News+

Celebrating 150 years of dental medicine at Harvard

Harvard President Drew Faust speaking at HSDM’s Sesquicentennial Gala. /Photo by Steve Gilbert

2 min read

Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) celebrated its 150th anniversary with a Sesquicentennial Gala held on Thursday, May 4, 2017. The event brought together nearly 150 HSDM alumni, faculty, students, and friends for a festive evening at the Harvard Art Museums.

Harvard President Drew Faust kicked off the Gala with congratulatory remarks and a champagne toast. She noted many of the School’s milestones, including that HSDM was the first American dental school to be affiliated with a university and its medical school, among other significant achievements.

“The Harvard School of Dental Medicine has long been a place of firsts. A place for pioneers who devote themselves to the deeply humane work of caring for and improving the lives of people through the application and creation of knowledge,” Faust said.

“Today that work is visible in the education of students, in the work of clinicians and researchers, and the impact of efforts to promote oral health in communities both down the street and around the world.”

“May the beneficent work of the School continue for at least another 150 years!” she added.

Guests gathered in the Calderwood Courtyard to enjoy dinner, remarks and entertainment.

Kellie Moore, a third-year D.M.D. student, spoke of what inspired her to go to dental school and the importance of student scholarship aid.