Dr robert tanner jackson biography

In the world of dentistry, Robert Tanner Freeman is a name to be both recognized and remembered. Before the s, dentistry was mainly practiced by dentists who were self-taught or learned the trade via an apprenticeship. Local dentists often offered services without any formal education. The first university-based dental program, the Harvard Dental School, opened its doors in Upon graduating two years later, Freeman along with a fellow classmate named George Franklin Grant became the first African American dentists in the United States.

Freeman started his own practice and became successful, not only as a dentist but as a trailblazer for future graduates and doctors. Freeman was later honored by the National Dental Association, whose only predecessor was even titled the Robert T. Freeman Dental Society. However, Freeman faced trials in the process of receiving his training, as he was rejected by two medical schools, even with his previous experience.

Dr robert tanner jackson biography

Freeman returned to Washington, D. He became a pillar in the D. Unfortunately, his death came in , only four years after he received his dental school degree. While working in Washington, D. He was honored by the National Dental Association, the all-black dental group which was founded in and is headquartered in Washington, D. The Association adopted the mission of Dr.

Freeman was born near Washington, D. He was the son of a carpenter who had bought his family's freedom and then moved to Raleigh , North Carolina. During his late teens, Freeman worked for a mentor, Dr. Henry Bliss Noble, a white dentist in Washington. Before Freeman was accepted into the Harvard Dental School, now the Harvard School of Dental Medicine , he was rejected by two other institutions because of the color of his skin.

The dental school's first dean, Nathan Cooley Keep , interviewed him and invited him to become one of the first six students to attend Harvard Dental School. Fours years removed from graduating and practicing professionally, Freeman contracted an unspecified water-borne disease that resulted in his untimely death on June 10, Freeman was the grandfather of Robert C.

Weaver , the first African American to serve in the U.