Floyd A. Peyton, Professor of Dentistry, retired from active faculty status as of February 28, 1970, after an illustrious career as a teacher and researcher in the School of Dentistry.

Born on February 2, 1905, Dr. Peyton earned the A.B. degree in chemistry at Indiana University in 1928 and the M.S. in physical chemistry at the Michigan College of Mining and Technology the following year.

In 1933 he completed at this university the degree Sc.D in dental materials, as one of the earliest graduates of the program. In 1935 Dr. Peyton joined the faculty of the Department of Materials Science as an instructor and in 1941 was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor. From 1945 to 1948 he taught on the faculty of the University of Texas as Professor of Dental Physics. He returned to Michigan in 1948 as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Materials Science (later to become Dental Materials), a position he held until June 30, 1969.

As a teacher and researcher, Dr. Peyton has played a major role in the development of the field of dental materials, both inside and outside the university. He was instrumental in the development and expansion of the department's graduate program in dental materials, which under his guidance achieved the reputation as one of the most respected programs of its kind in the world. Graduates of Michigan's program are leaders in the field, occupying prominent roles in similar departments of dental schools in this country and abroad.

Dr. Peyton's contributions outside the University are equally noteworthy. He served as a visiting professor at San Carlos University in Guatemala in 1945, and as a Fulbright Lecturer in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1961, in New Zealand in 1966, and in India in 1968. He was the first chairman of the Dental Materials Group of the International Association of Dental Research, and in 1961 he received the prestigious Wilmar Souder Award for outstanding and meritorious dental research. Since 1968 he has served as a consultant to the Pan American Health Organization.

Respected and admired by colleagues and students alike, Dr. Peyton has exerted a profound influence in his field as a teacher and dental researcher.

The Regents salute this distinguished scientist and educator for his dedicated service by naming him Professor Emeritus of Dentistry.