Dr. Elsie Gerlach, PDM 1925
Pioneer in Pediatric and Women’s Dentistry
A trailblazer in pediatric dentistry, Dr. Gerlach graduated from Penn Dental Medicine in 1925 and also held a degree from Barnard College. She was a passionate advocate for women in the profession, serving as president of the American Association of Women Dentists, the Chicago Women Dentists Club, and the Illinois Unit of the American Society of Dentistry for Children. She founded the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
As a student, she was among the first members of the Thomas W. Evans Dental Society and chaired the group during her senior year—an early sign of her lifelong leadership.
Learn more about Dr. Gerlach by reading her obituary here.
Image source: PDM Women's History LibGuide
"In everything she did, she gave herself--totally. She gave more than 100 percent to her students, to her school, and to her chosen profession...The world will be poorer now that Elsie Gerlach has left it, but it has been infinitely richer for her being here."
- Stanley Korf, in a 2014 obituary for Dr. Gerlach
