At 11am on Thursday 9th May, 2024 a group of dental history enthusiasts young and old gathered at the BDA in London to hear Professor Jenny Gallagher, MBE deliver the Lilian Lindsay Memorial Lecture.
Jenny, who is the current Newland-Pedley Professor of Oral Health Strategy gave an informative, engaging and interesting lecture on the life and legacy of Frederick Newland-Pedley, an entrepreneur and founder of Guy’s Dental School.
Not a man to sit back when he saw a need, Dr Newland-Pedley not only fought to found Guy’s Dental School, he also went out to Delfontein during the Boer War to treat the teeth of the troops. On returning he published his experiences in the Lancet, describing the immense dental defects that he found. He later worked in a Red Cross Hospital in Rouen during World War One and in 1915 in Bandol met the writer Katherine Mansfield who immortalised him in her letters as her Pa-man. Towards the end of his life whilst living in Aquaseria, Italy he financed the building of a much needed larger church there; his generosity was later repaid by the care the village took of him during the Second World War when he was unable to access his money.
Looking back at Newland-Pedley’s life as a template for us now, Professor Gallagher finished the talk by putting forward her hopes for our legacy in the 21st Century:
- Liberating the workforce to serve the population needs across the lifecourse
- Educate culturally competent dental team to shape and deliver new models of dental care
- Facilitate professionalism in a complex world where we care for the planet and our populations.
The highly enjoyable lecture, which came with CPD for those that needed it, was followed by good food and fellowship and left us all looking forward to next year.