Charles Edwin Bentley
Charles Edwin Bentley (1859–1929) was an American dentist. In Chicago, he was the founder of what grew to be the largest local dental society in the world in the early 20th century. As an African American civil rights activist, he was a founder of the Niagara Movement and leader in the Chicago branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).[3]
Charles Edwin Bentley | |
|---|---|
 Charles E. Bentley, c. 1913 | |
| Born | February 1, 1859[1] |
| Died | October 13, 1929 (aged 70)[1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Dentist |
Biography
Bentley was born and educated in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1887 he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Chicago College of Dental Surgery. In his office was organized, in 1888, the Odontographic Society, and he was its first president. This dental organization grew to be the largest local dental society in the world. In February 1903 the Odontographic Society gave its famous clinic with three thousand members of the profession and nearly one thousand dental students in attendance. The Odontographical Society was merged into the Chicago Dental Society in 1911, and Bentley was a part of the merger committee. At the suggestion of Dr. Bentley, the Odontographic Society instituted an investigation into the condition of the mouths and teeth of the children of the schools. One year later Dr. Bentley submitted this report, and the same was published in the Dental Review of 1900. This report was the basis of future work along this line.[4]
Bentley published extensively. Two of his most important papers were "The Application of Comparative Anatomy to Dentistry” and “Contact Points of the Medical and Dental Profession".[4]
Bentley was chairman of the Child Welfare Exhibit on Dentistry. He long served as the secretary of Provident Hospital. He was the first president of the Equal Opportunity League of Chicago. He was a charter member of the Niagara Movement, and of the directory of the NAACP.[4]
In 1898, Bentley married Florence Lewis, who was for some years the literary editor of the Philadelphia Press.[4]
References
- Dummett CO (April 1979). "Charles Edwin Bentley: A Genuine Emancipator". The Crisis: 133–135.
- Dummett CO (September 1984). "Health professional emancipators: examples in excellence". Journal of the National Medical Association. 76 (9): 925–30. PMC 2561653. PMID 6387160.
- Gatewood, Willard B. (2000). Aristocrats of Color: The Black Elite, 1880–1920. University of Arkansas Press. p. 325. ISBN 9781557285935.
- "Dr. Charles E. Bentley - Sketch No. XXVII". American Dental Journal. 10 (8): 365–68. February 1913.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Further reading
- "Men of the Month". The Crisis: 10–11. May 1911.
- Lamacki WF (May 2008). "Dr. Charles E. Bentley" (PDF). CDS Review. 101 (3): 25. PMID 18572820.
- Dummett CO (April 1979). "Contrasting philosophies of two dental leaders: Charles E. Bentley and David A. Ferguson". Bulletin of the History of Dentistry. 27 (1): 23–33. PMID 396948.
- Dummett CO, Dummett LD (1978). Afro-Americans in Dentistry: Sequence and Consequence of Events. C. Dummett. OCLC 938787410.
- "Some Chicagoans of Note". The Crisis. September 1915.
- Dummett CO, Dummett LD (1982). Charles Edwin Bentley: A Model for All Times. North Central Publishing Company. OCLC 9086166.
- Dummett CO (December 1983). "Prevention began early: Charles Edwin Bentley, DDS 1859-1929". Journal of the National Medical Association. 75 (12): 1235–6. PMC 2561708. PMID 6361272.