Amos Westcott (April 28, 1815 July 6, 1873) was an American dentist who served as

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, in 1860.

Biography

Amos Westcott was born on April 28, 1815, in Newport, New York, the youngest of seven children. His father, Gorton Westcott, was a farmer. Amos attended local schools but, according to a profile in the 1910 ''History of Dental Surgery'', "as a boy manifested a desire to obtain an education beyond the ability of his parents to provide." As a result, Westcott began teaching district school during the winter in Delphi in Onondaga County, and during the summer attending an academy in Truxton, New York. Westcott entered

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in 1834, earning a Bachelor of Natural Science. The next year he was one of the first to receive a degree in civil engineering from the Rensselaer Institute in 1835. After graduation, he taught chemistry, natural philosophy, and mathematics at the Pompey Academy in

Pompey, New York Pompey is a town in the southeast part of Onondaga County, New York. The population was 7,080 at the time of the 2010 census. The town was named after the Roman general and political leader Pompey by a late 18th-century clerk interested in the Clas ...

, while studying medicine with Jehiel Stearns. Westcott spent 1836 to 1837 or 1838 at the academy, returning to school after, this time at the

Geneva Medical College Geneva Medical College was founded on September 15, 1834, in Geneva, New York, as a separate department (college) of Geneva College, currently known as Hobart and William Smith Colleges. In 1871, the medical school was transferred to Syracuse ...

and

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, where he graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1840. Westcott settled in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

, the following year, opening a dentistry practice. As a dentist he was a member of the

American Society of Dental Surgeons The American Society of Dental Surgeons (ASDS) was the first national dental organization formed in the United States of America. The formation of the ASDS was preceded by the formation of the Society of Dental Surgeons of the City and State of New ...

, American Dental Convention and,

American Dental Association The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 161,000 members. Based in the American Dental Association Building in the Near North Side of Chicago, the ADA is the world's ...

. In 1859 he was an organizer and first president of the New York State Dental Association. By 1868 he was a founder and first president of the New York Dental Society. Westcott was involved in the early development of dentistry as a formal profession. He worked on aspects of the trade including books and technology. He held the chair of professor of operative and prosthetic dentistry at the Baltimore College of Dentistry from 1846 to 1849. Westcott was involved in founding the New York College of Dental Science in 1852, where he was dean and a professor before it burned down and closed in 1855. He also served as an editor of the ''American Journal of'' ''Dental Science''. Westcott was also known as an inventor, creating a version of a

butter churn A butter churn is a device used to convert cream into butter. This is done through a mechanical process, frequently via a pole inserted through the lid of the churn, or via a crank used to turn a rotating device inside the churn. Etymology The ...

, a door spring, a lock for a door, and

jackscrews A jackscrew, or screw jack, is a type of jack that is operated by turning a leadscrew. It is commonly used to lift moderately and heavy weights, such as vehicles; to raise and lower the horizontal stabilizers of aircraft; and as adjustable suppo ...

for teeth. Westcott was a well-regarded citizen in Syracuse; historian Scott Tribble describes him as "one of Syracuse's most respected and popular citizens" of the era. soon became involved in local politics, serving first as an Alderman of Syracuse and being elected Mayor in 1860. Nine years later he was a member of a consortium that purchased the

Cardiff Giant The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous archaeological hoaxes in American history. It was a , 3,000 pound purported "petrified man" uncovered on October 16, 1869, by workers digging a well behind the barn of William C. "Stub" Newell in Cardi ...

, an archeological hoax, and displayed it in Syracuse. Westcott's health failed in 1871, and he visited Europe for several years in an unsuccessful attempt to improve his health. He returned to Syracuse and died by suicide on July 6, 1873, with no explanation.

Personal life

Westcott was married twice: first to Cora Babcock, with whom he had three children, Watts, Katherine, and Edward Noyes Westcott; and second to Harriet Nash, with whom he had two children, Margaret Westcott Muzzey and Frank Nash Westcott.

References

{{Reflist 1815 births 1873 deaths Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni 19th-century American dentists Mayors of Syracuse, New York Albany Medical College alumni