Contents - IADR/AADR

THE JAPANESE DIVISION
The Japanese Division of the IADR was founded on 6 November 1954 at a meeting held at the School
of Dentistry of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
At the invitation of Kei Enoki, sixteen researchers were present at this initial meeting. Their membership
in the IADR, and the establishment of a Japanese Section, were confirmed at the Thirty-second Annual Meeting
in 1954 when George C. Paffenbarger became President of IADR 17 Edward H. Hatton, then Secretary-Treasurer
of the Association, stated in a letter dated 6 May 1954, ". . . The officers and members hope that this
relationship will be of long standing and of great advantage both to you and to us. . . ."
Previous to this event, the organization of a Japanese Section had been encouraged by Paffenbarger on
his visit to Japan in June of 1950 as part of a dental mission sent by the United States government. During this
time he met with researchers and educators in order to evaluate the state of dental sciences in Japan.
Japanese Division officers elected at this initial meeting were Shinjiro Takahashi, President; Kei Enoki,
Secretary; and Masao Onisi, Editor. A Constitution was drawn, modeled after that of the IADR. The newly
elected President delivered his inaugural address. A message from IADR President George C. Paffenbarger was
read by Col. John S. Oartel, Chief of Dental Services at the Tokyo Army Hospital, who also spoke on the
"History and Present Activities of the IADR". Masaru Nagao, President of the Tokyo Medical and Dental
University, gave a congratulatory speech in which he noted that a paper of his written in 1919 was the first
contribution to the Journal from Japan. 18
Eighteen meetings have been held by the Japanese Division since 1954, and the number of members
grew to 115 by the end of 1970. Abstracts of papers presented have been published in the Journal of Dental
Research.
Because the IADR's General Meetings have all been held in North America, members of the Japanese
Division have been largely unable to participate in IADR activities, and the converse also was true. Recognizing
the need for "cross-fertilization", Seiichi Matsumiya, a member of the International Relations Committee of the
IADR, formed the Pan-Pacific Congress of Dental Research to promote the exchange of ideas in that part of the
world. The organizing committee of the PCDR included Seiichi Matsumiya as President, and Yojiro Kawamura
and Masao Onisi. The first meeting of the PCDR was held in Tokyo on 14-16 April 1969.
Recently, Matsumiya as President of the Japanese Division of the IADR did participate in the Fortyeighth
General Meeting of the IADR in New York City in 1970. On this occasion of the Fiftieth Year
Observance of the IADR, he presented greetings and a brief statement of activities of the Japanese Division.
(See chapter eighteen, this book.)
The following men have been President of the Japanese Division: Shinjiro Takahashi, 1954-59; Seiichi
Matsumiya, 1959-61 and 1969-71; Iwao Nagai, 1961-63; Rokuro Suhara, 1963-65; Isamu Nakazawa, 1965-67;
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL RESEARCH (IADR) – THE FIRST FIFTY YEAR HISTORY PAGE 140