The students of Edward Hartley Angle, the first specialist in orthodontics: a definitive compilation

• Published in: Journal of the history of dentistry Vol. 54; no. 2; p. 70
• Main Author: Peck, Sheldon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2006
• Subjects: Education, Dental - history; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Orthodontics - history; Schools, Dental - history; Students, Dental - history; United States; United States
• ISSN: 1089-6287

Edward Hartley Angle, MD, DDS, (1855-1930) was ardent in making orthodontics a distinct specialty. In 1900, he founded the first school in the world devoted to specialty training in orthodontics, the Angle School of Orthodontia in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the next 30 years, the Angle School moved from St. Louis to New York City to New London, Connecticut, and finally to Pasadena, California. There was always some uncertainty regarding the accuracy of lists of graduates of the Angle School, since the associated prestige was often a lure for false representation by some practitioners. The purpose of this article is to delineate an authoritative list of Angle's students. Recent additions to primary source material help in reconstructing Edward Angle's seminal educational contributions. From 1900 to 1930, Angle taught orthodontics to 198 students of which 185 received certificates of course completion. The remaining 13 received some training from Angle, but did not complete his formal course for a variety of reasons. He was highly selective in choosing the best dentist-students. Among his students were 8 women, 6 Canadians and 27 from 15 countries outside North America. Angle's graduates invariably became worldwide leaders and contributors in orthodontics in the first half of the 20th century.