Chapin A. Harris
Encyclopedia
Chapin Aaron Harris A.M.
, M.D.
, D.D.S. (May 6, 1806 in Pompey, N.Y.
- September 29, 1860 in Baltimore
, Maryland
) was an American
physician
and dentist
and dentistry school founder.
, who also tutored him in dentistry, a subject which become his main interest. He subsequently passed the Board of Medical Censors in 1824 and was licensed to practice medicine. He soon commenced practice in Greenfield, Ohio, were he remained for about one year, travelling to Bloomfield, Ohio, then Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1828, Dr. Harris turned to full-time dentistry, and by 1833 was a student of Dr. Horace Henry Hayden located in Baltimore, Maryland. Licensed by the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, Harris conducted an itinerant dental practice throughout the South, before settling permanently in Baltimore in 1835.
Harris received the honorary M. D. degree from Washington Medical College at Baltimore, in which he was a professor in 1838. Shurtleff College
in Alton, Illinois
, conferred an A.M.
degree on him in 1842. His D.D.S. was obtained through membership of the American Society of Dental Surgery, and an honorary D.D.S. degree was conferred upon him by the Philadelphia Dental College in 1854.
in the United States of America, father of American dental science, and a pioneer of dental journalism. He has been inducted in the hall of fame of the Pierre Fauchard Academy.
(ASDS). At a meeting at the home of Solyman Brown BA, MA, MD,DDS, in New York, it was on his motion that the convention to organize a society "resolved that a National Society be formed." He was its first corresponding secretary and its president in 1844. After the disruption of the society in 1856 due to the dental amalgam controversy
, he was one of the foremost organizers of its successor, the American Dental Convention, serving as its president in 1856-57. In 1859, a year before his death, another national dental organization, the American Dental Association
, was established during a meeting in Niagara, New York
. Before 1861 dentists were participant in both dental organizations, which promoted education and research in all aspects of dentistry, including dental materials and remainded active throughout the American Civil War
(1861–1865). However, during the war, Southern dentists withdrew from them and, in 1869 established the Southern Dental Association.. The Southern Dental Association merged with the ADA in 1897 to form the National Dental Association
(NDA). The NDA was renamed the American Dental Association
(ADA) in 1922.
. This first attempt did not meet with success, possibly due to the opposition of Dr. H. Willis Baxley, one of the dental faculty.
Undaunted, Harris persevered in his efforts, and during the winter of 1839-40, almost singlehandedly he gathered the signatures of representative citizens for a petition to the legislature of the state of Maryland for the incorporation of a College of Dental Surgery at Baltimore. Surmounting the opposition of jealous medical rivals, he successfully managed to obtain the charter and with the aid of Horace Henry Hayden, Thomas E. Bond, H. Willis Baxley, S. Brown, E. Parmly and others, he organized the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
in 1840. He was the school's first dean and professor of practical dentistry. After Hayden's death in 1844, he became the school's second president.
The establishment of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
is seen as one of the three crucial steps in the foundation of the dental profession in the United States. " A true profession is built upon a tripod: a formal organization, formal professional education, and a formal scientific literature. The United States was the leader in all three. In 1839-40, the American Society of Dental Surgeons was organized, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was established, and the first dental journal in the world, the American Journal of Dental Science, was founded. At that time there were only about three hundred trained and scientific dentists in the entire country; the rest were relatively untrained operators, outright quacks, or charlatans. In 1898, a list of the first subscribers to the first journal was discovered and published by G.V. Black. These initial subscribers may be considered the core group of truly professional American dentists. They became the leaders of the newly born profession of dentistry. " Harris was instrumental in all three.
Harris died on September 29, 1860, due mainly to overwork.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, D.D.S. (May 6, 1806 in Pompey, N.Y.
Pompey, New York
Pompey is a town in the southeast part of Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,159 at the 2000 census. The town was named after the Roman general and political leader Pompey by a late 18th-century clerk interested in the Classics in the new federal republic.- History :The...
- September 29, 1860 in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
and dentistry school founder.
Education
At the age of 17 Harris studied medicine in Madison, Ohio, in the office of his brother, Dr. John HarrisHarris Dental Museum
The Harris Dental Museum is a small brick building in the village of Bainbridge in Ross County, Ohio, United States. Built as a residence in 1815, it once housed the first dental school in the United States, and it is now operated as a museum....
, who also tutored him in dentistry, a subject which become his main interest. He subsequently passed the Board of Medical Censors in 1824 and was licensed to practice medicine. He soon commenced practice in Greenfield, Ohio, were he remained for about one year, travelling to Bloomfield, Ohio, then Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1828, Dr. Harris turned to full-time dentistry, and by 1833 was a student of Dr. Horace Henry Hayden located in Baltimore, Maryland. Licensed by the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, Harris conducted an itinerant dental practice throughout the South, before settling permanently in Baltimore in 1835.
Harris received the honorary M. D. degree from Washington Medical College at Baltimore, in which he was a professor in 1838. Shurtleff College
Shurtleff College
Shurtleff College was founded 1827 in Alton, Illinois by Reverend John Mason Peck as Alton Seminary. It became Shurtleff College in 1836 honoring Dr. Brendon Shurtleff, of Boston, who donated $10,000 to the college. Andrew Carnegie in 1910 donated $15,000 for construction of a library...
in Alton, Illinois
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
, conferred an A.M.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree on him in 1842. His D.D.S. was obtained through membership of the American Society of Dental Surgery, and an honorary D.D.S. degree was conferred upon him by the Philadelphia Dental College in 1854.
Achievements
Harris is considered one of the founding members of the profession of DentistryDentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
in the United States of America, father of American dental science, and a pioneer of dental journalism. He has been inducted in the hall of fame of the Pierre Fauchard Academy.
Contribution to dental literature
As early as 1835 Harris became an active contributor to medical and periodical literature as one of the most vigorous and productive dental writers, causing him to be regarded as the founder of dental literature in the US. He was also a contributor to medical and periodical literature.- 1839: Publication of his first book, The Dental Art, a Practical Treatise on Dental Surgery.
- 1845: Second edition of the above book with a new title: Principles and Practice of Dental Surgery. The book was edited 11 more times with the last edition in 1896. It was the most useful dental textbook of the nineteenth century.
- 1840: Founder, first chief editor and publisher of the world first dental periodical, the American Journal of Dental Science. He continued as editor until his death in 1860.
- 1842: Publication of Diseases of the Maxillary Sinus.
- 1849: Publication of the Dictionary of Dental Surgery, Biography, Bibliography and Medical Terminology, a volume of 779 pages, the first dental dictionary in the English language, the sixth edition of which appeared in 1898.
First national dental organization
In 1840 he was the first to respond to the call of Dr. Horace Henry Hayden to organize the American Society of Dental SurgeonsAmerican Society of Dental Surgeons
The American Society of Dental Surgeons was the first national dental organization formed in the United States of America. The formation of the ASDS was preceded by the formation of the Society of Dental Surgeons of the City and State of New York when fifteen dentists came together in New York...
(ASDS). At a meeting at the home of Solyman Brown BA, MA, MD,DDS, in New York, it was on his motion that the convention to organize a society "resolved that a National Society be formed." He was its first corresponding secretary and its president in 1844. After the disruption of the society in 1856 due to the dental amalgam controversy
Dental amalgam controversy
The dental amalgam controversy refers to the conflicting views over the use of amalgam as a filling material mainly because it contains the element mercury...
, he was one of the foremost organizers of its successor, the American Dental Convention, serving as its president in 1856-57. In 1859, a year before his death, another national dental organization, the American Dental Association
American Dental Association
The American Dental Association is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 155,000 members. Based in Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association and promotes good oral health to the public while representing the dental...
, was established during a meeting in Niagara, New York
Niagara, New York
Niagara is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 8,378. The town is named after the famous waterfall Niagara Falls....
. Before 1861 dentists were participant in both dental organizations, which promoted education and research in all aspects of dentistry, including dental materials and remainded active throughout the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865). However, during the war, Southern dentists withdrew from them and, in 1869 established the Southern Dental Association.. The Southern Dental Association merged with the ADA in 1897 to form the National Dental Association
National Dental Association
The National Dental Association is a professional association of minority dentists based in Washington, DC and operating in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Formed in 1913, it is the largest such association in the world...
(NDA). The NDA was renamed the American Dental Association
American Dental Association
The American Dental Association is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 155,000 members. Based in Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association and promotes good oral health to the public while representing the dental...
(ADA) in 1922.
First dental college in the United States
With the assistance and advice of three other physicians, he worked tirelessly to establish the first dental school in the world. Apparently his initial attempt was to establish a dental training school attached to the Medical Department of the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
. This first attempt did not meet with success, possibly due to the opposition of Dr. H. Willis Baxley, one of the dental faculty.
Undaunted, Harris persevered in his efforts, and during the winter of 1839-40, almost singlehandedly he gathered the signatures of representative citizens for a petition to the legislature of the state of Maryland for the incorporation of a College of Dental Surgery at Baltimore. Surmounting the opposition of jealous medical rivals, he successfully managed to obtain the charter and with the aid of Horace Henry Hayden, Thomas E. Bond, H. Willis Baxley, S. Brown, E. Parmly and others, he organized the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, , is the birthplace of the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree , and is known as the first dental college in the world.- History :...
in 1840. He was the school's first dean and professor of practical dentistry. After Hayden's death in 1844, he became the school's second president.
The establishment of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, , is the birthplace of the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree , and is known as the first dental college in the world.- History :...
is seen as one of the three crucial steps in the foundation of the dental profession in the United States. " A true profession is built upon a tripod: a formal organization, formal professional education, and a formal scientific literature. The United States was the leader in all three. In 1839-40, the American Society of Dental Surgeons was organized, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was established, and the first dental journal in the world, the American Journal of Dental Science, was founded. At that time there were only about three hundred trained and scientific dentists in the entire country; the rest were relatively untrained operators, outright quacks, or charlatans. In 1898, a list of the first subscribers to the first journal was discovered and published by G.V. Black. These initial subscribers may be considered the core group of truly professional American dentists. They became the leaders of the newly born profession of dentistry. " Harris was instrumental in all three.
Harris died on September 29, 1860, due mainly to overwork.
External links
- The Ohio Historical Society- A brief history of Chapin A. Harris and colleagues
- Pierre Fauchard Academy- PFA International Hall of Fame of Dentistry