Remarks of Dean William Kotowicz, School of Dentistry

President Bollinger&Provost Cantor&Vice President Omenn& executive officers& fellow Deans& colleagues from the Michigan Dental Association&the Delta Dental Fund&alumni&faculty&emeriti& students&staff&and guests.

Thank you for being with us this afternoon on this special occasion. Its a special moment for all of us at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry for two reasons.

The first is that this year marks the 125^th anniversary of our founding.

Since 1875, more than 9,200 men and women have graduated from the School of Dentistry with dental degrees. Another 2,600 have received either a certificate or a bachelors degree in dental hygiene following the creation of the dental hygiene curriculum in 1921.

More than 1,000 others have received graduate training in dental specialty and PhD programs.

Our graduates have served&and continue to serve&in thousands of communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world.

Most have been practitioners. Many have been researchers and educators. Many have been leaders of professional organizations at local, state, national, and international levels. Four of our faculty and alumni have been president of the American Dental Association.

In preparation for this event we have had the opportunity to review in some detail the history of the School of Dentistry.

I began to read about an institution, but I quickly realized that the institutional history was composed of stories about politicians, presidents, professors, regents, students, and practicing health care professionals. It is a history rich in challenges met and discoveries made.

The program you received when you arrived and some of the exhibits you will see today have many interesting items and pictures that tell our story. Some items in the timeline are bolded. They emphasize areas in which we were pioneers and why, to this day, we continue to be recognized by our peers in the oral health care profession as truly the leaders and best.

Today is special for a second reason.

It marks the end of two years of renovations and additions to the Kellogg Building and gives us an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of many alumni and friends, particularly the three University of Michigan School of Dentistry graduates whose names will become a part of these facilities Dr. Robert W. Browne, Dr. Kenneth A. Easlick, and Dr. Samuel D. Harris.

The spot where we are gathered, the Atrium, was a part of the renovation project. In addition to the skywalks and the glass dome overhead, you will notice that the Gordon H. Sindecuse Museum, which we formally dedicated several years ago, has been expanded. The expansion of the Atrium and the Museum was made possible by a gift from the estate of Dr. Sindecuse.

Another facility  the Student Forum  was also renovated.

Although its located on the ground floor of the dental building  not the Kellogg Building  the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity Student Forum as it will now be called, gives dental and dental hygiene students a place to interact, study, and reflect.

Renovations to the Student Forum were made possible, in part, by a gift from the Detroit Chapter of the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity as well as gifts from numerous individual fraternity members.

Dr. Susan Carron, past president of the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity, would you please step up to the podium to accept this plaque commemorating the support by the Alpha Omega fraternity?

An identical plaque will be placed in the Student Forum.

Since they earned their dental degrees from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, our three honored alumni have had a significant impact on the lives of countless individuals.

They exemplify the plea of Albert Einstein who once said, Its every persons obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he or she takes out of it.

Dr. Samuel D. Harris, Dr. Kenneth A. Easlick, and Dr. Robert W. Browne have, indeed, put back into the world more than they received.

I want to tell you something about each.

Dr. Harris has dedicated his professional and personal life to helping children.

After emigrating to Canada from Kiev, Dr. Harris earned his dental degree in 1924 from the University of Michigan. The following year, he opened a private practice in pediatric dentistry in Detroit and practiced until he retired in 1980.

In 1927, he helped found the American Society of Dentistry for Children. Six years later, in 1933, he published the first issue of the Review of Dentistry for Children and served as its editor for 10 years.

In 1998, Dr. Harris received the highest honor the American Dental Association can bestow  the Distinguished Service Award. Last year, at the age of 96, he was named one of 25 Living Dental Visionaries by the American Student Dental Association.

In 1993, Dr. Harris made a significant pledge toward the pediatric dentistry clinic renovation. A few years later, he made a substantial commitment to help establish an endowed collegiate professorship here at the School of Dentistry. In May, Dr. Robert Feigal was named to the Dr. Samuel D. Harris Endowed Collegiate Professorship. The professorship is a fitting tribute to one of our most distinguished graduates and will allow us to honor him in perpetuity.

Naming the childrens dental unit the Samuel D. Harris Childrens Dental Unit is our way of acknowledging and thanking Dr. Harris for his work and support.

Accepting a plaque on behalf of Dr. Harris is Dr. Robert Feigal, the Samuel D. Harris professor of pediatric dentistry.

An identical plaque is on display in the Samuel D. Harris Childrens Dental Unit in the Kellogg Building.

The Harris Childrens Dental Unit is actually a part of another renovated facility, the Kenneth A. Easlick Pediatric Dentistry Clinic.

Dr. Easlick is considered by many to be the father of pediatric dentistry and was one of the earliest and most influential dental educators in the country.

After earning his dental degree from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 1928, Dr. Easlick developed the Schools first teaching program in dentistry for children.

Eight years later, he received his masters degree and developed the first graduate program in dental public health in the United States. In 1941, he was appointed to the faculty of the School of Public Health. In 1961, he became the first chairman of the Department of Health Development.

Although he retired from the School of Dentistry in 1963 and was named professor emeritus the following year, Dr. Kenneth Easlick didnt slow down. From 1963 to 1974, he was editor of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry and contributed more than 100 books and articles to dental and public health publications.

He also received many honors for his outstanding service to the profession. He was the first to receive the University of Michigans Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award. In 1973, the American Society of Dentistry for Children named Dr. Easlick a Pedodontic Great.

Dr. Easlick was 86 years of age when he died in December 1979. His presence continues to be felt throughout the School of Dentistry. We honor his memory and his contributions by naming the Kenneth A. Easlick Pediatric Dentistry Clinic for him.

There was great support from the Easlick family for this endeavor. In fact, David and Lucy Easlick made a leadership gift to initiate this project. David and Lucy Easlick are not here yet. We will present this plaque to them when they arrive.

An identical plaque is prominently displayed in the Kenneth A. Easlick Pediatric Dentistry Clinic in the Kellogg Building.

Another renovated facility in the Kellogg Building honors Dr. Robert W. Browne. A graduate of the Class of 1952, Dr. Robert W. Browne has spent a lifetime helping others.

After earning his dental degree, he practiced dentistry in Kalamazoo until 1957 when he returned to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry to earn his masters degree in orthodontics.

After earning his masters degree in 1959&and for the next 20 years&Dr. Browne practiced orthodontics in Grand Rapids. In 1962, he and Dr. Robert Richards, another School of Dentistry graduate, created Care Corporation which specialized in long-term care for the elderly. The company later expanded and became publicly held. It was recognized as one of the 10 best managed companies in Michigan.

Despite his success, Dr. Browne has never forgotten his roots. He has been a generous benefactor not only to the School of Dentistry, but to other units at the University of Michigan as well.

In 1984, he made a gift to create an endowed chair in dentistry. In 1994, he made a three-year challenge gift to establish a collegiate professorship in honor of Dr. Donald A. Kerr, an internationally-recognized oral pathologist and the first chair of the Departments of Occlusion and Periodontics.

In 1996, Dr. Browne pledged $1.5 million to the orthodontics program renovation campaign. The funds were used to build the Robert W. Browne Orthodontics Wing in the Kellogg Building.

Asked why he gave, Dr. Browne gave a two-word reply  Lysle Johnston. Internationally renowned, Dr. Johnston holds the Robert W. Browne endowed chair and chairs the Schools Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry.

Dr. Browne went on to say, This gift is motivated by his excellence in teaching and his reputation in research. The contribution is consistent with my view that every gift to the University should benefit its faculty and students.

Bob and Lynne&will you please approach the podium for recognition?

An identical plaque is on display along the first skywalk leading to the Robert W. Browne Orthodontics Wing in the Kellogg Building.

I also want to take a moment to recognize and publicly thank the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for its support.

When it comes to partnerships, the bond between the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the Kellogg Foundation has been long-term and mutually rewarding for more than 60 years.

When the cornerstone of the Kellogg Building was set in 1939, the School and the Foundation had already collaborated for several years developing plans for this building that was specifically designed for post-graduate dental instruction. The Kellogg Foundation granted more than $236,000 for construction; the federal government provided $209,000.

By comparison, I might add, the recent renovations and additions cost about $13 million.

In closing, I want to thank President Bollinger and Provost Cantor not for just being here today, but for the support and opportunities they provide to the School of Dentistry enabling us to hold a prominent place in dental education.

I hope you feel as I do that todays events are not just about facilities, they are about people and what people do with what is provided.

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students, I want to thank our honored guests and all those who preceded us in our 125-year history for the enriched opportunity to be a part of a wonderful heritage.

Please take time to see the renovated facilities. Take a closer look at the exhibits on display in the Sindecuse Museum. And take a moment to visit our library to see an exhibit that showcases the very early years of the School of Dentistry.

You can go in any direction you want. Faculty and students will be in the clinics and in the hallways to help you navigate the maze thats always been a part of the School of Dentistry.

As you check out the new and improved facilities and notice some differences from your days here, we hope you remain proud of your School of Dentistry.

back to top

return to dental news