Dental Health

Beginning to 1950 -- J. Henry Clarke, DMD, MS

Origins

The School of Dentistry of the Oregon Health Sciences University evolved from two parent schools. One, the Tacoma College of Dental Surgery, began in Tacoma, Washington, in 1893 and was the second dental school on the U.S. Pacific Coast. The other parent school, the Oregon College of Dentistry, received a charter in December of 1898. That same year, the Tacoma school moved to Portland, Oregon, and became North Pacific Dental College, apparently hoping to attract more students in the larger city. Both schools opened their doors in the fall of 1899. At the end of that year they (wisely) decided to merge taking the name of North Pacific Dental College (NPDC). Since then the name has been changed five more times (probably more than any other dental school). In 1908, a college of pharmacy was added and in 1910, rather than continue having two names (North Pacific College of Dentistry and North Pacific College of Pharmacy), the name was changed to simply North Pacific College. The school of pharmacy continued until 1941.

In 1924, the school, which had been a proprietary institution, was reorganized as a public trust and the name was changed again, this time to North Pacific College of Oregon.

In 1945, the school became part of the University of Oregon and the new name was the Dental School of the University of Oregon. Over time, the name came to be most often written as the University of Oregon Dental School (U.O.D.S.).

In 1974, the schools of Dentistry, Medicine and Nursing were separated from the University of Oregon and merged into a new institution in the State System of Higher Education. The name was the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center (UOHSC), and the dental school was the UOHSC Dental School. Besides being a long and awkward name, it was confusing because it implied that the health sciences center was still a part of the University of Oregon, which it was not. In 1981, the problem was corrected by changing the name to Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) and the dental school became the OHSU School of Dentistry. That is the name today (1999) and one might hope it will last a long, long time.

Couch Street
When the two schools merged in 1900, the Oregon College of Dentistry moved in with North Pacific into a beautiful, ornate building on 15th and Couch Streets in northwest Portland (Fig. 1). The building had previously housed Oregon's medical school, which at that time was the Medical Department of Willamette University.

The second floor contained a lecture hall with table-arm chairs and seating for 200 people. In addition, there were administration and faculty offices, science laboratories, clinical facilities and an amphitheater to accommodate 100 students.

The fine old building had been constructed for the Medical Department of Willamette University beginning in 1886 and completed in 1887. Prior to this construction, the medical department had occupied a very inadequate space in a livery stable on the corner of Park and Jefferson.

In 1901, ten students who had begun their dental educations before the merger made up the first graduating class. In 1902, 41 graduated.

In 1900, female dentists were a rarity, but North Pacific could boast two in the new school's entering class: Lizzie Stewart and Alice Magilton. The male students decided the women had to "prove" themselves fit by undergoing an initiation and by being able to face the Anatomy Laboratory "like men". The two women passed both tests with no difficulty and were accepted as equals.

When the two schools merged in 1900, Dr. Norris Cox, the former dean of the Oregon College of Dentistry, because the first dean of NPDC. In 1901, Dr. Herbert C. Miller became the second dean.

The dental school curriculum at that time was a three-year program. The academic year was seven months. The entrance requirement was one year of high school and a certificate of acceptance into the second year. In 1906, the academic year was lengthened to eight months and a high school diploma was required.

The dental school occupied the building on Couch Street until 1910. However, by 1905, the enrollment had grown beyond the facility. When the Lewis and Clark Exposition ended that year, the dental college contracted for use of one of the buildings near southwest 20th Avenue where the Portland Civic Stadium now stands. This became the NPDC Annex.

Oregon Street
The school administrators began planning to build a newer, larger building on Northeast 6th and Oregon Streets. The new building was completed in 1910 -- just in time, because the same year, the old school burned to the ground. In 1911, the school moved into the new building. The school moved again in 1956, but the Oregon Street Building is still standing and still in use as an office building (Fig. 2).

In 1924, Dr. Miller retired as dean and Dr. Louis J. Fitzpatrick became the third dean of North Pacific. He served as dean until 1942 when he retired due to ill health. At that time, Herbert Miller again stepped in as dean from 1942 to 1945.

In August of 1918, in response to a War Department order, military training was introduced at North Pacific College. Although World War I ended that year, the program was integrated into the curriculum to prepare dental students for commissions in the army and navy dental corps as needed. After graduation, members of the dental reserve became Reserve Officers in the Pacific Coast Auxiliary of the Association of Military Dental Surgeons. The program was a form of ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) and continued for many years. The last time the military training is mentioned is in the 1934-35 catalogue (Announcement).

With the U.S. entry into World War II, the 1942-43 catalogue announced a new military program. Dental students who passed the physical examination were deferred from active duty until they completed their dental education. They received immediate appointments as second lieutenants in the army or a special classification in the navy with commissions as Ensigns upon graduation. The curriculum for these students was accelerated by instituting a four-quarter, year-round curriculum thus completing the four year program in three years (Fig. 3). The four-year curriculum had been started in 1924.

In 1899, there were 18 students enrolled. By 1922, applications had increased to a point that required the dental school to limit the entering class to 100 students, and the competitive application procress began. In 1937, two years of college pre-dental preparation was required.

During the years 1909 to 1937, the school generally received ratings of A with an occasional B from the Dental Education Council of America which had an A-B-C rating system. Then the rating system was changed to the present system of accreditation by the American Dental Association. In 1944, the ADA Council on Dental Education withheld the accreditation of North Pacific College of Oregon.

On July 1, 1945, the dental school officially became part of the University of Oregon. That same year, Dr. Harold J. Noyes of Chicago was chosen to become the new dean and the school was granted provisional approval for accreditation. In 1946, dean Noyes officially assumed office as the fourth dean of the school, and in 1948, the Dental School of the University of Oregon received full accreditation from the A.D.A. Council on Dental Education.

 Chronology of the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry