Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists records

Collection

Identifier: A079

Scope and Content Note

The Northeastern University-Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists records are from the Forsyth Dental Center, the Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists, and the Northeastern-Tufts Dental Assistant Program. Materials include agreements between Northeastern University and the Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists; correspondence and memoranda related to administrative arrangements, financial agreements, program requirements, and tuition/fees; meeting minutes of the Forsyth-Northeastern Administrative Committee; newsletters; brochures and course catalogs; and commencement materials. Forsyth Dental Center materials, dating from about 1963 to 1973, include pages from a grant application; statements from Forsyth Center scientists about their current and ongoing research projects and related computer requirements; newsletters; and brochures. The Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists records, comprising materials from 1962-1992, are related to the administrative affiliation of the Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists with Northeastern University. Specific materials include jointly drafted administrative agreements and policy statements; correspondence and memoranda related to administrative agreements, financial arrangements, program requirements, and tuition/fees; meeting minutes of the Forsyth-Northeastern Administrative Committee; course catalogs and program brochures; an alumni newsletter; a 50th anniversary program; and a commencement program. Materials from the Dental Assistant program include brochures and a graduation program.

Dates

Creation: 1962-1992

Creator

Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.). Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access:

The collection is partially restricted; for further information, consult the University Archivist.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use:

Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the University Archivist.

Historical Note

The Forsyth family of Roxbury, Massachusetts, founded the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children in 1910. Opening its doors in 1914, the Infirmary provided complete oral therapy for children and, by the end of its first ten years, had treated over 150,000 children for dental and craniofacial problems. Recognizing that oral hygiene was a key factor in controlling dental disease, the family established The Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists in 1916.

Over subsequent decades, the Infirmary, known as The Forsyth Center, became a preeminent research institution devoted to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in oral health and craniofacial science. The Forsyth Research Institute was created in 1962 to study the underlying causes of oral disease and develop treatments that would lead to prevention and cure.

The Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists was one of the first programs of its kind in the United States, and served as a national model. From 1917 to 1950, a one-year course was offered to students. In 1947, the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association established a two-year minimum requirement for dental hygiene education that included additional academic courses.

In 1948, the Forsyth School entered into an affiliation with Tufts University, and in 1949 began its first two-year program in which Tufts faculty taught academic courses. It was now possible for students who wished to continue their education to apply these additional credits in liberal arts and basic sciences toward a baccalaureate degree. In 1962, the school transferred its affiliation to Northeastern University, and in September 1963, the first class was admitted.

The Northeastern-Forsyth partnership offered dental hygiene students a two-year or four-year program through Northeastern's Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Students attended classes at both Forsyth and Northeastern, and earned a Certificate in Dental Hygiene from Forsyth as well as an Associate in Science or Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern.

In 2002, The Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists was acquired by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) as a permanent part of the College's health-related degree programs. Founded in 1823, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is the largest college of pharmacy in the United States.

Extent

0.35 cubic feet (1 container)

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

The Forsyth family of Roxbury, Massachusetts, founded the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children in 1910. Recognizing that oral hygiene was a key factor in controlling dental disease, the family established The Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists in 1916. In 1948, the school entered into an affiliation with Tufts University. In 1962, it became affiliated with Northeastern University, and in September 1963, the first class was admitted. The Northeastern-Forsyth partnership offered dental hygiene students a two-year certificate or a four-year bachelor's program through Northeastern's Bouvé College of Health Sciences. In 2002, the school was acquired by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Overview

The Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists records include agreements between Northeastern University and the Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists; correspondence and memoranda related to administrative arrangements, financial agreements, program requirements, and tuition/fees; meeting minutes of the Forsyth-Northeastern Administrative Committee; newsletters; brochures and course catalogs; and commencement materials. Additional materials in the collection are from the Forsyth Dental Center and the Northeastern-Tufts Dental Assistant Program.

System of Arrangement:

Arranged in one alphabetical sequence.

Physical Location

31/2

Bibliography

Forsyth Dental Center Catalog, 1965-67, p. 24.
"Huskiana: From Caps and Crowns to Caps and Gowns," N.U. Magazine Online, Vol. 23, No. 5, May 1998. http://www.numag.neu.edu/9805/9805page%26images/huskiana.html. Accessed March 30, 2006.
"Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to Acquire Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists," Alliance News, Winter, 2002, p. 2. http://www.fenwayculture.org/AllianceNewsWinter2002.pdf. Accessed April 2, 2004.
MCPHS, School of Health Sciences, Academic Programs. "Forsyth Department of Dental Hygiene." http://www.mcphs.edu/academic_programs/health_sci/dental_hygiene/who_we_are/welcome.html. Accessed March 30, 2006.
Northeastern University, Bouvé College of Health Sciences. "Mission Statement," December 5, 2003. http://www.bouve.neu.edu/who/mission.php. Accessed March 30, 2006.