Temple University School of Dentistry - Odontolog Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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JOHN A. KOLMER M.D., M.S., D.P.H., Sc.D., LL.D., L.H.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.D. (HON) Born April 24, I 886 Died December II, 1962 In this, the centennial year of our school, a groat physician became a part of history forever. It is with the deepest regret that we acknowledge at this time the passing of Dr. John A. Kolmer who for thirty years served as Professor of Internal Medicine. His gifts to medicine in the field of research are enormous and vast, his writings are innumerable, but his contributions to dentistry through his devotion, understanding, and desire to teach his beloved field of medicino to the dental student will long live on in tho mind of those he chose to enlighten. A moro respected, devoted, or understanding educator and physician could not be found in the field of dental education. In closing, let us leave with you one of his favorite phrases: Do unto others as you would be done by. IN MEMORIAM MAURICE L. LEITCH, B.S.. M.S. Born May 27, 1904 Died January 30, 1963 Professor Maurice L. Leitch, a devoted teacher and gentleman, has passed away. For his many unheralded acts of kindness and fairness, taken for granted, we pay homage to the memory of a friend. As large as he was in stature, ho was just as great in his dedication to his studonts. His infectious good humor, distinctive southern drawl, and extremely calm manner were an integral part of first ycar dentistry at Temple and they shall be sadly missed. 9

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Doctor Michael Salerno, Associate Professor of Prosthetic Dentistry is well known to both students and faculty for his unselfish contribution of time and efforts on behalf of Temple Dental School and the dental profession. Since his appointment to the faculty in 1931, Mike has given devoted service to his fellow man. A tabulation of all the times he has gone out of his way to help others and all the people he has helped would fill this volume. Among Mike's philanthropic activities is his membership on the Board of Directors of the Retarded Children's Association. His deep insight into human nature explains his ability to analyze the problems of the denture patient. His lectures Psychology of the Denture Patient , are classics of the Junior and Senior Prosthetic courses. Upon his retirement the students will sorely miss the Director of the Sobel Lab . ■ We the class of 1963 wish to express our sincere respect and gratitude for these many years of service and sacrifice contributed to our school and the profession. The future of the school and the profession depends upon the legacy of such men as Louis Herman, Carl McMurray and Michael Salerno, a credit to their lives, their school, and their profession. 8

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0nt Hunbreb Wtw 3n mebteto Greatness really consists in doing some great deed with little means . Conwell In 1845 a group of Philadelphia dentists: John D. White, Elisha Townsend, Edward B. Gardette, Samuel C. Mintzer, Leonard Roper, E. Parry, and Robert Arthur, encouraged by the success of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, decided to make an effort to form a dental college in Philadelphia. Using foresight, they thought it advisable to secure the support of the state by organizing a dental society. And indeed, on December 15, 1845, the Pennsylvania Dental Surgeons came into being. Their attempts at securing a charter for the school were plagued by adverse political influence until 1850. At that time, the Honorable Jesse R. Burdon announced that he had, and was willing to sell, his charter—with strings attached. His Honor was to name the Board of Corporators, and the doctors wore to have the privilege of naming the faculty. It was under these conditions that the first dental college in Pennsylvania was organized and became known as The Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery. I 16 Arch Street was selected as the location— now 528 Arch Street—and in November, 1852, in a few rooms over the Jones, White, and McCurdy Dental Depot, the first Philadelphia dental faculty began the education of the dental student body. However, as fate would have it, the Corporators attempted to coerce the faculty into granting degrees to incompetent men. The faculty refused and then resigned. Aside from demonstrating a commendable amount of professional integrity, the faculty did manage to graduate a few men, among whom at least one is particularly worthy of note: Dr. James E. Garretson, Class of 1856, the Father of Oral Surgery. Undaunted, and perhaps a little wiser from their experience, the group at once entered upon the task of organizing another school. With the assistance of Dr. Charles Hamilton, a charter was obtained. The school was to be located at the old site. It was incorporated in the Spring of 1856 by a special Act of Legislature, and Dr. Robert A. Arthur, who, incidentally, received the first dental degree conferred by the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, was elected Dean of the new Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. Numbered among the faculty was one John Hugh McQuillen, M.D., D.D.S., Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery, Class of 1853. After teaching for six years, he decided, in 1862, to resign his chair of Professor of Operative Dentistry and Physiology and plan an institution wherein a well-rounded, spherical education could be realized. For a year McQuillen was a one-man army in his campaign for a new school. The opposition to his plan was considerable, necessitating frequent interviews with public men, hurried trips to Harirsburg, voluminous correspondence, lobbying, and raising funds—for you see, Dr. McQuillen had no money for his project. Nevertheless, McQuillen got his charter. The institution, located at 108-110 North Tenth Street, to be known as The Philadelphia Dental College had to share the announcement of its opening with other, perhaps more momentous, headlines of American history: The war between the states had been going on for two years and by this time most of the Southern states had seceded from the Union and formed a separate government. Soup kitchens and bread lines were in evidence everywhere in Philadelphia and plans for the evacuation of the city before arrival of the Confederate soldiers were being discussed. The school was organized without an endowment fund and, therefore, depended entirely upon tuition fees for upkeep. During the first session each member of the faculty paid $700.00, in addition to contributing time, personal equipment, appliances, instruments, materials, and valuable specimens for the privilege of teaching eleven students. During the second session the faculty fared better; they were only assessed $50.00 each. Thereafter the college became self-sustaining. The original faculty consisted of Charles Kingsbury, M.D., D.D.S., Professor of Operative Dentistry and Dental Physiology; Thomas Wardle, D.D.S., Professor of Mechanical Dentistry and Metallurgy; J. Foster Flagg, D.D.S., Professor of the Institute of Dentistry, and Henry Morton, M.A., Professor of Chemistry. Dr. McQuillen served as Dean (1863-1879) and Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene. In 1866 the renowned Dr. James E. Garretson joined the faculty to lecture on Oral Surgery. Ho resigned two years later to pursue other work, but returned to the Philadelphia Dental College in 1876 determined to make Oral Surgery the first specialty of dentistry. To this end a hospital was organized for which there was no space, necessitating the rental of a small room on the third floor of an adjoining building. In the beginning there were two cots, a few sheets and pillow cases and an old cupboard for 10