The age-herald., 1902-05-07
Exercises of the Birmingham
 Dental College
THE vALEOICTORY ADDRESS
Dean Allen Gives the New Dentists Good Advice, Telling Them They Must Be Gentlemen Above
 All Things.

Ten young men constituting the class of 1902 of the Birmingham Dental College received their diplomas last night at the Jefferson Theatre. They have finished three years work under the faculty of the college and have been deemed worthy of the degree of Doctors of Dental Sur gerry, which the Birmingham Dental Col lege Is authorized by the State of Ala bama to confer on those who make certain percentage on their work.
 The ten graduates were Dr. Thomas Peter Vowell of Kerr, Miss; Dr. Clar- ence Harrel Luther of Fayetteville, Ark. i; Dr. Davird Lawson Massey of Woodlawn; Dr. Jerry Armstrong Rickles, Chico, Tex; Dr. Walter Marcellus Laird, Geneva, Ala. |; Dr. William Calhoun Terrell, Mount Pleasant, Ala; pr. William Wilson Woods, Jasper, Ala; Dr. Edmu und Mich olas Wood Jr., of Woodlawn, Ala. Dr. Norman Clifton Glass of Calvert Tex; pr. John Percy Reid of Marion. Ala.
 VaIedlctory Address.
 The valedctory address was delivered by Dr. David Lawson Massey. He spoke of the farewell which has to come into all mems lives at some time and specially the life of college man. In saying farewell to the faculty in behalf of the class he thanked them for the long and careful training which had been given the student in dentistry. He also thanked them for the exam pie they had set the class as to how to conduct themselves in the world. He said their example had been one which any man might do well to follow and said It was a shining light which had been set before them and If the members of the graduating class would follow it. 1t would lead to success.
 He said farewell to the pleasures of the student life, and told of the pleasant relations which had existed between the class and the faculty during their three years association. From last night he said their roads parted and probably many of them would never see each other again.
 Address of the Dean.
 Dr. T. M. Allen, dean of the college, delivered the diplomas. He said last night was probably the last time he would have the pleasure of addressing them as | whole, and that he wanted to give them one piece of advice. He said he be- lieved they were all competent to practice their profession, which was now consid- cred among the leading. He said that no one but a gentleman could be dentist and that one who tried to be dentist without being gentleman would not succeed. He advised them to try and en- ter the best society in whatever place they opened their offices, and to conduct themselves so as to be a credit to their profession.
 After he had presented the graduates with their diplomas and stated it was by the authority sted in him by the State of Alabama and the trustees and facul- ty of the Birmingham Dental College. which was one of the fifty institutions in the country, which could give diplomas. | Dr. Allen spoke of dentistry as a pro- dentistry was a trade, now it is a pro- fession. The first dental college was op- ened in Baltimore in 1889, and now there are fifty in the United States which are recognized. He also called attention to | a number of the great scientific facts which have been brought to light by dentists.
 The Literary Address. Hon. R. B. Blackburn, representative from Fulton county in the Georgia legis- lature, delivered the literary address. He drew strong comparison between the dentist of today and the dentist of fifty years ago. He spoke of the modern im- provements and the many ways of allevi- ating pain which were unknown to our | fathers and grandfathers.
 | MT. Blackburn mixed a great deal of good advice to the graduating class with no small amount of humor. He said this was day when only men with pull