A Biographical Portrait of Edward Hartley Angle, the First Specialist in Orthodontics, Part 1

Abstract

Much of what is known about Edward Hartley Angle, MD, DDS (1855-1930), the acknowledged "father" of modern orthodontics, has been derived from secondary sources, accounts written by his contemporaries and others. New historical research using primary sources, largely the recently published four-volume sourcebook of Angle's correspondence and business transactions from 1899 to 1910, gives a broad view of the personality, interests, and activities of this prime mover in the evolution of orthodontics. This three-part article highlights aspects of Edward H. Angle's life and persona, based on new findings culled from his letters and other personal documents. Part 3 presents a biographical chronology of Angle's remarkable life.