Jeanne Craig Sinkford (born 1933) is an American dentist and academic administrator. She was the first female dean of an American dental school. She is a senior scholar in residence at the

American Dental Education Association The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is a non-profit organization that works to further the education of dental professionals and the advancement of academic dental programs in Canada and the United States. Founded in 1923 as the Amer ...

and a professor and dean emeritus at the dental school of

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

Biography

Sinkford was born in 1933, one of four sisters who all went on to attend college. She said that her parents, a grandfather, and her experiences at a Catholic middle school contributed to her disciplined upbringing. She attended Dunbar High School in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, a school for high-achieving African Americans, where she was a member of the cadet corps. At the age of 16, Sinkford enrolled in college at

, studying psychology and chemistry before pursuing dental school there. After graduating from dental school, Sinkford was a faculty member in prosthodontics, had a part-time dental practice, and earned a Ph.D. in physiology at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

. Later, she chaired the prosthodontics department at Howard, and she completed a residency in pediatric dentistry in 1974-1975. In 1975, Sinkford was named dean of the dental school at Howard, becoming the first female dean at a U.S. dental school. Sinkford remained dean until 1991. Sinkford then became associate executive director of the

. She established its Center for Equity and Diversity in 1998, and directed it for 17 years. In 2015, Sinkford received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Dental Association. She is also a past recipient of the

Candace Award The Candace Award is an award that was given from 1982 to 1992 by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) to "Black role models of uncommon distinction who have set a standard of excellence for young people of all races". Candace (pronou ...

from the

National Coalition of 100 Black Women The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) is a non-profit volunteer organization for African American women. Its members address common issues in their communities, families and personal lives, promoting gender and racial equity. Hi ...

. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Denists and the

International College of Dentists The International College of Dentists was conceived in 1920 at a farewell party in Tokyo for Dr. Louis Ottofy when he was returning home to the United States after practicing dentistry in the Philippines and Japan for 23 years. A colleague, Dr. ...

. Sinkford met her husband Stanley at Howard University. He became a cardiologist. They had three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinkford, Jeanne Living people 1933 births Howard University alumni Northwestern University alumni Howard University faculty Educators from Washington, D.C. American dentists Members of the National Academy of Medicine Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni 20th-century dentists American women academics Women dentists 21st-century American women 20th-century American academics 21st-century American academics