had been improved, it was beinig put in a. better condition for giving instruction, and its classes were rapidly increasing in numbers. Dr. Menges, who was showing much energy and tact, especially in gain- ing students, pro-posed in the winter of 1895-96 a consolidation of these two schools. After numerous conferences usual to such pro- 222