Albert P. Westfall
(1902-1975)
From the May issue of the American Journal of Orthodontics 1976, page 589 memorial:
Orthodontics lost a respected teacher in the death of Albert P. Waterfall on March 24, 1975. It was he who organized the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Texas Dental Branch in 1954. He served as the chairman of the department until 1974, but he continued to work with his former students until his death a year later.
Dr. Westfall was born in Grant City, Missouri, on April 4, 1902. He was a 1924 graduate of the Saint Louis University Dental School, and he practiced general dentistry until starting his orthodontics career in 1935.
Dr. Westfall was a true professional, known for him knowledge, skill, and integrity. He was a frequent contributor to the orthodontic literature, and his teaching positions include courses at the Tweed Foundation, the University of Havana, and the University of Washington. He also had served as the president of the Tweed Foundation for Orthodontic Research and chairman of the AAO Council on Research.
Dr. Westfall was a recipient of the Martin Dewey Memorial Award-the highest honor granted by the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists. He also received distinguished merit awards from Saint Louis University, the Tweed Foundation, the University of Havana, and his own Department of Orthodontics at the University of Texas. He was a diplomatic of the American Board of Orthodontics, a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon scholastic fraternity, and a fellow of the American College of Dentists.
Dr. Westfall was also an honorary member of five organizations: the college of Odontology of Venezuela, the Orthodontic Research, the Orthodontics Alumni Association of Northwestern University, and the Tweed Study Group of Texas. He also received a certificate of recognition from the American Association of Orthodontist A D A clinic award from the Southwestern Society.
Dr. Westfall was a member of both the American Dental Association and the American Association of Orthodontist and their constituent societies, the American Association of University Professor, the Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists, the International Association for Dental Research, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Westfall's three principal interests were in his family, his St. Paul's Methodist Church, and the practice and teaching of orthodontics. He and Mrs. Westfall were married in 1926. They had one daughter, Phyllis, and two grandsons. His other interests were fishing, hunting and golf, and he used these sports well as a means of knowing his students away from an academic atmosphere.