The West Virginia University School of Dentistry, U.S. Air Force and Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service share many of the same core values, including integrity, service and excellence. It is no surprise, then, that Dr. Maurice Hamill was drawn to each organization, dedicating his education and career to serving his country and his patients and improving the well-being of others. Now, at 93 years old, the WVU alumnus reflects on his journey through winding West Virginia hills and wide-open skies.
Born in Elkins and raised in Charleston, Dr. Hamill would travel between the two cities often for dental appointments and for a family holiday gathering, which served as early introductions to the field of dentistry.
“We returned to Elkins, the home of my maternal grandparents, every summer for my dental care,” he recalled. “We once spent the Christmas holiday in Elkins with my grandparents and my mother’s siblings’ families, and my uncle was the first to mention dentistry to me [as a career]. He knew that I was good at making model airplanes and drawing. He said that he thought that I had a good combination of mechanical and artistic aptitude that would be excellent for a dentist. That did seem to make sense and stuck with me.”
His family would again play an important role when Hamill was choosing where to attend college. His parents both graduated from WVU – his father earned a degree in civil engineering while his mother studied English – but it was his cousin, who felt like a brother, and his high school friends at the University who ultimately influenced his decision to enroll.
When Hamill arrived in Morgantown as a self-admitted immature 17-year-old, he began his studies as a pre-dental student but changed his major many times before finding his way back to pre-dental and graduating in 1954. During this time, he also completed compulsory and optional advanced U.S. Air Force ROTC training and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. His childhood interest in model airplanes combined with the opportunity to fly real airplanes in the Air Force would delay his dental career for a few more years.
“At that time, I had much more desire to be a jet fighter pilot than a dentist and did not apply to dental school. The year of pilot training made me a much better student than I had ever been as an undergrad. We spent half the day in academics and the other half on the flight line. Learning things every day that your life may depend on definitely improved my focus and study habits. I really liked the jet flying – back then, airliners still had piston engines and propellers – so I extended beyond the three-year ROTC commitment for another year. However, by then I could see that the politics of the big organization did not suit me and that flying time decreased while desk time increased the longer one stayed in. Thus, I decided to revive my interest in dentistry.”
Hamill began the Doctor of Dental Surgery program at WVU in 1959, just the third class in the history of the School. His U.S. Air Force training translated well, as he recalls the dean at the time running a strict operation.
“Dr. Randolph was dean. He ran a very tight organization in an effort to establish an excellent reputation for the WVU School of Dentistry, which was quite successful. An Army infantry officer newly returned from Vietnam called the ADA to ask what dental school they recommended. He was able to talk her into revealing that WVU had the highest grades of any on the tests given to dental students to evaluate their progress and knowledge.
“‘Uniform of the Day,’ all day, every day under Dean Randolph, was dress shirt and tie under the white lab coat. Some compared his regime to ‘boot training,’ but it worked well. There was no hesitation to fail those who did not respond or to require others to repeat a year. We had 23 who graduated. The Class of ’63 was unique in having the first female dental student, Nancy Burton, at least nine completed specialty training, and at least two went into full-time teaching, one of whom became dean and later vice president at the University of Maryland.
“It was challenging at times, and I got a fine education. Though I was there a long time ago, I expect current students should have a similar experience.”
It would be another seven years before Hamill completed advanced training in orthodontics. He received extensive experience in the specialty during his DDS education, but also excelled in restorative dentistry, something he attributes to his 20/15 fighter pilot vision. Married to his wife, Sue, and providing for an infant son, Hamill chose to pursue a hospital internship in New Orleans through the U.S. Public Health Service while he determined which specialty he would like to study further.
“There were three other dental interns, and two of the others had also been Air Force pilots. We all learned many things from each other as well as from the staff oral surgeon, prosthodontist and Chief Dental Officer. My WVU education compared quite well with all the others.
“After a great experience during the internship year, I was still undecided about orthodontics or crown and bridge. After being offered an assignment in Puerto Rico as Chief Dental Officer, we decided it would be a nice place to live, and I would have more time to make a decision.”
During his time in Puerto Rico, Hamill’s interest in orthodontics grew as he cared for pediatric patients, including the children of U.S. Coast Guard members. Dependents of enlisted individuals were eligible for dental care from the U.S. Public Health Service in Puerto Rico, unlike those stationed at bases stateside. He also got to know the Rear Admiral Chief Dental Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service who offered him an assignment as attending dentist at the National Institutes of Health clinical center and would include orthodontic training.
“The first year there was very interesting as we saw conditions that one would rarely, if ever, see in a regular practice. By then, I was sure I wanted to go into orthodontics. Unfortunately, the promise of orthodontic training from the government fell through due to the costs of the Viet Nam war.
“About then, I learned that Dr. Merow had been able to get an orthodontic residency started at WVU beginning in 1968. That was a great opportunity to go back to ‘Almost Heaven’ and away from the metropolitan area of DC/Maryland.
“Four of us in the first group got the undivided attention of Dr. Merow and staff with the opportunity to start all new patients. We received an excellent clinical education. All four of us felt confident enough in our ability to start new independent practices and did so successfully. Earning the M.S. in 1970 wound up my time at WVU during parts of four decades. Time out to work between the BA and DDS and the DDS and MS gaps took longer, but avoided debt and provided some great experiences during both working intervals.”
After earning his advanced training degree in the first class of WVU Master of Science in Orthodontics graduates, Hamill began practicing in Radford, Virginia. The area did not have any practicing orthodontists, and he and his wife felt the small city would be an ideal place to raise their two children.
Hamill had a busy practice from the start, and he was able to participate in organized dentistry at the local, state and national levels where he held various leadership positions. In particular, he joined an orthodontic study club that inspired him to achieve board certification from the American Board of Orthodontics. At the time, orthodontists had to be in practice for at least five years before they were eligible to take the written exam and had to present full records at three stages on 15 patients to the examiners. In 1980, Hamill became the first graduate of the WVU Orthodontics program to become board-certified.
While treating his patients using the training he received in dental school and continuing education opportunities, Hamill also had an interest in advancing the profession and improving the patient experience through new developments. Shortly after obtaining board certification, he created and received a patent for a safe facebrow to help prevent injuries in patients. He was also a leader in his practices, adopting technology and operational practices ahead of many of his colleagues.
In the 55 years since he completed his education at WVU and 76 years since he started his education at WVU, Hamill says much has changed but that some advice stays the same.
“Dr. Adams always said in his first lectures every fall that: ‘Tomorrow is Christmas, next day is graduation.’ Learn as much as possible and never get behind since time flies.
“It is never too early to start thinking about where you want to practice. Join the local, state and national dental and orthodontic organizations and become active. Maintaining continuing education is now required by most states and should be done regardless. If you have an idea for a better technique or device, develop it. Involvement in community clubs and organizations will also be of great benefit, socially and professionally.”
Today, students enrolled in the Orthodontics program are benefiting from the strong foundation Hamill and his classmates and all the faculty and students who followed in their footsteps have built at WVU. All second-year students at WVU complete the written component of the American Board of Orthodontics certification exam, and alumni provide financial support for all graduates to become certified. In 2024, three recent graduates became board-certified, continuing a 100% pass rate for WVU alumni.
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jw/7/24/25
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