PDM 1919
Trailblazer in Dentistry and Civil Rights
While practicing dentistry in New York, Dr. Willis N. Cummings broke barriers through tireless advocacy against racial and religious discrimination. In the 1930s, his leadership helped open the Dental Society of New York to all qualified practitioners—regardless of race or faith.
A proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the nation’s first African American collegiate fraternity, Dr. Cummings was also the first Black man admitted to the national dental honor society Omicron Kappa Upsilon. As a student at Penn, he was the third Black student to earn a varsity letter and the first to captain a varsity team.
His legacy lives on through both his professional achievements and his fight for equity in dentistry and beyond.
Learn more about Dr. Cummings through the University Archives and Records Center.
Image source: Penn Libraries University Archives and Records Center
