Dentistry Dean Resigns From Post


For Dr. Marcus L. Ward of the
 Dental School the Board of Re-
gents has created a "Distinguished
 Professorship" — The Jonathan Taft 
Professorship in Dentistry — in recog
nition of his success as an educator and
 administrator. 


Action was taken when Dr. Ward 
resigned as Dean of the School of Dentistry in August. The Professorship 
takes its name from that of the first
 Dean of the Dental School and it was 
given to Dr. Ward to enable him to 
devote his time to teaching and special 
research.


President Alexander G. Ruthven, 
 speaking for the Regents, said of Dr. 
Ward: 


"He has arrived at that point in his 
career where he desires to devote himself exclusively to the development of the professional aspects closest to his 
heart. He has served well as an administrator and under him the School has expanded and
 developed both as to facilities and excellence of its scholar
ship."


Dr. Ward joined the University faculty in 1903 as
 Instructor. The School, then known as the Dental De
partment, was reorganized as a School and, in 1916; Dr.
 Ward became its Dean.


Born at Howell, Michigan, in 1875, Dr. Ward received 
his early education at the Fenton Normal School. 
 From the University of Michigan he received his degree 
in Dental Surgery and later that of Doctor of Dental
 Surgery. His activity in his profession is indicated by 
memberships in a number of professional and honorary
 societies—American Chemical Society, American Dental
 Association, American Association for the Advancement
 of Science, American Association of University Professors, 
 American College of Dentists, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi
 and Delta Sigma Delta. He has been honored by the
 American Association of Dental Faculties, which he served
 as President, and he has been Vice-President of the
 Dental Educational Council of America. He was Editor, 
from 1920 to 1926, of the American Textbook of Operative 
Dentistry. 


Upon Dr. Ward's resignation, the Executive Committee
 of the Board of Regents appointed a committee of five to 
head the School of Dentistry as executives. Dr. Chalmers
 J. Lyons is Chairman and Dr. R. W. Bunting, Dr. U. G. 
 Rickert, Dr. P. H. Jeserich and Dr. R. K. Brown are the other members. 


Such a committee has, on other occasions, acted in the
 place of a Dean in recent years at the University. 
 When Dean John R. Effinger of the College of Literature, 
 
Science and the Arts died suddenly in 
June 1933, the Regents selected a
 committee to act until the appoint
ment of Dean Edward H. Kraus the
 following August, and, although some-
what changed as to personnel, has been 
continued to assist the Dean in an ad
visory and administrative capacity. In
 the School of Medicine, when Dean
 Hugh Cabot resigned in 1930, an
 executive committee headed the School 
until Dean Frederick G. Novy was 
appointed in 1933. 


Already Dr. Ward is at work on im
portant projects. New specifications 
having been laid down by the Bureau
 of Standards, he is carrying on an ex
tensive study of various amalgams 
being used as fillings. The School is
 acting as consultant for several manu
facturers, Dr. Ward stated in a recent 
interview, and experimenting in its 
Metallurgy Department with products 
which must pass certain tests. Adhesion of cement used 
with gold inlays and durability of rubber and rubber
 compounds will be determined through research under 
Dr. Ward's direction.