UNC School of Dentistry - Impressions Yearbook (Chapel Hill, NC)

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A portion of the first dental class and faculty. Can you First clinic patient, Ella J. Smith of Chapel Hill with (l-r) Dr. Walter Hall, Dr. Cecil Ha recognize Dr. Jack Shankle, Dr. Roger Sturdevant, Dr. Cecil Dr. Roger Sturdevant and Dr. John Brauer. Lupton and Dr. Clifford Sturdevant? Construction was begun for the Dental Research Center in 1965. This 45,000 square foot facility was made possible through initial, substantial funds contributed by dentists in North Carolina The school ' s first dean. Dr. John C. Brauer, resigned in 1966 and Dr. James W. Bawden assumed the leadership of the school. Within a short period of time the Dental Research Building was completed and dedicated. Within weeks ground was broken for a new dental school addition of over 100,000 square feet. During the late planning of this new facility, construction money became a problem. The dentists of North Carolina quickly came to the rescue and pledged $35,000 to insure the architects fees, in the event the state legislature did not approve money for the fourth floor of this facility. However, the people of North Carolina through the legislature provide«i the total additional amount for the construction of the fourth floor of th new School of Dentistry wing and the pledges were not needed after al It is meaningful to note the intended support by the dentists of Nort Carolina during this financial crisis. Prior to the construction of the Dental Research Center, the origin building was bursting at the seams and research space was borrowei wherever possible on campus for temporary use. The new Dent; Research Center was soon filled to capacity and became one of fiv regional dental research centers in the United States. 4

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I Dr. John C. Brauer, who was the Dean of the School of Dentistry, Jniversity of Southern California at Los Angeles, at the time of his flection, was appointed Dean of the new School at U.N.C. When fr. Brauer arrived in Chapel Hill in January of 1950, he established Itime table of nine months Ganuary-September, 1950) in which to iterview and select the first members of the clinical faculty; to esign a four-year curriculum leading to the D.D.S. degree; to Iterview and accept students for admission to the first-year class; I nd to provide adequate facilities for the teaching of pre-clinical purse work in the first two years of operation. Two World War II ‘uonset huts were procured and one of these was redesigned to low for the teaching of the preclinical technic courses. The ?cond quonset hut was modified to permit conduct of laboratory .rocedures and instruction in human anatomy. HISTORY C»Z i(Z Prior to June 1954, The State of North Carolina did not have a dental school to educate dentists to serve the citizens of this Commonwealth. North Carolina had to rely on its residents being accepted as students in the dental schools of other states. Fortunately, there were a number of graduates from various schools who elected to become residents of our state and to practice here. But, there were relative- ly few dentists to serve ou r people when compared with other states in the Union. Because of this situation the dentists of North Carolina, with the continued leader- ship of Dr. Henry O. Lineberger, Sr., initiated a comprehensive survey to determine the dental needs of the state. Considering the facts revealed by the survey, the General Assembly of 1949 authorized the activation of the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina. During the first year of that four year period of time, the Dental Foundation of North Carolina was established. Initial funds of $100 100 were raised, literally in a few days, from the dentists of the North Carolina Dental Society and friends. 1952 saw the completion of the first School of Dentistry building. In 1953 and 1954 graduate programs in oral surgery, orthodontics and pedodontics were initiated; in 1953 Continuing education courses were offered in Endodontics, Pedodontics and Periodontics; the first class of Dental Hygienists enrolled in 1953 and graduated in 1955; one textbook had been published, another one was in the process, and yet another one was on the drawing board; a correspondence course for dental assistants was being offered and claimed more student partici- pation than any of the correspondence courses offered by the Univer- sity at that time; and, a new concept in dental education was created in the Intramural (private practice) program for faculty participation. Closed circuit television was installed in 1956 by funds from the Dental Foundation of North Carolina. This system pioneered audiovisual services in dental education and was one of the first in- stalled and utilized in a dental school in the United States. At the same time a research laboratory in the school was equipped, and air con- ditioned, by the Dental Foundation of North Carolina. A program for dental assistant education was offered in 1957 funded by the Public Health Service as one of five in the United States. The original School of Dentistry building was air conditioned in 1964. 3

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fter the new School of Dentistry wing was dedicated and occupied in 1967, space as absorbed quickly and within a year walls were being built to utilize the lacious waiting room areas for faculty and student needs. In 1969, a new undergraduate curriculum was introduced which differed eatly from the traditional curriculum, followed previously by this school and ost schools. Modification and evaluation continues, all of which is an effort to iprove instruction and educational opportunity. The old dental clinic was completely modernized in 1972 through gifts from private donors and the old pedodontic-periodontic wing has been redesigned as a modern 19 chair endodontic clinic, the most complete endodonic clinical facility known anywhere. The dental hygiene clinic in the early 70 ' s. 5