G. Walter Dittmar (1872–1949) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the mouth, oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofaci ...

. He was born in a log cabin in Derinda, Illinois, and was educated at Logan School,

Philomath College A philomath () is a lover of learning and studying. The term is from Greek (; "beloved", "loving", as in philosophy or philanthropy) and , (, ; "to learn", as in polymath). Philomathy is similar to, but distinguished from, philosophy in that ...

, and Northwestern University Dental School. He practiced dentistry in Apple River, Illinois, then went to Chicago to work with a well–known dentist, Dr. Galilee. He began his own successful practice and was in the Who's Who of Chicago in 1920. He married Agnes Dooling in

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

, Illinois, in 1904. He had three children, Charlotte, Katherine, and George Walter, Jr. He began his career on the faculty of the Illinois School of Dentistry in 1898. A professor and head of prosthetic dentistry, materia medica, and therapeutics, he published 43 dental research articles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A popular teacher because of his genial personality, Dittmar is considered the "father" of the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry (now the Department of Restorative Dentistry) at the UIC College of Dentistry. Dittmar achieved a national reputation as a writer, teacher, speaker, and executive. He made the University of Illinois College of Dentistry a national force when he became the first president of the

Illinois State Dental Society Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria metropolitan a ...

, and later became the president of the

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 ...

, organized American dentistry's highest post.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dittmar, G. Walter American dentists 1872 births 1949 deaths University of Illinois Chicago faculty American dentistry academics Northwestern University Dental School alumni Date of birth missing Date of death missing