Founded in 1881, The Howard University College of Dentistry is the fifth-oldest dental school in the United States and the only dental school in the nation’s capital. Originally a department within the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry was established with the appointment of James B. Hodgkin, M.D., of the medical faculty, to lecture to the medical class on the subject of practical dentistry. The College’s first regular professor, a trained doctor of dentistry, was N.W. Whitcomb, D.D.S., appointed on June 5, 1882. The 1883-1884 school term was the first formal session of the new College of Dentistry with five students completing the first year course of study.
The College of Dentistry never drew the line on color or gender. Matriculation was open to anyone who could qualify for the College of Medicine. Howard’s College of Dentistry was among the first to admit women. The college also accepted a large share of responsibility for training African-American dentists for a segregated people who were, in many instances, without access to competent dental care.
The College today, is one of three colleges of the Howard University’s Center for the Health Sciences and is also a prestigious unit among the University’s 12 schools and colleges. We are truly proud to produce leaders for America and the Global Community.
1929 – Dr. Arnold Donawa, a Howard trained dentist and dental teacher, became the first full dean of the College of Dentistry.
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