Contents - IADR/AADR

THE NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION
MASAO ONISI, B.D.S., D.M.SC.
Department of Preventive Dentistry
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Tokyo, Japan
In essence, the North American Division came into being in various subtle stages, but it is now proposed
that it be activated so as to exist in full and final autonomy.
In early correspondence, William J. Gies often referred to the "American Division", which by innuendo
was more officially named the North American Division (as explained in the introduction to this chapter). The
formation of the NAD became official on 23 March 1952 in Colorado Springs. 3 Thereafter there were nominal
NAD meetings. Officers were designated (but not elected until 1972, when individuality was proposed for this
newly activated Division). Such designated Presidents have been those of the IADR, but were specifically
named: Richard S. Manly, 1966-67; Ralph W. Phillips, 1967-68; John B. Macdonald, 1968-69; Clifton O.
Dummett, 1969-70; and Gordon H. Rovelstad, 1970-71. NAD Secretary-Treasurers were designated as follows:
Gordon H. Rovelstad, 1966-67, and Arthur R. Frechette, 1967-.
From a practical standpoint, because of vast numbers of members, their activity and monetary support in
the United States, the weight of continuity and importance of the parent body, the IADR was carried for many
decades by this Division. (This kind of support was not unlike the earliest years of IADR when the New York
Section in effect was the most active component of the parent body.) In 1970 there were 2102 members
belonging to the North American Division, which included the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This
enormous Division, which for so long existed only on paper, consisted of thirty-seven Sections with Councilors
to the IADR, but not to the Division until the NAD activation in 1972. (See the chapter on "History of Sections"
for an elaboration of the many grass-roots components in the various research communities, especially in the
United States.) All the General Secretaries, Treasurers, and Secretary-Treasurers of the Association as well as
all the Editors of the Journal were from the North American Division. All the Presidents of IADR except one
were from this Division, and the vast monetary effort to operate both the Journal and the Association came
from this Division to date, but much more international participation is planned and expected in the second
fifty-year IADR history.
THE SCANDINAVIAN-NOF DIVISION
According to records, approval was given by the IADR Council to the Norway and Denmark Sections
on 22 March 1958 at its Thirty-sixth General Meeting to form a Scandinavian Division. 19 Apparently this was
never activated by the Scandinavians at that time. However, a Division of IADR per se was recently established
officially in 1969, even though its membership and its forerunning organization has a long history indeed. The
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL RESEARCH (IADR) – THE FIRST FIFTY YEAR HISTORY PAGE 142