The UCLA School of Dentistry was established in 1964. Dr. Reidar Sognnaes, founding dean, had the most influence on what was to become the School of Dentistry. Previously a faculty member and dean at Harvard University, in 1960 Dr. Sognnaes accepted the challenge to create a new professional school that he envisioned as a “Harvard of the West.”

Dr. Sognnaes was integrally involved in all facets of the project, from deciding where to place the School’s building and how it should be designed to recruiting 80 full-time faculty members and setting the first standards for admission. When the School opened, it housed the largest dental research facility of any dental school in the world.

The pioneering first class of 28 dental students was impressive; their qualifications were ranked first in the country by the ADA. Margaret Pan, one of only two women in the inaugural class, took valedictory honors at the first graduation in 1968.

The Class of 2007 marked the 40th time that UCLA celebrated the graduation of dentistry’s newest leaders. The newly admitted Class of 2010, composed of 41 female and 47 male students, boasted a Total Science DAT average of 22, continuing the UCLA tradition of academic excellence.