Angle School of Orthodontia was the first school of

orthodontics Orthodontics (also referred to as orthodontia) is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, as well as misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modificati ...

in the world, established by

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 standardizin ...

in 1899. The school taught its students orthodontics over a period of 3–6 weeks. The school graduated 183 students until it closed in 1927. Among the graduates, 25 students became presidents of 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 ...

, 11 students became head of orthodontic departments and three students became dental school deans.

Early history

The idea of the school came about in the summer of 1899 during a meeting of the National Dental Association in Niagara Falls. Angle had been teaching the subject of orthodontia for many years at four different colleges but he was unable to convince the dental colleges to have a separate Department in Orthodontics. In that meeting in Niagara Falls, Henry E. Lindas, Thomas B. Mercer, Herbert A. Pullen and Milton A. Watson approached Angle and asked him to teach them orthodontics in St. Louis for three weeks. The course was repeated in 1900 with the original four serving as instructors to seven more students. This became the nation's first school of orthodontics and was located at 1107 N. Grand Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri. This year the members of the class organized a society and named it "The Society of Orthodontists" which was later renamed to be what it is known today as

. In 1903, Dr. Anna Hopkins, Angle's longtime secretary was elected as the first secretary of the Society. In 1906, she became Mrs. Edward Hartley Angle. The students of the school studied

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and their relation to orthodontics. In 1907, after the awarding of degrees of about 94 students in 8 years, the school was moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Only one class graduated in that location. In 1908, the school moved to

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

. The lectures here were held at Munsey Building until 1911 and in 1912 at the Harbor School. During teaching, Angle's health faded and he decided to move away from the East Coast and left for

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

. In 1918, Angle purchased a Craftsman home where the school was eventually moved. Classes started again in 1920 and orthodontists such as

Cecil C. Steiner Cecil C. Steiner (June 6, 1896 – February 11, 1989) was a dentist and one of Edward H. Angle's first students in 1921. He developed a form of cephalometric analysis, presented in 1953, referred to as the Steiner method of analysis. Life Cecil ...

Spencer Atkinson Dr. Spencer Roane Atkinson (September 2, 1886 – October 31, 1970) was an American orthodontist and a graduate of Angle School of Orthodontia. He is best known for establishing ''The Spencer R. Atkinson Library of Applied Anatomy'' at University ...

, and George W. Hahn graduated from this class. These three graduates stayed to teach at the school following their graduation. While learning at Angle's home, Dr. Anna Hopkins was given the name "Mother Angle'' by the students of the school because of her kind-hearted nature. In 1922, the students of the school established an association after Angle known as Angle Society of Orthodontics. The same year, students of the school raised $6400 to design a new home for the school with bigger classrooms at the northwest corner of Angle's property. On January 9, 1923, the society held its inauguration meeting at Angle's home. At this meeting, many famous businessmen came and attended case discussions given by Angle's students. In 1924 the school officially received a charter from State of California to be established as a school and finally known as Angle College of Orthodontia. The first five directors of the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) were graduates from this school. The first seven recipients of the

Albert H. Ketcham Albert H. Ketcham (August 3, 1870 – December 5, 1935) was an American orthodontist and a past president of the American Society of Orthodontists. Life and career He was born in Whiting, Vermont, and attended high school at Vermont Academy, S ...

Award were also graduates from this school.

Notable graduates

Albert Ketcham Albert H. Ketcham (August 3, 1870 – December 5, 1935) was an American orthodontist and a past president of the American Society of Orthodontists. Life and career He was born in Whiting, Vermont, and attended high school at Vermont Academy, ...

Alfred Paul Rogers Alfred Paul Rogers (July 5, 1873 – April 6, 1959) was an American orthodontist who was considered the father of the myofunctional therapy in orthodontics. He was the president of American Association of Orthodontists and American Academy of De ...

Albin Oppenheim Albin Oppenheim (January 8, 1875 – November 20, 1945) was an American orthodontist who contributed significantly towards understanding in orthodontics about the biology of tooth movement. Life Oppenheim was born in Brno, Moravia, and receive ...

Allan G. Brodie Allan Gibson Brodie (October 31, 1897 in New York City – January 2, 1976) was an American dentist and orthodonist. An orthodontics teacher, writer, and researcher, Brodie served in a variety of professional positions, such as President of t ...

Charles A. Hawley Charles Augustus Hawley (March 13, 1861 – July 22, 1929) was an American orthodontist who developed the Hawley retainer which is used in the field of orthodontics. He attended Angle School of Orthodontia and graduated in 1905. Life He was bor ...

Charles H. Tweed Charles Henry Tweed (June 24, 1895 – January 11, 1970) was an American orthodontist known for many of his contributions to the field of orthodontics. He was a founder of the Charles H. Tweed Foundation for Orthodontic Research. Tweed a student ...

Copeland Shelden F. Copeland Shelden (1907 – December 19, 1977) was an American orthodontist who was a graduate of the Angle School of Orthodontia. He played in important part in forming the Charles H. Tweed Foundation for research. Life He was born in Kansas ...

Dean Harold Noyes Harold Judd Noyes (1898–1968), often called "Dean Noyes", was an American orthodontist who graduated from Angle School of Orthodontia. He was the Chairman of the Orthodontic Department of the Northwestern University Dental School. He also serve ...

* Frank A. Gough * Frank M. Casto *

Frederick Bogue Noyes Frederick Bogue Noyes (1872–1961) was an American dentist. His dental career began before the age of ten when he worked as an assistant to his dentist father. Noyes began dental practice before entering dental school (legal at the time), an ...

* Frederick Lester Stanton * George W. Hahn * Harry Estes Kelsey *

Harold Chapman (Orthodontist) Harold Chapman (1881 – 10 August 1965) was a British orthodontist who was England's first exclusive orthodontic practitioner in 1921. He was also the President of the European Orthodontic Society and British Dental Association during his car ...

* Herbert A. Pullen *

Holly Broadbent Sr. Birdsall Holly Broadbent Sr. (27 September 1894 – 23 December 1977) was an American orthodontist who is credited with developing and introducing the technique of cephalometric roentgenography to orthodontics. He also devised the cephalometer, w ...

John Mershon John Valentine Mershon (July 7, 1867 – 1953) was an American orthodontist who graduated from Angle School of Orthodontia in 1908. He is the past president of American Association of Orthodontists. Mershon helped organize International Orthodo ...

* Llyod Steel Lourie *

Martin Dewey Dr. Martin Dewey (1881–1933) was an American orthodontist and a past president of the American Association of Orthodontists and the American Dental Association. Dewey represented the "New School" of Edward Angle in the great Extraction Debate of ...

* Milo Hellman *

Raymond Begg Percival Raymond Begg AO (10 October 1898 – 18 January 1983) was a professor at the University of Adelaide School of Dentistry and a well known orthodontist, famous for developing the "Begg technique".Robert Strang *

References

{{Coord, 34.1638, -118.1392, display=title Orthodontic organizations Universities and colleges established in 1899 Dental schools in California 1899 establishments in Missouri