Charles Augustus Hawley (March 13, 1861 – July 22, 1929) was an American

orthodontist 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 ...

who developed the Hawley retainer which is used in the field of orthodontics. He attended

Angle School of Orthodontia Angle School of Orthodontia was the first school of orthodontics in the world, established by Edward Angle 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 ...

and graduated in 1905.

Life

He was born in

Avery, Ohio Avery is an unincorporated community in western Milan Township, Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky Metropolitan Statistical Area. Avery is located along US Route 250 near that road's interchange with Interstate 80 ...

in 1861. He attended high school in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

and then attended

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

for his college degree. He then attended

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 ...

and graduated in 1893. He then became the Professor of Operative Faculty soon after graduation. He was one of the first people to have used

nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide), commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, or factitious air, among others, is a chemical compound, an Nitrogen oxide, oxide of nitrogen with the Chemical formula, formula . At room te ...

as an anesthetic for the removal of teeth. He attended Angle School of Orthodontia and graduated in 1905. He moved to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

after and became the first person to specialize in orthodontics in that city. He was married to Evelyn Frank Hawley, and had two children. He died on July 22, 1929 at the Garfield Hospital in

Washington DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, following complications from an operation.

Career

In the field of orthodontics, he is best known for his introduction of a refined type of retention plate called the Hawley Bite Plate. Two of Dr. Hawley's papers ''Determination of the Normal Arch and Its Application to Orthodontia'' and ''An Accurate Method in Orthodontia'' were read before 4th

International Dental Congress International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

and New York Institute of

Stomatology An oral medicine or stomatology doctor/dentist (or stomatologist) has received additional specialized training and experience in the diagnosis and management of oral mucosal abnormalities (growths, ulcers, infection, allergies, immune-mediated an ...

Positions held

* American Society of Orthodontists, President, 1908 * New York Society of Orthodontists, President, 1929 * Southern Society of Orthodontists, President-Elect, 1929 * District of Columbia Dental Society, President, 1920 * American College of Dentists, Fellow

References

20th-century American dentists American orthodontists 1861 births 1929 deaths University of Michigan School of Dentistry alumni Ohio State University alumni {{US-med-bio-stub