The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

January, 1951 The Health Bulletin 11DR. GEORGE M. COOPER — AN APPRECIATIONEarnest A. Branch, D.D.S., Director of Oral Hygiene DivisionNorth Carolina State Board of HealthIn the death of Dr. George M. Cooperon December 18, 1950, North Carolinadentistry lost one of its best friends. Itwas Dr. Cooper, a physician directingthe Bureau of Medical Inspection ofSchools of the North Carolina StateBoard of Health, who conceived andpromoted the idea of including dentistryin the State's Public Health Program.This was in 1918. Appearing on theprogram of the North Carolina DentalSociety during their meeting in the oldOceanic Hotel at Wrightsville Beach,Dr. Cooper outlined a proposed plan ofdental health education. This plan providedfor employing full time dentistson the staff of the State Board ofHealth and for sending these dentistsinto the schools of the State to teachMouth Health and to make dental correctionsfor the underprivileged children.From the beginning the objectivewas health education.The proposal came from an understandingheart and mind. Dr. Cooperknew from personal experience the sufferingcaused from lack of dental attentionin childhood. He knew from hisexperience as a physician and a publichealth worker the great need for dentalhealth education and for dental serviceamong our children.Dr. Cooper's presentation before theDental Society struck a responsivechord, and it was Dr. J. Martin Flemingof Raleigh who made the motion thatthe North Carolina Dental Society goon record as heartily endorsing the planand that the Society pledge Dr. Coopertheir loyal support. This was done, andNorth Carolina became the first Stateto put dentistry in its Public HealthProgram.Dr. Cooper, assisted by members ofthe dental profession, went before theState Legislature and secured fundswith which to begin operations. Severalyoung dentists were employed, and,from that day to this, the program hasbeen functioning.Because of the vision and work ofthis public health pioneer thousandsand thousands of children have receivedtheir first dental service, thousandsand thousands and thousands of teethhave been saved. North Carolinianshave become more and more MouthHealth conscious, and dentistry's healthservices are more widely recognized andappreciated. Dr. George M. Cooper wastruly a great benefactor of the childrenand of the dental profession of NorthCarolina.January, 1951GEORGE MARION COOPER, M.D., 1876-1950By Waltfb J. Hughes, M.D.Bennett College, Greensboro, North CarolinaJohn Milton in his sonnet "On HisBlindness" said, "They also serve whoonly stand and wait." Milton was blind;Cooper had defective hearing. GeorgeMarion Cooper did not serve by standingand waiting, but projected his personality,with arduous activity, into allthe significant social movements of histime. He brought to the field of publichealth and preventive medicine theforce of his intellect, his creative ability,and great imagination. His achievementswere epical. He was an ablepublic health statesman, a courageousand fearless spokesman in all thingsthat mitigated against the health and