OHSU History of Medicine Library

The idea for a distinct history of dentistry collection probably was born in 1978 in the Dental School's History of Dentistry Committee, chaired by faculty member Dr. J. Henry Clarke. A special History of Dentistry room was created in one corner of the Dental Library, and books and an antique dental chair were moved into this room during the 1978-1979 academic year.
There were approximately 550 books in this new collection, the only collection of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Many of the books had been donated by President Herbert Miller and faculty of the old North Pacific College in Portland in the early twentieth century from their personal collections that were rare and old at the time. Some are signed by the famous Dr. G.V. Black. The earliest original books in the History of Dentistry collection were published in the 1810s and 1820s, and there are facsimile reprints of books published as early as the late 1600s.
In Fall 2003, the collection was moved, along with its oak wall bookcases, to the Main Library in the BICC building on the third floor in the Library Administration area. Access to the collection is by appointment only; requests for appointments and questions about the collection should be directed to homref@ohsu.edu.
Current holdings in the History of Dentistry Collection can be searched online in the OHSU Library catalog.
Picture of
Dental School on Couch Street
Northwest Dental College at corner of N.W. 15th and Couch
Picture
of Dental School on Couch Street

College at corner of N.E. 6th and Oregon

Last updated July 24, 2009 by the OHSU Library Web Managers. Please send comments, questions, and reports of problems to the Library through the customer support form.