Congratulations on 150 years of excellence!

In August 1859, 26 men representing several existing dental associations gathered at Niagara Falls, NY, and formed what would become the American Dental Association.

In 2009, 150 years later, the ADA, its constituent and component societies and its more than 156,000 members will commemorate that momentous occasion through a wide range of events and activities. (Please see our press release for further details.)

Sesquicentennial Mission
The mission of the Sesquicentennial Celebration is to commemorate, celebrate and communicate the American Dental Association’s 150 year commitment to the public’s health.

Public Service and Outreach
The ADA plans to commemorate its anniversary through a variety of special public service and outreach activities. Check back for further details soon!

Logo and signage
The sesquicentennial logo, which appears above, will be used all through the coming year, starting at this year’s annual session, Oct. 16–19, where it will be on display at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Logos, signage and other materials also will be made available to state and local dental societies to help them join in the celebration.

Commemorative pin
The Council on ADA Sessions has developed a commemorative pin that will be distributed at both the 2008 and 2009 annual sessions. The pins will be offered free of charge at the ADA Pavilion in the convention center, both this year and next.

Coffee-table book
A professionally written and produced, hardcover coffee-table-type book exploring the history of the ADA and the dental profession is in the works. The book is expected to be completed and available for sale in limited quantity by June 2009, the price to be determined.

Special supplement to JADA
The Journal of the American Dental Association is preparing a special supplement commemorating the sesquicentennial, to be packaged and mailed with the June 2009 edition of JADA. Dr. David Chernin, editor of the Journal of the History of Dentistry, is serving as guest editor of the supplement, which will focus mainly on the historical advancement of dental science.

Planning for the sesquicentennial is still in progress, so keep an eye out for updates to this report on ADA.org and in the ADA News.