ASDA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
2021 marks an important milestone in ASDA’s history. ASDA’s 50
th anniversary encourages us to look towards the future of the association, but it’s also a time to reminisce and celebrate how far ASDA has come as both an organization and a community.
Kick Off the Celebration:
While we were unable to celebrate ASDA’s 50th Anniversary as planned, our desire to commemorate has not changed. For this reason, we are collecting photos and memories from the past fifty years.
What are some of your favorite ASDA memories? Send us photos from chapter or district events, national meetings or share your favorite memory for a chance to be featured on ASDA’s social media channels! Submit photos or memories by emailing them to meetings@asdanet.org. Don’t forget to include your name, dental school and graduation date and a short description (3-5 sentences or less).
We will be recognizing the anniversary each month with the hashtag #ASDAturnsfifty.
How did ASDA Begin?
ASDA began in 1969 in a world very different today. Dental school administration, often former military officers, were restrictive. Schools had dress codes, appearance codes and rigid behavioral rules. Without due-process or student advocates, breaking these rules often meant severe repercussions. Dental school populations also included very few minorities or women. During these times, record numbers of dental school applications were submitted from a generation that was socially conscious and far more diverse. Individuals were admitted to dental schools that were willing to challenge the status-quo.
In 1970, the federal government offered a grant for public health programs for medical and pharmacy students to organize on the condition that dental care be included. The presidents of those organizations approached dental student, Dennis Spain, to start a dental student organization. Spain and fellow dental student, David Evaskus, agreed and contacted Deans and dental students across the country.
Born as the Student American Dental Association, the first meeting was held in February 1970. At least 45 students from 26 schools attended voluntarily. SADA’s first obstacle was funding. The ADA, recognizing that students wanted better avenues for their issues, hosted a dental school convention in 1971. The product of that meeting was the American Student Dental Association where SADA leaders were elected to lead an organization that was supported by, but independent from the ADA. A sustainable student representative body and what we know as ASDA today, was born.