T. M. "Tom" Graber (May 27, 1917 – June 26, 2007) was an American orthodontist known for his contributions to the field of orthodontics. Graber wrote 28 books on orthodontics and dental anatomy. He also wrote chapters in more than 20 books and over 175 published articles.

Life

Graber was born in 1917 in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and had five other siblings. He attended Soldan High School. He earned his dental degree from

Washington University School of Dental Medicine The Washington University School of Dental Medicine (WUSDM) was the dental school of Washington University in St. Louis. It operated from 1866 to 1991. Over 5,000 dentists were educated at WUSDM. WUSDM was a pioneer in the practice of scientific d ...

in 1940. Before learning orthodontics, Graber served as a captain in the Dental Corps (United States Army) from 1941 to 1945 at Fort Bragg. He then earned his orthodontic degree from

Northwestern University Dental School The Northwestern University Dental School closed in 2001, 110 years after opening in 1891. Its first dean was Edgar Swain. According to the trustees, the mentioned financial stresses and reputation as reasons for the closure of the program. Histo ...

in 1946. After that he pursued his PhD degree in anatomy from Northwestern University and completed it in 1950. He was a faculty member at

University of Michigan School of Dentistry The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Michigan, a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established in 1875, the School of Dentistry engages in oral and craniofacial health c ...

University of Gothenburg The University of Gothenburg ( sv, Göteborgs universitet) is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg. Founded in 1891, the university is the third-oldest of the current Swedish universities and with 37,000 students and 6000 st ...

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 ...

(1946–58),

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

(1969–82) where he was head of orthodontics, and

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry evolved from the Columbian Dental College, founded in Chicago in 1891. The college informally affiliated with the University of Illinois in 1901, and was chartered as an official college o ...

from 1994 until his death. He was married to Doris Graber, who was a professor of political science at University of Illinois at Chicago. They had five children: Lee Graber, Thomas Graber, Jack Graber, Jim Graber and Susan Graber.

Career

Graber founded the Kenilworth Research Foundation and was the director of the CE for the

Greene Vardiman Black Greene Vardiman Black (1836–1915) was one of the founders of modern dentistry in the United States. He is also known as the father of operative dentistry. Black was born near Winchester, Illinois on August 3, 1836 to William and Mary Bl ...

Institute since 1967. He was also the director of dental continuing education for University of Chicago from 1971 to 1981, founded the Northwestern University's Cleft Lip and Palate Institute along with the orthodontic program at University of Chicago Medical School, founded the Audiovisual Council of AAO in 1962, and was a founding member of Illinois Society of Orthodontists. Graber's research in his early years focused on the treatment of birth defects. Later in this career, his research focused on growth and development issues related to jaws as well as treatment modalities for clicking in jaws. Graber did research on craniofacial anomalies,

cleft palate A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The ...

cleft lip A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The te ...

temporomandibular joint In anatomy, the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) are the two joints connecting the jawbone to the skull. It is a bilateral synovial articulation between the temporal bone of the skull above and the mandible below; it is from these bones that it ...

anatomy and disturbances, orthopedic growth guidance of the dentofacial complex, and the use of

magnetic force In physics (specifically in electromagnetism) the Lorentz force (or electromagnetic force) is the combination of electric and magnetic force on a point charge due to electromagnetic fields. A particle of charge moving with a velocity in an e ...

in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. He was a founding member of the Council on Orthodontic Education for the

American Association of Orthodontists Founded in 1900, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) is the world's oldest and largest dental specialty organization. It represents nearly 19,000 orthodontist members throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. All orthodontists are ...

and also served as President of the

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Society of Orthodontists, the Edward H. Angle Society, and the Illinois Orthodontists Society. He received more awards than any orthodontist in history, including the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

's Order of the Sacred Treasure, the highest Japanese award ever bestowed upon a non-citizen of Japan. Graber founded the World Journal of Orthodontics in 2000. The Grabler Seminar Room in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry's Department of Orthodontics is named for him.Ibid. Over his lifetime, Graber served on editorial boards of 15 journals, and was an honorary member of more than 20 international orthodontic associations. He died at the age of 90 in Evanston, Illinois. At the time of his death, he remained editor-in-chief of the World Journal of Orthodontics.

Positions

* Chicago Society of Orthodontists, president *

Edward Angle Edward Hartley Angle (June 1, 1855 – August 11, 1930) was an American dentist, widely regarded as "the father of American orthodontics". He was trained as a dentist, but made orthodontics his speciality and dedicated his life to standardizing ...

Society, president * Illinois Orthodontists Society, president *

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. T ...

, fellow, 1996 * American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, editor-in-chief, 1985–2000 * World Journal of Orthodontics, founder and editor-in-chief, 2000–07

Awards

* Emperor of Japan's Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2005 – Highest Japanese award ever bestowed upon a non-citizen of Japan * Albert H. Ketcham Award, 1975 * AAO Distinguished Service Award, 1970 * Honorary Degrees from University of Michigan University, Washington University, Aristotle University, Kunming Medical University, University of Gothenburg

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graber, Thomas M. American orthodontists People from St. Louis 1917 births 2007 deaths University of Michigan faculty Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure Washington University School of Dental Medicine alumni 20th-century dentists