Roy Orval Greep, former Dean of the School of Dental Medicine, died Dec. 5 at the age of 92.

Born in 1905 in Kansas, Greep earned his master's and doctorate in zoology from the University of Wisconsin. There, he became a research assistant in endocrinology in the laboratory of Frederick Hisaw. Greep's work in the field led to his interest in dental research. While studying rats, he began to investigate problems related to tooth development and decay. He began working at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1944 when the School began to recruit general scientists. He went on to teach anatomy at Harvard before becoming a professor of dental science at HSDM in 1949, then Dean of the School in 1952. In 1967, he was named the John Rock Professor of Population Studies and director of the laboratory of human reproduction and reproductive biology at the Medical School. He retired in 1974.

Over the course of his career, Greep edited medical textbooks on endocrinology and histology and was editor in chief of the journal Endocrinology. He served as president of the Endocrine Society and the International Society of Endocrinology. He was also a trustee of the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology and adviser to the Ford Foundation and the World Health Organization. His research with Gregory Pincus contributed to the development of the birth control pill.

Greep is survived by three daughters, Ann Louise Hogan of Shelburne, Vt., Marjorie Franko of Concord, Mass., and Nancy Greep of Long Beach, Calif.; three sisters, Luella Mauch of Clay Center, Kan., Gladys Romberger of Longford, Kan., and Norma McHugh of Grosse Pointe, Mich.; and seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his eldest sister, Alta Greep.

A memorial service honoring Greep will be held Friday, Jan. 16, at 3 p.m. at the Memorial Church.

A reception will follow the service in the Reading Room of the

Faculty Club, 20 Quincy St.

Parking will be available at the 38 Oxford St. parking lot.