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 Dentist, dental professionals and the advancement of academic dental programs in Canada and the United States. Founded in 1923 as ...

and a professor and dean emeritus at the dental school of

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

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. 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 ...

, 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 Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry, is the area of dentistry that focuses on dental prostheses. It is one of 12 dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA), Royal College of Sur ...

, had a part-time dental practice, and earned a Ph.D. in physiology at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

. This made her the first female prosthodontist with a PhD degree.https://www.prosthodontics.org/assets/1/7/Women-In-Prosthodontics-PDF-SM.pdf Later, she chaired the prosthodontics department at Howard, and she completed a residency in pediatric dentistry in 1974-1975. On July 1, 1975, Sinkford became the first female dean of an American dental school when she was appointed the dean of

, School of Dentistry. 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 The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional dental association. Established in 1859 and with over 159,000 current members, ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association. The organization lobbies on behal ...

. She is also a past recipient of the Candace Award 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. His ...

. She is a member of the

Institute of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...

and a fellow of the American College of Denists and the

International College of Dentists The International College of Dentists (ICD) is a global professional membership association for dentists. Conceived in 1920 and established in 1927, the organization seeks to 'honor outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service, and d ...

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

References

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