North Pacific College of Oregon collection

Originally, dental education in the Pacific Northwest was provided by only one dental school, the Tacoma College of Dental Surgery, founded in Tacoma, Washington in 1893. The school moved to Portland in 1899. Right on their heels, the Oregon College of Dentistry incorporated that same year. Both schools admitted students simultaneously, and after a tumultuous first year, the two schools merged in 1900. The University of Oregon Dental School originated from the merger of these two rival schools.

In 1897, before coming to Portland, the Tacoma College was housed in a decent building, had graduated a modest 17 dentists and had been admitted in 1897 as a member of the National Association of Dental Faculties. However, like the Medical Department of Salem’s Willamette University, the school moved to Portland to offer more clinical opportunities to its students. An unfortunate turn of events for the Willamette school turned out to be providential for the Portland newcomer.

The Willamette University Medical Department, established in Salem in 1867, was a pioneer in medical education in the Pacific Northwest. It made a valiant effort to found a branch medical school in Portland in 1878.

In hopes that the larger city would provide greater educational opportunities for students than the smaller town of Salem could afford, they built a large and ornate Victorian facility on Northwest 15th and Couch in 1886. But due to unforeseen circumstances, the school was unsuccessful and moved back to Salem in 1895.

Willamette vacated its building in Northwest Portland and the Tacoma school moved in. They changed their name to the North Pacific Dental College and soon after, opened their doors. That first year, the college offered a three year series of courses and was authorized to confer the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. In 1900, the first class of five graduated. All of the graduates had entered North Pacific after completing their first two years in Tacoma.

The name of the college was changed from the North Pacific Dental College to the North Pacific College of Oregon in the early 20th century (and included schools of dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry). Eventually, due to accreditation issues, the dental school was integrated into the University of Oregon and renamed the University of Oregon Dental School in 1945 (the optometry school became part of Pacific University). The school relocated from its location on Northeast Oregon Street to a new building on Marquam Hill in 1956. In 1973, the dental school was consolidated with the University of Oregon Medical School into the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center and eventually renamed the OHSU School of Dentistry as it is known today.