An Auspicious Development: ADA Sesquicentennial

The American Dental Association (ADA) Sesquicentennial celebrations in Hawaii in October 2009 bode well for both the profession’s future and the annals of dental history. The industry of the 2009 ADA House of Delegates was reflected in several accomplishments that included such matters as the resolution supporting tobacco-free school environment policies, the collaboration with other health professionals in addressing the obesity issue, and support for legislative action to prevent dental plans from capping the amount dentists can charge for services not covered by plans.

One of the significant accomplishments¹ of the House of Delegates in the 150th year of ADA’s existence was the election of the Association’s first African American President-Elect. For this honor the delegates chose Dr. Raymond Gist of Flint, Michigan [Personal communication from Director of Development Foundation, ADA, D. Edwards, Oct. 28, 2009]. Coming on the heels of ADA’s 2009 appointment of its first female Executive Director, the Honolulu achievement looms large and confirms the observation that the Association has not been among “the last to lay the old aside.”² Furthermore, 18 years ago in 1991 when it selected Dr. Geraldine T. Morrow of Anchorage, Alaska as its first female President and 6 years ago in 2003 when it selected Dr. Eugene Sekiguchi of Monterey Park, California as its first Japanese American President, the ADA and other exemplary health professional organizations were among the “first by whom the new are tried.”

This time at the Sesquicentennial observances, Delegates elected one of ADA’s most loyal, dependable and productive members from an equally loyal and dependable constituent Association. Thirty-five years ago, the Michigan State Dental Association joined its fellow constituent in composing a New York/Michigan State Dental Associations’ resolution³ that embraced adoption of a strong anti-discrimination requirement and penalizing state and local dental societies for “nonconformance with the spirit, intent and letter of ADA bylaws.” Dr. Gist, a past president of the contemporary Michigan Dental Association, is a 1966 dental alumnus of the University of Michigan. Incidentally, it is uncanny and of more than passing interest to note that Dr. Gist is the first Michigander to be elected ADA President-Elect since President F. Darl Ostrander served as ADA President in 1967–1968. A highly valued and popular dental professor in the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Dr. Ostrander was one of Dr. Gist’s dental teachers. Ostrander’s election and year of service as ADA President-Elect coincided with Ray Gist’s year of graduation as a dentist in 1966. Dr. Gist has been a private practitioner of General Dentistry in Flint, Michigan since completing his service in the U.S. Air Force Dental Corps in 1968. An ADA member for 35 years, he has been a delegate to the Federal Dental International Congress, is a member of the Board of Directors ADA Political Action Committee, is Chairman of the ADA Committee for the Institute for Diversity, served as the Ninth District member of the ADA Board of Trustees, and is a member of the National Dental Association.

Dr. Raymond Gist

The historical importance of this first-time development prompts a brief review⁴ of the long road organized dentistry has traveled towards this particular milestone.

Eventful Background

The ADA was organized in 1859, just two years prior to the start of the U.S. Civil War.⁵ Inimical relations between the North and South were reflected in the health professions. After the war (in 1869) dentists from the South organized the Southern Dental Association to represent dentists of that region. This separate organization persisted until August 5, 1897 when in the spirit of reconciliation a merger occurred following a resolution that called for members of both associations to reorganize themselves into the initial National Dental Association (which later became the ADA). At that time, only White dentists were accepted as members of the National Dental Association. Solely on the basis of race, minority group dentists were rebuffed by local and state dental societies whose approval was essential for ADA membership...