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It has been said that every professional man has an obligation to contribute to the advancement of his profession because of the heritage he has received from those who have gone before.

It is appropriate that this compendium of essays, philosophies, and ideas by those who have enhanced the sound foundation of our profession are available to all who are, or strive to be, dental professionals. Certainly this book is not all-inclusive, but it is representative of the dental leadership that has contributed and continue to support the higher ideals of our noble calling.

All new ideas of mankind usually start with one person. The concept for this book started with an idea by Dr. Shigeo Ryan Kishi of Fountain Valley, California. I am honored and pleased that he asked me to assist him and to work with him. We are of course grateful to those who contributed essays and who graciously took time to provide us with their best efforts. We are also indebted to Dr. and Mrs. M.E. Ensminger of Clovis, California for the beautiful cover design created by their staff, and for guidance on format and publishing-a service they provided gratis.

I hope you will enjoythis book as much aswe enjoyed producing it.

"Men are what they become, because of the contributions of all other men, both those now living, and those that belong to history. Our wisdom is the wisdom of the ages; our culture is the culture of the centuries, of the intelligent use of mind and matter by men of many lands and of many generations." -Anonymous From the first A.D.I. Journal 1976

The idea for this book was conceived in an effort to assemble, in book form, the ideals and philosophies of some of the finest people within the dental profession. When consulted, Dr. Clifford F. Loader considered the idea worthy of pursuit, though fully aware of how difficult an undertaking it would be. His words of encouragement, his support and his enthusiastic efforts to recommend contributing authors ultimately led to the compilation of essays that have come to be known as Legacy, The Dental Profession.

lt must be remembered that ideas are only as good as the action that is taken to bring them into reality. For without the efforts of Dr. Loader, Dr. and Mrs. M.E. Ensmingerand thefinecontributingessayists, Legacy, The Dental Profession would never have become reality.

This book is not intended to impose ideals or beliefs. Instead, it is a volume of essays which, we hope, will serve as a guideline and promote some of the ideals and philosophies that have been meaningful to others in their quest to live a life of contribution to their profession and to all mankind.

We found that in compiling this series of essays that most of the authors have never previously attempted to express in writingtheir personal philosophy for others to read and to compare. Therefore, it must be remembered that this was one of the most difficult books to produce. The authors are individuals of high intellect and have contributed to the greatness of our profession and to society.

Most of the essayists in this book reflect a belief in the importance of the spirit and the dignity of the individual and a belief in a Supreme Being. Many of the essays express what the authors feel to be the most important landmarks thus far in their journey through life.

We sincerely hope that you will fully appreciate the efforts of these fine individuals so that they can all be remembered as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.