Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - History of University of Illinois at Chicago (1921) [PAGE 12]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

HISTORICAL SKETCH

xxiii

II-HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY

The origins of our College of Dentistry run back to 1898. On July 1 of that year a meeting was held to start the organization of the Illinois School of Dentistry, which was the fore-runner of our College of Dentistry, and on Aug. 17 of that year the new name was adopted at the suggestion of Dr. D . M . Cattell. Others prominent in the organization were Drs. G. W. Cook, F . N . Brown, A. E . Morey, G. T. Carpenter, E . D . Brothers, and R. P . Donaldson. This Illinois School of Dentistry was once known as the Columbian Dental College, and had been running six years when the name was changed in 1898. The first location was at 155-159 Clark Street; later the School was moved to the corner of State and Quincy, and then to Van Buren and Clark. At the time the University took it over it was in charge of Dr. F . N . Brown as dean. Our College of Dentistry proper began to take shape in 1900 and 1901, when suggestions for establishing a dental department in the College of Medicine were often heard. On Jan. 23, 1901, Dr. 0 . A. King addressed the University Board of Trustees urging the organization of such a department, and the Board gave its general approval of the idea. A committee was appointed, and made a report in March. This was to the general effect t h a t the Illinois School of Dentistry with $7,000 worth of equipment and an enrollment of 100 might be obtained. A corporation, organized under state laws, it had a standard curriculum, and as early as 1898 had appeared willing to be absorbed b y t h e University of Illinois. Two committees entered into negotiations for the transfer. The one from our College of Medicine was made u p of Drs. D . A. K. Steele, O. A. King, and W. M . Harsha. The Illinois School of Dentistry was represented by Drs. B. J. Cigrand and E . D . Brothers, and by R. P . Donaldson. They with the Board of Trustees of the University ascertained that the property could be had for $17,000, that it_ could be paid for in bonds of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and that possession would be given May 15 (1901.) I t would be known as an entirely new school—the School of Dentistry of the University of Illinois. These conditions being agreed to, the contract was made, and signed by Drs. William M . Harsha, O. A. King, and D. A. K. Steele, the College of Medicine committee. The new school opened Oct. 3, 1901, as a department of the College of Medicine, with a faculty of sixteen headed by Dr. A. H . Peck. The other professors were Drs. D . M. Cattell, operative dentistry and operative technics; B . J. Cigrand, prosthetic dentistry, technics, and history; G. W. Cook, bacteriology and general pathology; D . A. K. Steele, oral surgery; J. N . McDowell, orthodontia; W. T. Eckley, anatomy; J. F . Burkholder, physiology; F . C. Zapffe, dental histology; J. A. Wesener, chemistry; S. E . Meek, comparative anatomy; O. A. King, neurology; E . D . Brothers, dental jurisprudence; J. M. Patton, general anesthesia and physical diagnosis; G. W. Dittmar, operative technics and superintendent of infirmary; C. O. Bechtol, chemistry. In addition* were three chief demonstrators; C. E . Jones, C. N . Thompson, and R. W. Parker (also Dittmar and Eckley, named above in the faculty list.) Dr. Cigrand was secretary and Dr. Steele actuary. The College was organized into the following departments; Operative dentistry, prosthetic dentistry, bacteriology and general pathology, oral surgery, orthodontia, general anatomy, physiology, histology, chemistry, comparative anatomy, neurology, jurisprudence, general anesthesia and physical diagnosis. Dr. Peck, dean of the old Illinois School, who was retained to head the new Department of Dentistry, had graduated from the Chicago College of Dental Surgery in 1888, and from Rush Medical College in 1891. After a year of teaching at Hammond, Wis., he joined the faculty of the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, and served for several years in addition to some teaching at the Northwestern School of Dentistry. He was president, one year and secretary four years of the Chicago Dental Society, and had written extensively on dental subjects. Dr. Peck served as dean until 1903. H e was succeeded by Dr. B. J. Cigrand, who held the place until 1906, when Dr. G. W, Cook came in. His term lasted until t h e College was discontinued in 1913. When instruction was resumed, Dr. F . B. Moorehead, the present dean, took up the work. xxii

i ln> (-ollege was quartered in the same building as it is today—-corner of Harrison ... i Monroe streets, the old home of the College of Medicine. I t had been damaged J ii<<\ but was rebuilt and put in order for the opening exercises Oct. 3, 1901. The • ii. f*r of Medicine building, on the^north, was at the time the largest of its kind in • I. United States. Indeed the new College of Dentistry quarters and equipment M 11iiusually complete. The laboratories, each of 120-student capacity and occupy• «.r- i.uir Moors, were among the largest in any college of the United States. The build• •i • «»f brick and stone, six stories, and cost $100,000. Being just opposite the Cook 1 ••mii.y hospital, it is in t h e very center of the Chicago clinical field. \i hMission was limited to students who could show a certificate of entrance to the • ""<l year of high school, or its equivalent. This requirement rose in 1905-06 to • • v«\M,rs of high school; in 1906-07 to four; in 1908-09 to accredited high school; and »" I'M)*)-10 to the standard 15 units of high school as specified for the other depart• •. ni.i iif the University. The college year lasted seven months—Oct. 3 to M a y 4, "i» (he (customary intermissions. There was no sophomore class, the work being i "IreI among freshmen, juniors, and seniors, making up a three-year course. The > • mi. of|,he student was about equally divided between laboratory and clinical work '. i in- one hand and lectures and recitations on the other. Students were admitted f • ih<« laboratories from the beginning of the first year. Materials were furnished

•I ".Ml,,

I he first graduating class went out in 1902, and numbered forty members. i he odicers of the first Alumni Association were Dr. Clayton McCauley, president; I" . 1. S. Swihart, treasurer, and Dr. C. E. Jones, secretary. rims the new School ran along until Apr. 27, 1905, when it was decided to change iii- name from School of Dentistry to College of Dentistry, separate from the College ••i ' lediciue. The old arrangement had caused some confusion; some called the School •• - hool, some a college, and some a department. I t was accordingly thought best «•• •'-organize the dentistry work as the College of Dentistry. Plans for doing this it "I been under way since early in 1904. I'he College of Dentistry work was headed during these middle-distance years I. Dr. B. J. Cigrand (1903-06) and Dr. G. W. Cook (1906-13.) Dr. Cigrand held •i- r"*«'s from the Northern Indiana State Normal School, '86 and '91, and from the •I- "Ul department of Lake Forest College, '88. He also attended the Chicago School •i . '• ienees and the Haskell School of Prosthetics. He had taught in the American • -lli-tfe of Dental Surgery (President, 1893) and in the Northwestern School of Den'••• 11 y. At one time he was editor of the Dental World. Dr. Cook received his D.D.S. Iowa State University and also attended Northwestern University Medical • iiuol and the Haskell School. He joined the College of Dentistry faculty in 1900. N. was editor of the American Dental Journal nine years, and wrote numerous articles • •IniUstry. H e died several years ago. M Die history of the College of Dentistry is closely linked with t h a t of the College i \ I «•( 1 ieine. When the latter was discontinued temporarily in 1912 because of inability « • " new the lease, t h e dentistry work stopped also. T h e State Legislature had failed • ' l««'l|> out. Previously t h e income from fees had been enough to pay expenses, b u t i > i 'M 2 this was no longer adequate for the support of a high-grade institution. There • n rordingly no class of 1913 on the alumni roll. The cessation of the College of Dentistry alarmed t h e Derital Alumni Association • !"i.,,i, as much as the medical crisis alarmed the Medical Alumni Association. On I ' l . 12, 1913, the Dental Association presented to the Board of Trustees an urgent • • -I'li-sl, to reopen the College of Dentistry—a request signed by 125 of the alumni^ I also supported by the deans of the other dental colleges in Chicago. The alumni • •••miiilifcee in charge consisted of Drs. E . D . Brothers, G. W. Cook, and A. C. Kingsley. i in M months later Dr. F . B. Moorehead, now dean of the College, appeared before O • ii- Board to urge again t h a t the College of Dentistry be reopened. After much dism the Board made the guarded statement t h a t " i t would be desirable to organize •' - inifcific department of dentistry when the medical school shall be well established." • »i-rl/heless, the dental plans went forward vigorously, for on July 2, President James • • Miimended t h a t the College be reopened on the following Oct. 1, with four years i iM«rh school work, the regular standard of the University, as prerequisite. A t o t a l •i ,'0,000 for equipment and $15,000 for salaries was appropriated, and Dentistry •' i l.hus enabled to go ahead on the same basis as the rest of the University. Chem• " , general bacteriology, general pathology, and physiology were taught in t h e »«•• -IH-III building. " T h e faculty are committed to the task," said the Bulletin of t h e M'imm Association, " o f building up a course of instruction which will prepare t h e