2021 marks a special anniversary for the Kansas Dental Association. The KDA was organized 150 years ago!

In fact, the first organizational meeting of the Kansas State Dental Society was attended by 6 dentists on May 4, 1871 in Lawrence, Kansas.
 

At a later meeting held in Topeka on September 14, 1871, Dr. J.B. Wheeler (Lawrence) would be elected president of the fledgling organization, and an organizational constitution and bylaws, as well as a code of ethics, were adopted.

The first official annual meeting of the Kansas State Dental Association was held in Lawrence on May 5-8, 1872. At that meeting, Dr. Wheeler was reelected KSDA president, a position he would continue to hold until May 1874 when Dr. W.F. Griswold was elected.
 

While the 2021 Midwest Dental Conference and KDA Annual Meeting were moved to a virtual format this year, plans are underway to celebrate 150 years of the KDA in-person at the spring 2022 conference. Look for details to be announced during the next year.


Dr. J.B. Wheeler


Dr. W.F. Griswold