First Graduating Class in Dentistry, 1913
In 1910, the American University of Beirut established the first dental school in the Near East, marking the beginning of formal dental education in Lebanon.
The school initially operated under very modest conditions, with Arthur Dray as the sole professor and Amin Haddad as his only assistant, lacking both a dedicated building and proper equipment. By 1926, significant progress had been achieved, as noted by Iskandar Nasif, who highlighted the development of modern facilities, equipment, and faculty. David Stuart Dodge further announced that AUB’s dental degree had gained recognition from the New York Board of Regents and was ranked among Class “A” schools in the United States.
Among the early graduates of the dental program were Wadi’ Butrus an officer and dentist in the Turkish Army in Egypt; Amin Kuzma President of «An-Nashi'ah-al-Adabiyyah », Homs. I920-1922 Secretary Alumni Association, Homs; practiced dentistry in Homs and was active in cultural and political life, charged with Arab Sympathies during War then deported to Asia Minor for 3 ½ years; and Roupen Takvorian worked as a dental surgeon in Cyprus and contributed to Armenian journalism and humanitarian efforts during the war.