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School of Dentistry Records
AR.2015.4  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Preferred Citation
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • School of Dentistry Historical Note
  • "Treasure Chest" Historical Note
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement
  • Separated Materials

  • Language of Material: English
    Contributing Institution: University of California, San Francisco Archives & Special Collections
    Title: School of Dentistry records
    Identifier/Call Number: AR.2015.4
    Physical Description: 4 Linear Feet (1 carton, 1 box, 2 oversize boxes)
    Date (inclusive): 1855-1997
    Abstract: Collection includes photographs, printed material, and ephemera related to the history of the UCSF School of Dentistry, dated 1855-1997. Of special note is the “Treasure Chest” material, including Dental Department/College of Dentistry exams, course requirements, and other material.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], School of Dentistry records, AR 2015-4, Archives and Special Collections, University of California, San Francisco.

    Conditions Governing Access

    Collection is open for research.

    Conditions Governing Use

    Copyright has not been assigned to the UCSF Library and Center for Knowledge Management. All requests for permission to publish material must be submitted in writing to the UCSF Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Library and Center for Knowledge Management as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    The collection was transferred to the Archives by David Hand from the UCSF School of Dentistry Dean’s Office on July 21, 2015. Some of the material was previously on display in the School of Dentistry.

    School of Dentistry Historical Note

    The University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry mission is to advance oral, craniofacial, and public health through excellence in education, discovery, and patient-centered care. The Dental Department / College of Dentistry of the Affiliated Colleges of the University of California was established in 1881. Founders included Samuel W. Dennis, C. L. Goddard, and William Lewitt. The College grew into the School of Dentistry and includes the Departments of Cell and Tissue Biology, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Orofacial Sciences, and Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences. Former deans of the school include Guy S. Millberry, Willard C. Fleming, Ben W. Pavone, John C. Greene, and Charles Bertolami.

    "Treasure Chest" Historical Note

    The Dental Department / College of Dentistry of the University of California was established in 1881. San Francisco practitioner Samuel W. Dennis, MD, DDS, was instrumental in its founding; he gathered support from Medical Department faculty, corresponded with other dental programs in the country to create a curriculum, and recruited dental instructors. He served as the first dean of the school from 1881-1882 and was later reappointed, serving from 1883-1885. Disagreements concerning curriculum and the school’s administration quickly developed between Dennis and his fellow dental faculty members. Tensions continued to mount for the next fifteen years until a disgruntled Dennis left the college in 1896. When Dennis left, he took with him a number of the school’s early records, including receipts, announcements, lecture notes, and examples of course requirements and examinations. Apparently, he then buried the material in a lead box in South San Francisco. When Dennis died in 1906 (some accounts say 1907) he had never revealed the exact location of the records. In 1929, as workers were excavating an area on which the Bayshore Highway was to be constructed, they uncovered a heavy box. Inside they found old documents labeled “Dental Department of the University of California.” One of the workers returned the material to the university. Dean Guy S. Millberry began investigating the papers and came to the conclusion that they had to be the missing Dennis material. The box came to be known as the “Treasure Chest.”

    Scope and Contents

    The collection includes photographs, printed material, and ephemera related to the history of the UCSF School of Dentistry, dated 1855-1997. Of special note is the “Treasure Chest” material, including Dental Department / College of Dentistry exams, course requirements, and other material. The collection also includes artifacts, rare books, and oversize diplomas and minority student recruitment posters.

    Arrangement

    The collection is arranged in four series. I: Printed material, ephemera, and artifacts, 1881-1997; II: Photographs, 1880-1997; III: “Treasure Chest” material, 1882-1929 (bulk 1882-1896); IV: Rare books from the library of Nellie E. Chapman.

    Separated Materials

    School of Dentistry yearbooks were separated and added to HPUB special collections. Nellie Chapman rare books and other rare books were separated and added to Archives history non-circulating book collection. Yearbooks and books are searchable through the UCSF Library catalog. Biography files were added to Archives Bio Files and associated biography file photographs were added to Archives photograph collection.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    University of California, San Francisco. School of Dentistry
    University of California, San Francisco -- Alumni and alumnae
    California -- San Francisco (county) -- San Francisco
    University of California, San Francisco -- Students