Contents - IADR/AADR

Immediately following the organizational meeting in St. Louis in October 1938, the officers of the
Dental Materials Group drafted a Group Constitution and By-Laws. The stated purpose was the same as that
contained in the petition to the IADR for group recognition and has continued the same throughout the years. In
addition the Constitution provided for both active and associate members in the Group, and an Executive
Committee made up from representatives of the schools, the profession, the dental trade, and national
government or state research agencies. Provision was made in the Constitution for officers including a
Treasurer, Councilor, and Editor, in addition to the Chairman and Secretary initially named in St. Louis.
Numerous working committees also were included in the first Constitution, as well as subsequent revisions.
By the time of the IADR General Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, 18-19 March 1939, the petition for a
Dental Materials Group had been properly presented for Council consideration, the Group organization had
been established with election of officers, and the preparation of a Constitution and By-Laws was completed.
Four papers related to dental materials were included in the 1939 IADR program.
The Council and membership present in Cleveland passed a resolution to the effect that there should be a Dental
Materials Group established within the IADR with basically the rights and privileges of a geographic section.
This resolution required the vote of all the Sections, and since some were not represented in Cleveland, it was
not until 28 July 1939 that Dr. Edward H. Hatton, General Secretary of the IADR, was able to write as follows
to Dr. Skinner, then Group Secretary:
"It gives me a great deal of pleasure to welcome your group officially into the Association. The next
issue of the Journal of Dental Research will carry the names of the officers selected by you as group Councilor,
Secretary and Editor.
"It is my hope that this new relationship will have a long and very useful existence. I believe it will add
materially to the activities and usefulness of the Association and hope sincerely that your group will gain
significantly by your affiliation."
This cordial and hopeful expression of mutual respect and cooperation from Hatton set the pattern for
future relations between the Materials Group and the parent IADR organization. During the thirty years from
1939 to 1969 the Dental Materials Group continued to benefit from the contacts and relations with the IADR, as
the Group membership and number of scientific papers increased annually, with the active Group members
participating regularly in IADR affairs.
MEMBERSHIP
It was evident before the organization meeting was held that more than twenty persons were interested
in being affiliated with the Group if it was formed. Thereafter, word spread of its purpose and of meetings being
held to exchange information on materials. With the adoption of the Group Constitution and By-Laws, it was
established that membership dues for either active or associative members would be $2 per year, and W. T.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR DENTAL RESEARCH (IADR) – THE FIRST FIFTY YEAR HISTORY PAGE 202