ANN ARBOR, MI — Jonathan Taft, the first dean of the University of Michigan College of Dental Surgery, started with just 20 students and three teachers.

Founded in 1875, the University of Michigan’s dental program was part of the nation’s evolution of medical education. Applicants only needed high school education. It had minimal funding, and it wasn’t until 1890 the university installed gas lighting to the dental school’s facilities.

As the School of Dentistry reaches its 150th anniversary this year, it has transformed from its humble beginnings to one of the country’s top-ranked schools.

“Anniversaries like this are really an opportunity for us to both reflect into the past and think about the achievements that happened during the past history of the school,” School of Dentistry Dean

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