news No. 1 May 1997
President's Report
On behalf of the board of The Greater Philadelphia Society of Orthodontists, it is with pleasure that we introduce the first issue of your new newsletter. Our goal is to offer an opportunity to inform you of current events and an open invitation for your suggestions and dialogue. Please address your input to:
GPSO
C/O: Dr. Patti L. Werther
23 East Wynnewood Road
Wynnewood, PA 19096
In November, 90 orthodontists and 36 graduate students attended a "world" class presentation by Bjorn Zachrisson at our annual meeting. Dr. Zachrisson kept us stimulated through his unique last cassette of autotransplatations of posterior teeth in the place of maxillary incisors. He also presented us with a gift bell from the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, to be used to keep our flock together during our annual meeting.
Your board is committed to high quality annual meeting such as in past presentation by Drs. Sarver, McNamra, Vanarsdall, Proffit, Kokich, and Zachrisson. Please reserve November 19 in your appointment book for a most exciting all-day presentation by Dr. Joe Mayes of Lubbock, Texas. Joe will present a clinically oriented program of simplified treatment mechanics and how it related to office efficiency. The afternoon session will deal with his fixed cantilever bite-jumping appliance for correcting skeletal Class ll. malocclusions. After the meeting, be prepared to join your colleagues for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and fellowship! See you then!
Dick Kahn
Our Proud Heritage
Following the end of World War II, approximately 25 orthodontists were in the exclusive practice of orthodontics in the Philadelphia area. Under the leadership of Dr. John Valentine Mershon they formed the Philadelphia, Society of Orthodontists. Their mission was to contribute better orthodontic health services to the resident of the Philadelphia area, to advance the art and science of orthodontics and to represent the specially of orthodontics in the Philadelphia area.
In the first year of the organization, at the grand are of 78, Dr. Mershon served ad the president. Dr. Mershon contributed fully to his chosen profession during his long and active career. He was a 1908 graduate of the Angle School of Orthodontics, served as president of the Northeastern Society of Orthodontists and eventually, the American Association of Orthodontists. It would take a span of 74 years until another member of our society would hold the office of president of the American Association of Orthodontists. Dr. Ronald Gross served our profession well in that capacity in 1994.
The formation of our organization was formally announced in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Oral Surgery in July 1945. Subsequently, the society has held an annual scientific meeting for over the last fifty years. We have been fortunate to have speakers of each era who have been luminaries in the filed or orthodontics and informed the members of the society about the most up to date clinical techniques and research.
In 1993, in recognition of the member of the society from Southern New Jersey and Delaware, the name of the society was changed to the Greater Philadelphia Society of Orthodontists. The number of orthodontists has grown form 25 in 1945 to nearly 440 orthodontists practicing in the Tri-State area in 1997. Currently, we have 125 dues paying members in this group, and in addition, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to share our annual continuing education meeting with students from the orthodontic programs at Temple University, University of Pennsylvania and Albert Einstein University.
Dr. George Bullock
Executive Board
The Executive Board of the Greater Philadelphia Society of Orthodontists would like to thank Dr. Fred Thompson for a job well done as President of our organization. Fred will continue as our Secretary and Treasurer, as well as the location coordinator for our meetings. A "behind-the-scenes" thanks to Dr. Tom Murphy who has, and will continue to oversee the audiovisual needs of our speakers. A fond farewell to Dr. Gerry Jacobson who completes his term on the board this year. We would also like to welcome Dr. Richard Kahn as our current President and Dr. Joseph Damone as our newest board member. Our group was well represented at the Liberty Dental Conference in March with a presentation on "Adjunctive Orthodontics." Many thanks to Drs. Tanja DeMarche, Anthony Farrow, Harold Middleberg, and our moderator, Dr. Joseph Ghafari.
We are always looking for ideas and suggestions to maintain the high quality of our programs. Your input will help guide us into the future!
PLW
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