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VCU Health Sciences Library
Special Collections and Archives 509 N 12th StJody Romero
There are no restrictions.
Collection is open to research.
Harry Lyons Collection, Accession #Acc 23, Special Collections and Archives, Health Sciences Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.
This collection was donated by Dr. Lyons over a span of several years. It includes accessioning numbers Acc 23, Acc 77, Acc 86, PF-176, PF-181, PF-182, PF-183 and 88/Mar/13.
Dr. Harry Lyons was born in Washington DC on March 18, 1900. His father moved the family to Lexington, Virginia when Lyons was a year old. It was in Lexington that he was raised and went to school. After a year at Washington and Lee University in the Student Army Training Corps, he followed his sister's advice and transferred to the Medical College of Virginia where he graduated with a degree in dentistry in 1923.
Impressed with his strong knowledge, Dr. Cameron Hoogan, Dean of the School of Dentistry, offered Lyons a faculty position right after graduation. Remembering a professor's comparison of the beauty of a bicuspid to a young girl, Lyons decided to make an engagement ring out of a tooth in a black vulcanite setting. Sara Miriam Wice would accept his unusual ring and they were married for 41 years until her death in 1967.
Lyons worked as a full-time faculty member until 1928 when he started his own practice in periodontics. He continued to teach part time until 1950, progressing through the academic ranks to become a professor of periodontia and oral pathology. He would eventually become the periodontal department chair. Then in 1951, he accepted a challenge from MCV President Dr. William Sanger, to create the best dental school in the country, and became Dean of the School of Dentistry.
Lyons was active professionally and served as president of several state and national dental associations including the American Academy of Periodontology, the American Association of Dental Schools, and the American Dental Association. It was during his tenure as President of the ADA that the issue of fluoridation of water became a national debate. Lyons was frequently quoted in the press advocating the benefits of fluoridation. He was called to testify before several state legislatures as well as the United State Congress. In the end, Lyons efforts were successful as many states adopted his recommendations adding this element to their community water supplies.
Lyons was a prolific writer and contributor to dental literature with over thirty articles to his credit. These range from specific clinical dental procedures to advice on professional behavior and grooming. . Lyons continued to teach classes even after he became Dean. Lyons disliked facial hair and forbid MCV students from having moustaches and beards for years during his tenure. While Dean, Lyons wrote about the relationship between research and education, including ways to improve dental instruction. Lyons twice earned the William J. Gies award for the best paper in the Journal of Dental Research.
Throughout his career Lyons was recognized for his hard work and dedication to the dental profession. He received Distinguished Service Awards from four national dental associations. He was named a Laurate of Virginia, and given the Edward Wayne Medal for outstanding service to Virginia Commonwealth University in 1981. After over fifty years of dedication to MCV, Lyons was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1985. He also held four honorary doctoral degrees. Lyons married Doris Yingling, Dean of the School of Nursing in 1969.
Lyons retired as Dean in 1970, and was named Dean Emeritus. That same year, the new dental building was named in his honor. In addition VCU has named a scholarship, professorship, and an outstanding dental alumni award in his honor. Lyons established several endowments including a fund to support the School of Dentistry, libraries, and the VCU Center for Judaic Studies.
Lyons died April 15, 1997 and was buried in Hebrew Cemetery in Richmond, VA. At the time of his death, the School of Dentistry was ranked as one of the top ten in the country.
The collection focuses on Lyons' writings, articles, clippings, photographs, and awards covering his professional career and tenure as Dean of the School of Dentistry, Medical College of Virginia, 1948-1979. The body of the collection is his papers and addresses. Lyons professional work was in periodontology, which deals with diseases of the gums These papers focus on problems and solutions related to this specialty, improving dental education, professional ethics. The collection also chronicles his gifts to the University and donations to local organizations. The collection does not include information regarding Lyons private dental practice or the official record of the School of Dentistry.
Records are arranged in chronological order.
This series contains a biography as well as early personal records.
This folder contains a biography, publications list, selected bibliography and several newspaper clippings with biographic information.
Original school records bound in a binder
Grades, early employment documents, and Army discharge paperwork.
Letters on a wide variety of subjects. Most are personal or are related to Lyons' work with his many dental associations.
This series include varied subjects and papers. Each is organized either by event, organization, or person.
Dental Clinic Dedicatory Address.
Achievement Award, Life membership card. (Audio on reel-to-reel)
President's Address. (Audio on cassette)
This folder contains correspondence and speeches given during these years.
Bound volume, Proceedings of the 41st Annual Meeting
Committee on Social Trends in Professional Relations report.
Convocation, Washington D.C.
See Gies Award, 1978
President's Reports
81st Annual Session. Milwaukee, WI
98th Annual Session. Miami, FL
102nd Annual Session. Philadelphia, PA. (see folder 4.28)
Conference on Dental Research. Atlantic City, NJ
Conference of National Organizations for Areas of Dental Practice. Chicago, IL
Council on Dental Education.
Distinguished Service Award.
Miscellaneous
1st Annual Founders' Award
Commencement Address. See Folder 9.3
Brussels, Belguim
Annual Meeting. Banff, Alberta, Canada (See folder 6.2)
Photographs, x-rays and reports concerning individual cases Lyons worked on while in private practice.
President Reports
43rd Annual Meeting. Copenhagen, Denmark
Correspondence
Clippings and exhibits.
American Academy of Periodontology
American College of Dentists
Citation, American College of Dentists
New York, NY
Detroit, MI
Centennial Meeting. Lexington, KY
This folder includes correspondence involving various state and national licensing boards
Indiana Dental School
Health Services award, State of Israel.
Centennial Meeting. Boston, MA
15th Annual Meeting. St. Louis, MO
Dean, New York School of Dentistry.
Brotherhood Citation
Honorary Degree.
Centennial celebration. New York, NY
Annual Meeting. Pinehurst, NC
91st Annual Meeting. Columbus, OH
Honorary Initiation
33 year in the Society.
Testimonials, correspondence.
Board of Governors
Miscellany
Honorary Degree. Philadelphia, PA
Virginia Dental Association Fellowship(Audio on reel-to-reel)
Consultant to..
Consultant to...
This folder deals with attempts to regulate ads for toothpaste.
This folder includes information on the promotion of dental education
Honorary Civilian Consultant
Honorary Degree, Official Opening Ceremony-School of Dentistry. Winnipeg, Manitoba
Skytop. Philadelphia, PA
Commencement Address. Memphis, TN
Consultant work
This folder includes the initial paperwork involved in setting up this endowment to the University.
This folder contains the documentation setting up this endowment to the University.
This folder includes official correspondence in the naming of the new Dental building after Lyons, as well as personal letters of congradulations.
The folder includes the speech, articles, invitations and other items associated with the opening of the building.
This folder includes programs from the VCU Service Awards program.
Correspondence with Minnie Frank, Executive Secretary of the MCV Alumni Association.
This folder includes correspondence and publications concerning the presentation of Lyon's portrait at the University.
Annual Reports
"Clean-shaven dental students"
"Encouraging Excellence"
Homecoming flyers and clipping
Honors Convocation
This folder contains official documents as well as personal correspondence on Lyons' retirement.
Salary records
This folder contains documents regarding the Endowment Fund
This folder includeds official documents and the Service Award.
Controversy
Correspondence
Signal Honor Award
Testimonial to Harry Lyons.
Establishment of the Max and Jennie Lyons Fund
Honorary Degree. Lexington, VA
response to Alpha Omega Achievement Medal. (See folder 3.2)
Read at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Federation Dentaire Internationale. (See Folder 3.30)
Published in Journal of the American Dental Association , Vol. 37. Sept. 1948
(See Folder 3.14)
Originally written as a President's Address to the American Dental Association. (See Folder 3.12, Audio on reel-to-reel)
Address given at the Belgian Dental Congress (See Folder 3.24)
(See Folder 3.43)
Read at the Kentucky Dental Association (See Folder 3.41)
Printed in the Arkansas and Arizona Dental Journals
Printed in the Journal of the American Dental Association , Vol 27 Jun. 1940
Read at the Rotary Club. Richmond, VA
Printd in the Journal of the American Dental Association . Vol 39 Nov. 1949
(See Folder 3.33)
Read at the Annual Meeting of the American Dental Association. Chicago, IL
Read at the Mid-Coninent Dental Congress. St. Louis, MO (See Folder 3.48)
Printed in the Journal of the American Dental Association . Vol. 64 Jan. 1962
(See Folder 3.13, Audio on reel-to-reel)
Read at the West Virginia Dental Conference
Read at the American Academy of Peroidontology meeting in Atlantic City, NJ.
Read at the American Dental Associations Management Conference. Chicago, IL
Read at National Association of Dental Examiners Annual Meeting. Milwaukee, WI (See Folder 3.4)
Read at the International Conference of Dental Education. New York, NY (See Folder 3.38)
(See Folder 3.78)
Read at the Annual Meeting of the Virginia Dental Association. (See Folder 3.67, Audio on reel-to-reel)
Written for a chapter in Samuel Gordon's book, Dental Science and Dental Art Updated in 1943.
Article written in response to J. Wilson Ames.
Read at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Dental Schools.
(See Folder 3.14)
This series consists of clippings and press releases covering Lyons' professional career.
Mounted newsprint clippings.
Mounted newsprint clippings. Topics include Lyons named Dean of School of Dentistry, President of the ADA, and the fluoridation campaign.
Mounted newsprint clippings. Topics include awards won by Lyons, retirement from University, and philantrophy.
This folder contains press releases from the American Dental Association and Virginia Commonwealth University. Subjects include Lyon's efforts at fluoridation, his demand for better dental education, and the naming of the Harry Lyons dental building at VCU.
This series contains journals, newsletters and bulletins regarding Lyons or featuring his writings.
This folder contains bulletins and newsletters with information concerning Lyons from the American Dental Association, American Association of Dental Schools, Medical Society of Virginia, American Dental Trade Association, Kiwanis Club, National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Rotary Club.
This folder contains journals that have articles written by or about Lyons.
Vol. 18, No 1
Vol. XXV No. 1
Vol. XLV No. 1
Vol. L No. 3
Vol. LVI No. 3
Vol. XLIV No. 2
Vol. LII No. 3
Vol. LXVII No. 2
Vol. 2 No. 3
Vol. 31 No. 9
Vol. 3 No. 4
Vol. 26 No. 5
Vol. 47 No. 5
VCU Endowment Proposition.
This folder contains convention programs and folders from many dental conventions. Associations included are the American Dental Association, American Dental Trade Association, American College of Dentists, American Association of Dental Schools, American Academy of Periodontology, and several state dental associations.
This series focuses on Lyons many awards and professional gatherings. Also it includes some personal photographs.
Lyons with sister Tillie Lyons and Constance Haller. These were two of the first women admitted into the MCV Dental School.
(Audio on cassette)
Rome, Italy (See Folder 3.29)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Bethesda, MD (See Folder 4.7)
(See Folder 3.37)
(See Folder 3.36)
(See Folder 3.77)
(See Folder 3.5)
(Classes 1918, 1923)
Photographs of multiple events and functions.
(See Folder 3.8)
(See Folder 3.51, 3.54)
(See Folder 3.84)
(See Folder 3.83, 3.84, Audio on reel-to-reel)
(Groundbreaking audio on reel-to-reel; naming ceremony on reel-to-reel, cassette)
(See Folder 3.23, 9.3)
(See Folder 3.67, 4.40. Audio on reel-to-reel)
(See Folder 3.64, 3.65)
(See Folder 3.96)
These photographs are of Lyons' birth certificate, and early dental advertisement.
This folder includes photographs of Lyon's receiving awards and speaking.
Photographs for use in publications and other official uses.
This series contains several artifacts and bound volumes
This folder contains a special tax receipt for a dentist office from the Internal Revenue Service, 1868. A ticket for the 1892 Democratic Convention, and a dental school text dated 1828.
Columbia University
Baylor Univerisity
(A-N)
(M-P)
(Q-Z)
Oversized. Held in oversized storage.
This series contains two scrapbooks each chronicling Lyons' professional career.
This scrapbook highlights Lyons work with the ADA. A folder with clippings found in back of book, 1950-1967. This scrapbook contains mostly newspaper clippings and official newsletters.
This scrapbook was compiled by Lyon's wife and covers his professional activities. This scrapbook contains much more in the way of photographs, and memorabilia.
This series contains audio recordings of Lyons on multiple formats.
The following audio tapes are part of their respective series but are held within the Audio Collection.
cassette
7 in. reel-to-reel
7 in. reel-to-reel.
7 in. reel-to-reel.
5 in. reel-to-reel.
5 in. reel-to-reel.
7 in. reel-to-reel.
cassette
cassette
5 in. reel-to-reel
5 in. reel-to-reel
7 in. reel-to-reel
5 in. reel-to-reel, cassette
cassette
cassette
This series contains video recordings of Lyons on multiple formats.
American Dental Association centennial, 16mm color sound film. 2x 11 in. reels. Stored with Film Accessions.
VHS videotape
VHS videotape