Our history

Donald Spring

Donald F. Spring 1957

Donald F. Spring was a huge contributor to the ASO and our Foundation. 

Specifically to the Foundation for Research and Education, it was conceived in 1961, when Dr Stanley Wilkinson, sent a detailed letter to the ASO Executive, proposing a Foundation be established and that he and his wife would be happy to financially seed the initiative.

Donald Spring was appointed Convenor of the investigative committee to examine the question of a Foundation and to discuss with Dr Wilkinson the method of establishment. He was to report to the next meeting of Executive. His report was duly completed for the May meeting in that year and clearly set out the objectives for the Foundation were endorsed.

Foundation was to “promote research into the prevention and treatment of malocclusion of the teeth and facial deformity in children AND the establishment of lectures for members of the Society and to the public by world authorities on recent advances in the Science of Orthodontics”.

In December 1982, the Foundation received a very generous bequest of $20,000 in the will of Donald Spring. At the time Foundation assets were just over $72,000 and at the end of the year, members had donated a further $6,070 bringing total assets to $99,374. In today’s figures (2011), to make a comparable percentage donation, the amount of $860,000 would be required.

Wisely,  the Trustees, in recognition of Dr Donald Spring’s many, valuable contributions to the Foundation and our Society, and his generous donation, decided that the first lecture at Foundation Meetings, would be named in his honour, the Donald Spring Memorial Lecture.   

ASOFRE kindly thanks past Chairman, Dr John R. Owen AM. The above is part of his address delivered at Foundation meeting in Melbourne, 2011.

Gerald Dickinson

Gerald (Gerry) Richard Dickinson was a great contributor to the profession of Dentistry, to the specialty of Orthodontics and to the University of Melbourne.

Gerry gave more than 30 years of continuous service to the Australian Society of Orthodontists. Commencing on the Victorian Branch executive in 1975 through to 2007 when he retired from the Chair of the ASO Foundation for Research and Education. Between those years Gerry was Chairman of Congress in 1984 and ASO Federal President from 1993 to 1996. In 2006 he was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the ASO.

Gerry was involved with the University of Melbourne almost continuously from student days in 1959, then as a teacher in Anatomy and Orthodontics and later on Faculty. Most recently he was involved as a board member of the Co-operative Research Centre for Oral Health Science where he had worked closely with Professor Eric Reynolds.

The inaugural Gerry Dickinson Memorial Lecture was delivered by Professor Eric Reynolds at Foundation meeting 2011.

Acknowledgement with thanks from past ASOFRE Chairman, Dr John R. Owen AM

More about the Foundation

A detailed history about the Foundation can be found in David T. Taylor's book, A brace of orthodontists: the story of the Australian Society of Orthodontists, published in 2010. The chapter that explores the Foundation can be accessed here.