History of the Indiana University
Pediatric Dentistry Alumni Association

Preamble

Several months ago we were asked to prepare a history of the most early and formative years of IUPDAA. Although nearly all of this history has been documented at various times in the I.U. School of Dentistry Alumni Bulletins, previous issues of OUR TREE, and at other times when our group convened and the senior members spoke, no consolidated written chronologic record of the events leading to our formation and early activities has been published at one time. It seems that at least some of our younger members had an interest in seeing this history in a single article and they decided that someone should record it before all of the founders of IUPDAA lost their memories entirely! We are indebted to Ralph McDonald, Paul Starkey, Ray Klein, and Burt Horwitz for helping us in this effort. Additionally we used some information previously published in OUR TREE authored by Bob Spedding. In studying the old relevant files and having the memory-probing conversations with Ralph, Paul, Ray and Burt we discovered far too many interesting details and facts to include here. Consequently, we are the primary benefactors because we now know more than we're sharing with you. We should also add that although we've mentioned Paul Starkey's name sparingly in the article, he was integrally involved in nearly every event or issue mentioned in this article after the group started meeting because his counsel and advice were sought by the others involved. We only hope this account will achieve its purpose for the reader without overdoing the details. We want to thank the Officers and Directors of IUPDAA for giving us this opportunity - it was fun!

Dave Avery and Stan Herman

In the beginning

Sometime in 1964, Stan Herman, Ralph McDonald, and Paul Starkey discussed the idea of having a pedodontic continuing education program and alumni reunion in Indianapolis, possibly immediately preceding the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race during Memorial Day weekend. They decided the idea was worth pursuing. Stan sent a letter to those who had completed their pediatric dentistry educational program at I.U. to determine if there was sufficient interest in organizing such a meeting. He received a very favorable response from the alumni. They wanted to organize and meet during the Indianapolis 500 festivities. Stan and Ralph began making the necessary plans for the first meeting to be held May 29-31, 1965.

Ralph also sought the advice of Dean Maynard K. Hine about their goal and he received this memorandum from Dr. Hine dated January 19, 1965. "The idea of organizing the Pedodontic graduates has merit and we should do all we can to help. There is no money in our postgraduate fund to pay speakers. I believe we can find money for this summer, however, so why don't you go ahead and make plans." Below this note in Ralph's handwriting is the following: "Call Wes Young Saturday May 29"

This first meeting was set for May 29-31, 1965 and featured Dr. Wesley O. Young, a most prominent leader in community and pediatric dentistry at the time. He spoke about the responsibilities of pedodontists to their patients, communities and schools. Lunch was served to 29 participants and cost $1.95 per person, Indiana had no sales tax then. Forty seven people were served at the more complete evening meal at $3.50 per person. After dinner the group was entertained by a singer, Miss Lorna Dallas, from the I.U. School of Music. Dr. William G. Shafer presented updated information in oral pathology the second day. The meeting room and the meals were provided at the campus Union Building. The third day found most of the participants seated together watching the 500 Mile Race in Speedway, Indiana. The weekend was a smashing success and people were already thinking about the next meeting in two years. Subsequently and without a Constitution and By-laws nor a formal Charter of any sort, The "Indiana University Pedodontic Alumni" came into being. A bank account at American Fletcher National Bank listed Ralph E. McDonald and Stanley C. Herman as President and Vice President respectively. Plans were well underway for the next "Biennial Pedodontic Conference" in May, 1967. The Fall, 1965 issue of the I.U.S.D. Alumni Bulletin identified our pedodontic alumni group as the third graduate/postgraduate alumni group to organize. We were preceded by prosthodontics (first) and orthodontics (second).

The participants of this first reunion were: Gerald Albert, Dick Baker, Don Bowers,
Guthrie Carr, Walter Ching, Chet Coccia, Liam Convery, Bailey Davis, Ray Davis, Walter Doyle, Erick Erickson, Stan Herman, Richard Hori, Burt Horwitz, Jim Jinks, Chuck Kerkhove, Art Klein, Ray Klein, Mace Landau, Dave McClure, Ralph McDonald, Jim McKnight, John Mink, David Morgan, Bob Musselman, Jim Page, Jim Roche, Bill Shafer, Bob Spedding, Paul Starkey, and Wes Young. After the group's more formal organization in 1971, eight of these original participants were subsequently elected and served as President of IUPDAA.

The program for the 1967 meeting focused on managing patients with cleft lip/palate, cardiovascular defects or hemophilia. It was also held in the Union Building. The program was presented by eight faculty members of I.U. Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, including two of our own pediatric dentistry graduates, Bailey Davis and LaForrest Garner. The price of lunch had gone up to $2.10 per person and 31 lunches were served. Dinner was served for 60 people at the Indianapolis Athletic Club ($4.50 per person). A catered cocktail hour preceded dinner and a dance band provided music until 11:30. The Indiana University Pedodontic Alumni was a growing family with many common interests. And again, the 500 Mile Race served as the meeting's finale. This tradition of holding biennial meetings in Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend and combined with the race continued through 1973. After that, the American Academy of Pedodontics began holding its annual meetings on the Memorial Day weekend every year compelling our group to change our traditional pattern.

Using germ free animals for caries research had gained prominence and was the subject of the keynote speaker for the reunion meeting in 1969. The group was privileged to hear Morris Wagner, Ph.D., the principal investigator for caries research at the University of Norte Dame's Lobund Gnotobiotic Laboratory. Although his research findings seem mundane today, he captivated the audience with a most interesting discussion for the 60's. The remainder of the program was made up of presentations from our own members and included: Joe Camp, Ray Davis, Walter Doyle, Ron Eichel, Fritz Fischer, Burt Horwitz, Mike Lerner, and Jim Page. Chuck Kerkhove served as the program chair and he and his wife, Judy, hosted a reception in their beautiful new home the evening before the scientific sessions. The following evening everyone was invited to the home of Stan and Phyllis Herman where the local hospitality continued for another great social time together. It was during this reunion that members informally discussed the idea that the Indiana Pedodontic Alumni should officially organize as a-not-for profit group. There seemed to be a consensus to move in the direction of formalizing the organization which sparked considerable activity in the interim between the 1969 and '71 meetings. Committees were formed to develop the proposed Constitution and By-Laws, to develop the scientific program, and to plan a banquet more elaborate than previously done.

The 1971 reunion meeting convened on May 27. Bob Musselman, with Don Bozic's help, developed a great scientific program by enlisting 22 speakers and all were members of our group. The main purpose of the banquet was to honor Ralph McDonald as the founder of the advanced educational programs in pedodontics - this planning had to be done discreetly because it was to be a surprise for Ralph and his wife, Sarah Jane. After dinner but before the dancing, Ralph and Sarah Jane were truly surprised and they were humbled by the outpouring of appreciation by those present. The establishment of the Ralph E. McDonald Pedodontic Fund in the Indiana University Foundation earmarked for program enhancements at I.U. was announced. Sarah Jane was presented with a beautiful ring to acknowledge her superb supportive role in Ralph's career. Walter Doyle presented Ralph with a sculpture of a tree and informed Ralph and Sarah Jane that a beautiful English Beech tree was to be planted in their front lawn. Walter explained that the tree represented the "tree of knowledge." Our educational program and Ralph were represented by the roots and trunk of the tree and the rest of us were represented by the branches, our achievements were the leaves. Walter was confident that this tree of knowledge would grow and flourish indefinitely because of its strong foundation. The image of the tree sculpture became the symbol and logo for our Association. This surprise event in honor of Ralph and Sarah Jane was held on the first evening of the meeting to precede the business meeting the next day.

The May 28, 1971 business meeting was not business as usual but focused on the formal establishment of the organization. The Acting Chairman, Ray Klein, introduced the proposed Constitution and By-Laws which initiated considerable discussion as reflected in the minutes of the meeting. Finally, the minutes record the following paragraph:

Don Bowers then moved that the Constitution and By-laws of the Indiana University Pedodontic Alumni Association be accepted as changed. Art Klein seconded the motion. The motion passed thus Officially establishing the Association. Dues were set at $10.00 per year. The elected Founding Officers were: President, Ray Davis; Vice President, Ray Klein; Secretary-Treasurer, Dave Avery. The elected Founding Directors were Stan Herman, Chuck Kerkhove, and Bailey Davis.

Two other items of business at this 1971 meeting are noteworthy and are excerpted from the minutes:
Ron Eichel brought up the idea of having the Organization help support an Indiana University Pedodontic Alumni Hospitality Room at each Annual American Academy of Pedodontics meeting; with the stipulation that a "kitty" also be established at each annual Academy meeting for contributions from those in attendance to pay their additional fair share of the support for such a project. This idea was unanimously accepted by the group, but the consensus was that no increase in the proposed amount of dues would be necessary.

Don Gardner suggested that we investigate the possibility of having a lapel button in the form of a tree to symbolize the McDonald tree of knowledge. Ron Eichel, Don Gardner, and Paul Starkey were named as a committee to investigate the feasibility of having such a lapel button made for distribution to the membership.

All readers will recognize that the two issues above from the 1971 minutes are current hallmarks of our Alumni group that sets us apart from all others. Our lapel pin was patterned from Don's suggestion and is unique. We have supplemented the "kitty" fundraising with raffles and auctions (thanks to Bill and Phyllis Keaty and Phil and Laura Miller) but our hospitality suite at the annual AAPD meetings is also unique. Of additional interest here is that the 1970 Annual Academy meeting was in Atlanta, Ron Eichel's practice area. Ron, on his own, reserved an additional room and stocked it with refreshments dedicated strictly for our graduates and their friends to have a place away from the hustle and bustle of the meeting to socialize. It was a highlight of the meeting for our group. We started sponsoring a hospitality suite the following year in Dallas and it has remained one of our traditions now for 37 consecutive years.

By 1974 our McDonald Fund had grown to the point that we could safely begin using some of the earnings for program enhancements. One of our first expenditures was to bring Dr. Paul Keyes to Nashville, Indiana in July, 1975, as the keynote speaker to initiate the Ralph E. McDonald Lectureship series. Another of our proud traditions that has continued biennially. To date there have been 16 McDonald Lecturers. Three are our own alumni - Don Gardner, Joe Camp, and Jeff Dean.

We hope this brief account helps enlighten those of you who were not there in the 60's and early 70's and that it strengthens your appreciation of your pediatric dentistry heritage. If it does, then we've achieved our goal in writing it.

Addendum from Dave Avery

I have a personal aside note regarding our early financial issues to help you appreciate from whence we came. In May, 1971, I was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Association. Our first "fiscal" year was the calendar year 1972. I prepared and submitted our financial statement to the IRS ahead of the deadline. Little did I realize that my submission would result in opening a Pandora's box that would not be closed for the next year and a half. After I had finally satisfied the Feds with sufficient information, they responded with a polite letter acknowledging our existence as a not-for-profit organization and also informing me that our Association's financial transactions were well below the threshold and it was unnecessary for us to file statements - we were totally exempt! Relevant to this, our "books" were audited for the first time on July 14, 1973 for the period May 28, 1971 through June 29, 1973 (2 years 1 month). For that period we had income of $6,426.09 and expenses of $5,858.05 with remaining assets of $568.04. Remember this the next time you're in our business meeting listening to our current financial reports.

See the IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations Calendar of Events for upcoming Pediatric Dentistry alumni programs.

IU School of Dentistry web site

IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations contact:
Karen Deery, (317) 274-8959 or kdeery@iupui.edu