A MEMORIAL MEETING 
RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF 
Prof. Thomas L. Buckingham, 
UNDER THE 
Jui$|wc$i of the Rental of Philadelphia, 
Held at 8 o’clock, P.M., 
Oct. 30, 1883, in the Hall of the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. 
N. W. Corner Twelfth and Filbert Sts. 
PHILADELPHIA: i 
Press of Patterson & White, 607 Chestnut St. 
1884. THE PROCEEDINGS AND REMARKS. 
Dr. W. A. Breen. Gentlemen, I move that Dr. Daniel Neall be 
called to the chair. 
The motion being put, it was agreed to, and Dr. Neall assumed 
the chair. 
On motion, Dr. Theodore F. Chupein was elected secretary. 
Dr. Neall (chairman). I may say that I think I apprehend the 
sentiments of every dentist here. We have come to this place to- 
night with one accord. I think I am not mistaken when I say that 
it gives us pleasure as well as does us honor to try in some sense to 
testify to the worthiness of one of our fellows, who in the fullness 
of time has passed away. You have elected me to preside over this 
meeting; and I can assure you of my feelings of sympathy and 
interest, and that so far as it depends upon myself, the meeting will 
give expression to these sentiments which I know we all entertain. 
Dr. E. H. Neal. I move that the Chair appoint a committee to 
draft a series of resolutions expressive of our feelings in regard to 
the death of Dr. Buckingham. 
This motion being approved by the meeting, the Chair appointed 
the following Committee on Resolutions: 
Drs. W. H. Trueman, E. H. Neall, Ambler Tees, E. C. Kirk, T. F. 
Chupein, Spencer Roberts, J. H. Githens, H. M. Sheppard. 
The committee then retired to prepare the resolutions. 
Dr. Neall (chairman). While the committee is out, as we have 
received a number of quite interesting letters connected with this 
Memorial Meeting, perhaps it may be considered in order for the 
secretary to read some of them. It will probably be to our profit. 
If there is no objection the secretary will read some of the letters 
which have been received. 
Dr. Chupein (secretary) here read the following letters: 
169 Clinton St., Brooklyn, N. Y., 
Oct. 25, 1883. 
Doctors E. H. Neall, W. A. Breen, E. C. Kirk, committee. 
Gentlemen,—I am in receipt of your circular, notifying me of the “ Memorial 
Meeting” in your city, and inviting me to be present. I wish I could be with 
you on that occasion; but as I cannot, I wish to express the sense of personal loss 
I feel in the death of my friend Prof. Buckingham, and to add my tribute to his 
3 4 
worth. As I knew him, he was the embodiment of simple and sincere integrity. 
I felt I could trust him always. His words expressed, never concealed, the 
thoughts of his heart. Quiet, unostentatious, steady, and persevering, he was a 
valuable member of society, a careful and conscientious instructor, a painstaking 
dentist, and an honest man. We sustain a great loss when such men die, and we 
do well to put on record our appreciation of their character, our sorrow at their 
loss, and our commendation of their virtues. 
Believe me, gentlemen, I am a mourner with you. The occasions of our meet- 
ing have been few of late years, but when they have occurred, the sight of his 
genial face and the grasp of his honest hand always gave me a thrill of joy. This 
.1 can have no more ; but I can remember him, and shall do so with a keen pleas- 
ure, at the thought that his friendship was mine. If he leaves a family my sym- 
pathies are theirs. 
Truly and sincerely yours, 
J. A. Marvin. 
1112 Arch St., Phila., 10 Mo. 29, 1883. 
To Drs. E. H. Neall, W. H. Breen, E. C. Kirk, committee. 
Dear Doctors,—It is with extreme regret that I have to state in reply to your 
invitation, that I shall be unavoidably absent from the city on the evening desig- 
nated for the “ General Memorial Meeting,” called for the purpose of taking 
action expressive of the sorrow and regret occasioned by the death of Professor T. 
L. Buckingham. It is most fitting that our profession unite in this manner to 
manifest our appreciation of his life; his worth as a man, a citizen, and member 
and. teacher in our ranks, whose example of faithful service, and consciencious 
fulfilment of the duties and the requirements of every station to which his 
purpose and energy were so singly devoted, throughout the period of his connec- 
tion with the profession he strove to advance and elevate by all means in his 
power—will be remembered and appreciated by every class of dental students 
since the first establishment of the old Philadelphia Dental College in 1852. 
One by one have passed away those eminent teachers, who first entered upon 
the laudable purpose of establishing a standard of qualification worthy of the 
name of a profession, as a guarantee of confidence upon which its members might 
stand, deserving the trust of its patrons, until now only one remains to meet with 
us in these expressions of affectionate and grateful remembrance. 
Again regretting my unavoidable absence from the meeting, I am very sincerely 
yours. 
Isaiah Price. 
33 West 47th St., New York, 
Oct. 26, 1883. 
Doctors E. H. Neall, W. A. Breen, and E. C. Kirk, committee. 
Gentlemen,—I sincerely regret my inability to meet my professional brethren 
of Philadelphia on Tuesday evening next, and there to add a few words of tribute 
to the memory of our dear departed friend, the late Prof. Buckingham. It is in- 
deed fitting that the dentists of the city where he so long resided, “take some 
action expressive of sorrow and regret,” when thus suddenly deprived of the fel- 
lowship of a member of their fraternity so universally loved and honored. 
The loss occasioned by the death of Prof. Buckingham is by no means con- 
fined to the State of Pennsylvania, but is a loss felt throughout our land. Indeed, 
the vibrations of sorrow extend to members of our profession over every civilized 5 
portion of the planet. Genial and kindly disposed towards all, and with a heart 
full of fraternal sympathy, he paced the path of life, freely distributing the fruits 
of a well stored intellect, which have been gathered by many eager souls with 
loving gratitude. 
With the names of Hayden and Harris, Townsend and McQuillen, men who 
infused light into the very soul of their profession—men who labored earnestly 
and assiduously to educate its members, and thus elevate the standard of dentistry 
—we can now add to this memorable list of faithful workers and pioneers of our 
calling, the name of Buckingham l 
Very truly yours, 
Chas. E. Francis. 
1602 Arch Street, Philadelphia, 
Oct. 30, 1883. 
Dear Doctor,—1 will be unable to attend the meeting to be held this evening 
in memory of Prof. Buckingham, your invitation to which is hereby acknow- 
ledged. While it may seem superfluous, in view of the appropriate resolutions 
which will no doubt be presented, and the talented gentlemen present to eulogize 
in fitting words our late friend, I cannot forbear to add a word in tribute to the 
memory of so good a man. For more than twenty-five years it was my good for- 
tune to be on terms of the closest intimacy with him, and for a period of three 
years (one of which by his characteristic kindness I occupied office-room in his 
house) I was almost as one of his family. 
While leaving to others to speak of what Prof. Buckingham was in and to the 
the dental profession, and the great loss it suffers in his death, it is to his many 
virtues and good qualities as a man, so beautifully exemplified in his home life, 
that I wish to testify. Though an indefatigable worker, seldom having an idle 
moment, it was remarkable that he was never too busy to enter into the enjoy- 
ments of his family, or to give counsel or a helping hand to them or his friends. 
That he possessed those traits that go to make a good and noble man is better 
attested in the universal sorrow at his death, and the respect and esteem in which 
his memory is held, than words of mine can express. 
Very truly yours, 
I. S. Fogg, 
To E. H. Neall, D.D.S., chm. com. 
106 N. 11th St., Philada. 
Oct. 27, 1883. 
Drs. Neall, Breen & Kirk. 
Gentlemen,—I regret that physical inability prevents me from joining with 
you in the “ Memorial Meeting,” to my old friend Professor Buckingham, hut I 
desire to add my word of sympathy with those who, like myself, have lost a friend, 
whose pleasant face and genial greeting have been a joy to us for so many, many 
years. It can be said of him that he well filled his niche during all of his long 
period of service, and it is as such a worker that we shall hold his memory with 
affectionate respect. 
With kind regards to those who meet with you, as well as to yourselves, I re- 
main 
Very sincerely your friend, 
J. Foster Flagg. 6 
10 East 34th St., New York. 
Oct. 29, 1883. 
Drs. Neall, Breen & Kirk. 
My Dear Sirs,—It will not be possible for me to be with you to-morrow even- 
ing to say a kindly word in memory of our dear old friend who has gone hence. 
I find no words to express just the feeling I have in writing of him, hut to call 
him my dear, dear old friend! From the time I sat under his lectures twenty 
years ago to the present time, I have known him only to love him. In addition 
to the expression of my strong liking for him, personally, let me call attention to 
one quality of his mind that always impressed me strongly, namely, his “ level- 
headedness 1” So free from “ cranky ” notions was he, that in the early years of 
my practice it was my unconscious habit to seek his opinions on new subjects of 
theory or of practice, and generally I found them sound in the end. As an edu* 
cator this soundness of mind was conspicuous, and I doubt of any one in the pro- 
fession has wielded a greater influence for good over the minds of young men. I 
believe it will be felt wherever is found a graduate of the old Pennsylvania Col- 
lege of Dental Surgery. 
The dear old man ! Who could know him without loving him ? 
Yours most truly. 
S. G. Perry. 
667 Fifth Avenue, New York, 
Oct. 26, 1883. 
Dear Brethren,—Your letter requesting my presence and participation in 
memorial offerings to our deceased brother, Buckingham, on the 30th of this 
month, was duly received. As I shall not be able to meet with you at that time, 
I trust you will permit to be read for me as though present, the following brief 
tribute to his memory and worth. 
We are met to recognize and deplore the solemn fact that a noble man has 
fallen from our ranks. I feel honored by your invitation to be present and ex- 
press the sentiments of regret I feel at so great a loss. My personal acquaintance 
with Dr. Buckingham was very limited ; but on the few occasions I had seen him 
in our society meetings and social gatherings I felt an indefinable and magnetic 
attraction which filled me with the greatest pleasure and respect. Solidity, earn- 
estness, sincerity, geniality appeared in him as a combination of excellent attri- 
butes, which, without ostentation, fitted and became him well. 
Along the trail of human action, beacon lights have at intervals appeared, and 
their record in history has served to guide and encourge the earnest seekers after 
mental progress and moral growth. The light which our friend set up while here 
was one of these, and in his peculiar sphere its influence for good was none the less 
because its glow was steady and its ray serene. We may write, we may speak, in 
sorrowing words of him we mourn ; but only in the memory and appreciation of 
his contemporaries—in the hearts and minds of the generations he has instructed 
and blessed can his adequate memorial be found. 
J. W. Clowes. 
To E. H. Neall, W. H. Breen, E. C. Kirk, committee. 
Chillicothe, O., Oct. 28, 1883. 
Drs. E. H. Neall, W. H. Breen, E. C. Kirk, committee, Philadelphia. 
Gentlemen,—I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your invitation to a 
general “Memorial Meeting,” to be held at Philadelphia, on Tuesday evening, 7 
Oct. 30th, commemorative of the death of the late Prof. Thomas L. Bucking- 
ham. It would be grateful to my feelings and in accordance with my earnest de- 
sires to unite with my colleagues of Philadelphia, in heartfelt expressions of sor- 
row and regret at the death, and well merited eulogies of the departed. 
The meeting of the Ohio State Dental Society occurs on Wednesday Oct. 31st., 
and as I am obliged to be present, am prevented from coming to Philadelphia; 
permit me therefore to avail myself of the sad privilege of offering a few thoughts) 
expressive of my deep sorrow. 
How vividly this brings to my mind the last time I had the pleasure of meeting 
with our deceased friend. It was at Niagara Falls, last summer. It was my 
privilege to be one of the first to welcome him, and one of the last to bid him 
good-by. At both times a feeling of indescribable sadness took possession of me; 
and when the final farewell was spoken, and hands released from the last warm 
and hearty clasp, I felt a presentiment creeping over me that this would be our 
last meeting on earth. How sad it is to remember with what heroic fortitude and 
courage he kept his place in line. He did not miss a session of the Association ; 
spoke upon questions of interest to the dental profession, and evinced that lively and 
unabated interest in the welfare of dental colleges and education to the very last. 
Dr. Buckingham was one of the kindest and most genial gentleman it has been 
my good fortune to meet. “To know him was to love him.” He was a warm 
and faithful friend of more than two decades to me, and sincerely do I mourn his 
loss ; not only as a valued and honored member of the dental profession, but as a 
dear personal friend. 
“ Peace to his ashes.” 
With the assurance of my high personal regard, I am gentlemen, 
Truly and respectfully yours, 
Fb. H. Rehwinkel. 
Letters were also received from the following gentlemen, express- 
ing sympathy with the meeting and regretting their inability to be 
present. 
Drs. J. C. Green, West Chester, Pa.; Wingate, Carbondale, Pa.; 
J. E. Garretson, Philadelphia, Pa.; W. E. Magill, Erie, Pa.; C. R 
Butler, Cleveland, Ohio; Geo. H. Cushing, Chicago, Illinois; Frank 
Abbott, New York, N. Y.; Norman W. Kingsley, New York, N. Y.; 
William Jarvie, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
The Committee on Resolutions returned to the hall and presented 
their report as follows : 
Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God in His great Omniscience to call from 
our midst our friend and brother Thomas L. Buckingham ; and 
Whereas, By his removal the students under his charge and the dental pro- 
tession have sustained a severe loss, all of whom acknowledge the privation to 
which they are subjected, both in their professional and social intercourse with 
him; and 
Whereas, The members of the Pennsylvania Association of Dental Surgeons, 
The Odontographic, and the Odontological Societies of Philadelphia, having 
RESOLUTIONS. 8 
spontaneously met together to pay a tribute of respect to his memory, and to 
place on record the deep feelings of sorrow which his death has occasioned, as 
well as to express their humble submission to the flat of the Most High, which 
admits of no recall. Therefore be it 
Resolved, That in the death of Prof. Buckingham, the dental profession loses 
one of its earnest and faithful workers—one who for many years has devoted his 
time, talent, and means to advance its general interests. His labors in the labor- 
atory—beginning almost with his first entrance into the profession and ending 
only with his death—endeavoring to solve the various questions that have from 
time to time occupied professional thought; his many carefully conducted series 
of experiments which have enabled us to work with more ease, certainty, and in- 
telligence, and his numerous contributions to Dental Literature, are a legacy to 
the profession we accept with grateful appreciation. 
Resolved, That his long services as a dental instructor, beginning with the first 
Dental Faculty organized in Philadelphia, and continuing without interruption 
for thirty-two years, is a recognition of his ability as a teacher that we emphati- 
cally endorse. 
Resolved, That his liberal and tolerant spirit, his cordial greeting, and his genial 
disposition, endeared him alike to the students whom he taught and to all with 
whom he mingled. 
Resolved, That the city of Philadelphia has lost a valuable and upright citizen, 
and each one of us an acquaintance and friend whom the more we knew of him, 
and the riper the intimacy, the more we recognized his sterling worth, his kindly 
disposition, his social qualifications, and all those endearing attributes which go 
to make up a good, true, and noble man. 
Resolved, That to the young in our profession his loss will be especially severe, 
as his fund of knowledge and mature judgment, together with a willingness to 
impart information, encouraged the humblest and the most timid to seek his 
counsel. That gaining information by his own hard labor, he felt it a pleasure 
to aid others in its acquisition ; and in doing this made the recipient feel as if he 
conferred rather than received the benefit. 
Resolved, That we, fellow practitioners, together with the Faculty and Students 
connected with the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery, mourn his loss with 
a regret no words can express. 
Resolved, That we tender to his family our heartfelt sympathy, and that a copy 
of these resolutions be forwarded to them as a token of our condolence. 
Dr. Neall (chairman). What order will the meeting take upon 
the resolutions which have just been read? 
Dr. Peirce. I move their acceptance and adoption for considera- 
tion this evening. 
Dr. Neall (chairman). Do you propose that a vote shall be taken 
upon them at once, or shall we have some remarks upon them ? 
Dr. Peirce. I think that remarks would now be in order, and 
then we can take the vote upon the resolutions afterwards. That 
was my intention in making my motion. 
REMARKS. 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. Darby. 9 
Dr. Darby. I can truthfully say that I did not come here pre- 
pared to say anything. It is eminently fitting, assembled as we are 
to-night, to take action relative to the death of our esteemed friend 
and brother Dr. Buckingham, that we should make mention of his 
work. The resolutions set forth the character and the life of the 
man better, perhaps, than anyone could do without previous thought. 
Most of the gentlemen present knew Dr. Buckingham during his 
lifetime. On my way to this meeting I recollected the fact that it 
will be just nineteen years to-morrow since I made his acquaintance. 
I then came to Philadelphia a perfect stranger, not knowing a liv- 
ing soul here, and I think the second man to take me by the hand 
was Professor Thomas L. Buckingham. I shall never forget the 
genialty with which he received me. I was young, and a stranger 
among strangers, but he made me feel at once that he had a heart 
as large as humanity, and the kind words he spoke to me at that 
time and in subsequent years will ever be fresh in my memory. Dr. 
Buckingham was no ordinary man. Of humble, though of honor- 
able parentage, without advantages of a collegiate education, he 
achieved a distinction which few men have attained in longer lives 
than his. He entered our profession in its infancy and worked up, 
step by step, through the progress that dentistry has made, until 
he stood in the very foremost rank. As a teacher he had few equals ; 
he was always patient, and willing, and cordial, in imparting in- 
struction to beginners. He was one of the few men who enjoy 
teaching students or younger men ; and, as the resolutions state, it 
seemed to be a greater pleasure to him to impart instruction than it 
was to those who received it. And we cannot forget what Dr. 
Buckingham was as a man and a citizen. He was loyal to his 
country, earnest—intensely earnest—in his opinion, and no man 
could ever say that he knew Dr. Buckingham to do a dishonorable 
thing. He was not, joerhaps, what would be called a prosperous 
man in his profession. He achieved distinction by his worth, and 
what he accomplished he accomplished by hard work; and the de- 
gree of eminence he reached, he reached by hard work. I am sure 
every gentleman present feels as I do, that in the loss of Dr. Buck- 
ingham we have not only lost a dear friend, but one of the best 
men the dental profession has ever had. (Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will take the liberty of calling 
on Dr. J. D. White. 
Dr. J. D. White. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I can say that it 
has been a long time since I have addressed my professional breth- 
ren and students. It is not worth my while to say anything further 
than what has been presented already to us by the Committee. I 
can endorse everything said in the preamble and in the resolutions. 10 
Dr. Buckingham was my colleague in the first college established 
in Philadelphia, and I am the only one left of that college to tell the 
story. Now I will not take up your time by describing the nature 
or the condition the profession was then in—or rather the business 
—for there was no “ profession ” of dentistry when I first came to 
City of Philadelphia to try and learn something about it. It was 
not a profession. It was nothing but the charlatanism of barbers, 
with their cupping, and leeching, and dentistry, all mixed up to- 
gether. Dentists then were not willing to associate with each other 
—they seemed to be afraid of each other. In the year 1845, several 
dentists of this city, feeling a desire to raise their calling to a higher 
standard, and believing this could only be done by associated effort, 
canvassed the matter among their friends, and a circular was issued 
calling a convention for the purpose of forming a Dental Society. 
These were sent to ninety-eight dentists, seventy in the city and 
twenty-eight in the country. They met on the 28th of September, 
1845, and organized the Pennsylvania Association of Dental Sur- 
geons, by electing twenty-three active and two honorary members. 
It was up hill work, and but little general interest was taken in it 
at first. A few of us went on, and after a few years the importance 
of securing for dental students a better preparation than that af- 
forded by a few weeks observation in a dental office (then considered 
sufficient), suggested a dental college. An effort was made to or- 
ganize one, and an application made to the Legislature of the State 
for a charter. The application was negatived ; the scheme being 
considered inexpedient, impracticable, and unnecessary. But those 
in whose hands the matter was placed, persevered, and after much 
discouragement and vexatious delay the charter was obtained, a 
faculty elected, and the first dental college in Philadelphia fully or- 
ganized. Its subsequent history is well known to you. I will close 
by again expressing my warmest sympathy in the object of this 
meeting, which has been called to do honor to the memory of Dr. 
Buckingham, who was my dear friend and companion, and former 
colleague; and who took an active part in the movement I have re- 
lated to you. (Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call on Professor Garret- 
son. 
Professor Garretson not being present, response was made by 
Dr. Eisenbrey. Mr. Chairman, Professor Garretson desired me 
to convey his sentiments to the meeting in case he could not be here, 
lie wished me to state to the gentlemen present his very high re- 
gard for Professor Buckingham, and his profound admiration for his 
energy and ability in everything he undertook. He wished me to 
bear testimony for him to Professor Buckingham’s honorable caroer> 11 
and to the truth that whatever he was called upon to do he did with 
all his power. Personally I can say that it was a comfort to know 
him. He always attracted me to him fi-om the time that I as a 
dental fledgeling first knew him ; and as is the case with a great many 
others, his kindness I can never forget. It was a pleasure to know 
him. 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. Spencer 
Roberts. 
Dr. Roberts. I am not in the habit of talking much. The resolu- 
tions presented by the committee express my sentiments. I endorse 
them in their every word. 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. J. W. White. 
Dr. White. We are met to-night in memory of the life—not of 
the death—of Dr. Buckingham; for it is only the character of the 
life that makes the death worthy of mention. Life and death are 
twdn problems, or rather let us say two sides of the same problem, 
which we are all called upon to solve. “ It is a solemn thing to die.” 
says the preacher. Surely it is a solemn thing to live. There is 
nothing so universal as life except death. In certain moods we look 
about us and can see nothing but life; in certain other moods we 
are appalled at the prevalence of death—the air is full of farewells 
to the dying, and mournings for the dead. Yet amid the push and 
rush of our busy lives, the death of the individual startles us as 
though death were a newr revelation, and we stand gazing blankly 
into vacancy, as the disciples are represented as having stood gazing 
after the vanished form of their Master and expecting His return. 
But when after the first feeling of surprise and loss has passed, and 
we realize that the death we lament is forever more a fact, how nat- 
ural it is to recall all that was kindly, and genial, and good in the 
character of a departed friend. How thankfully we remember the 
slightest attention, the smallest pleasure which it was our good 
fortune to have bestowed on one who has passed forever beyond our 
ministrations, and how comforting is the reflection that we helped 
rather than hindered him in his course, and that we deserved as 
well as shared his confidence and esteem. 
I knew Dr. Buckingham for nearly forty years—and knew him 
somewhat intimately; and many a time and oft took counsel with 
him, as he with me, on professional matters in which we had a 
mutual if not a like interest. I bear honest testimony when I say 
that few men, living as long, and associating with as many men as 
I)r. Buckingham did had as many friends and fewer enemies; few 
men wTho lived more openly, more honestly; or, to use an expressive 
phrase, few men who were nearer “ square.” Dr. Buckingham was 
not a genius, he was not a great man in any sense. He worked for 12 
all he received and for all he attained. He had his conflicts with early 
disadvantages, with misfortunes, with poverty, and with many trials, 
but he held fast to his manliness, and was not much indebted to any 
body but God and himself. He gained every position which he ever 
held on his merits, and not by cunning or trickery. He was a genial, 
kindly, companionable, unpretending, honest gentleman. Such a 
character, such a life, is more enduring, more essential than the 
form of it, more than talent, cleverness, or intellectual sagacity. Dr. 
Buckingham may not have succeeded as the world counts success; 
but his life was by no means a failure. He has left an example of 
character, of integrity, of a fairly actualized manhood; and in the 
evening of his days, looking back through the dissolving mists of 
the past, when his bowed frame and feeble limbs admonished him of 
failing powers, he enjoyed the consciousness of duties faithfully per- 
formed, and days well spent. 
Happy will it be for us, if like him, we may be able to show 
in our lives in some good degree, what human life should be— 
unpolluted by evil passions, uncorroded by sordid cares, unchafed 
by the disappointments of selfish ambition. Such a character, 
such a life, was that of Doctor Buckingham. Peace to his ashes! 
(Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. W. F. Litch. 
Dr. W. F. Litch. Mr. Chairman, I cannot let the opportunity 
pass without paying my tribute to the memory of Doctor Bucking- 
ham. My acquaintance with him began more than a quarter of a 
century ago, and our relations continued until they were severed 
by his death. I knew him first as a student, profiting by his in- 
structions, and last as a colleague, endeavoring to aid him in his 
work. Throughout my intercourse with him, and throughout his 
career I found him always all that has been represented here to- 
night. It seemed to me that Doctor Buckingham always showed 
at his best in extending the hand of hospitality, when he stood up 
and took hold of the young and timid student. To his kindly nature 
he added the character of a grand Christian gentleman. Gentleman! I 
like that word. And Doctor Buckingham was a thorough gentleman. 
Allusion has been made to the fact that Doctor Buckingham’s career 
was not a triumphant success financially—that is, that he did not 
succeed in amassing great riches, as if his failure to gain money 
was in him a vital defect. It is true that he didn’t attain that 
wealth which is exhibited by the rich men of the world, but he at- 
tained something far better—the love of his fellow men; and that 
respect, that praise which is accorded the painter, when we stand 
thrilled before his picture. And notwithstanding this consideration, 
there was much in the life of Doctor Buckingham which it would be 13 
good to contemplate. So we approach it. More especially is this 
true with us who were co-laborers with him in the profession. It 
was a marked characteristic of Doctor Buckingham, the generosity 
with which he imparted knowledge; and this, perhaps, will account 
in a large measure for his want of financial success. His bent was 
not towards matters mercenary. He held to the truth which Buskin 
utters, that no professional or healthy-minded man can make money- 
getting the sole object of his life. Let a man enjoy the honest at- 
tainment of wealth or a fair remuneration for his work. But no 
more. To such a man, his work is his pleasure. But to a large 
class of men their fee is the thing of the greatest importance—that 
comes first, their work afterwards. They will not do honest work— 
first, and wait afterwards. Doctor Buckingham did the honest work 
first. Whatever he had to do he did it with his might. Whatever 
principles he wanted to demonstrate he sought to demonstrate at 
once, and with all honesty and industry; whatever tasks were as- 
signed him to execute he set about with all the powers God had 
given him. More especially do those of us who labored with him 
know this to be true. The value of his services to the dental pro- 
fession, especially in the direction of the education of students, 
his honest conservatism and his manly integrity are now, for the 
first time perhaps, beginning to be adequately appreciated. (Ap- 
plause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. Stellwagen. 
Dr. Thomas C. Stellwagen. It would be a shameful act if I hesi- 
tated to respond to the call, and I suppose I should always be pre- 
pared to bear testimony to such a good man as was Dr. Bucking- 
ham. But really I had not dreamed of speaking and I cannot, with- 
out doing injustice to myself, make any remarks. I knew him as 
my friend who has just taken his seat knew him, not so intimately 
of late years; but, like him, I sat under Dr. Buckingham’s teaching 
years ago. I think I can testify personally to all that Dr. Litch 
said, and said more eloquently than I can. It occurs to me that in 
the loss of Dr. Buckingham there is something more serious than 
his loss as a teacher, or his loss as a dentist; he is a loss to this com- 
munity. He was one of those men who are now rapidly passing 
away who knew what it was to pull Mb way upwards, from poverty 
into richness of learning and richness of ability and accomplish- 
ments—that gave him a certain independence, and a certain nobility 
of character, which we all admired and all respected in him. Dr. 
Buckingham was an example for all with whom he came into con- 
tact. He was a typical man of America, rather than merely a 
teacher or simply a dentist. He was a type of the men who came 
here when this country was a rude wilderness, and who smoothed 14 
its features, and improved and cultivated it, and made it what it is 
to-day. (Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will now take the liberty of 
calling on Dr. Peirce. 
Dr. C. N. Peirce. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, Like others who 
have spoken I knew Dr. Buckingham for many years. Thirty-three 
years ago last April 1 first made his acquaintance, and during all 
that time a warm personal friendship existed between us—one that 
led me to appreciate his strength, his earnestness, and his honest 
industry. Within the last twelve months the dental profession has 
met with a number of losses. We have lost our friend Dr. Goddard, 
of Louisville, Kentucky; Dr. Marshall H. Webb, of Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania; Dr. Wm. H. Allen, of New York; and Dr. Bucking- 
ham of our own city; and others have been erased from the roll of 
laymen, and from the roll of teachers. But no one will be longer 
remembered than he, whose life we meet here this evening to me- 
morialize. He was not a leader, but he was an earnest worker in 
our profession ; and we cannot fail to acknowledge the efforts he put 
forth in behalf of education in our profession. He was one of the 
first to interest himself in the formation of a dental college in this 
city; and from that early time in its history, he stood steadily by it 
until his death. He was a teacher, and a good teacher, because he 
was earnest, and because he was honest and industrious. He was a 
favorite always with the classes, because he had the happy faculty 
of illustrating his subjects, and of making his students understand 
that which he meant to impart. There are probably none who 
have ever been connected with the school, to whom the students 
have looked with more reverence and with more confidence. He 
was gentle and patient, and always ready to answer a question, and 
always willing to impart knowledge whenever he possessed it. No 
one was ever afraid to approach him. He was a friend of the stu- 
dents, and the students who have gone forth from the school with 
which he was for so many years connected, will long cherish his 
memory—and long may we cherish it. (Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. Wm. H. 
Trueman. 
Dr. William H. Trueman. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I avail 
myself of this opportunity to add a word to that which has already 
been said in honor of Dr. Buckingham, and desire in doing so to call 
attention to the valuable service he has rendered the profession as 
an investigator. If you look over the record of his connection with 
our profession, you will see that he early evidenced a disposition to 
examine into matters but little known, and will find that he con- 
ducted quite a series of experiments, which have proved very valu- 15 
able. - At the present time many of them are almost lost sight of 
although when they occupied his attention they were considered of 
great moment. I would refer to his investigations in regard to the 
expansion of plaster. He spent upon that subject a great deal of 
time and money, and I think as the result of his labors we are en- 
abled to work with greater certainty and with greater satisfaction. 
He demonstrated the fact, that the expansion of plaster was so slight 
as to be of no practical moment; and a knowledge of that fact has 
led us to look for the evils attributed to it, in other directions, and 
to correct them. Then his investigations in regard to the physio- 
logical action of arsenic, at a time when its properties were but 
little known, added greatly to our knowledge of that useful agent, 
and caused it to be used with more intelligence and care. Again, at 
the last meeting but one of our National Association held at Cin- 
cinnati, he exhibited the results of a series of experiments which he 
had made in regard to the behavior of celluloid; and gave us posi- 
tive information as to the degree of heat needed for its proper and 
skillful working. Again, at Niagara, he mentioned a series of experi- 
ments he had under way. but which he had not completed on ac- 
count of illness; showing that from the commencement of his pro- 
fessional life until his death, his constant efforts tended to add to 
the resources of the profession with which he was associated. I 
have several times had the pleasure of working with him in the 
laboratory, and I was particularly struck with the perfect absence 
of that enthusiasm which leads so many to anticipate results. He 
seemed perfectly impassive, patiently, and carefully watching, and 
noticing results, without exhibiting the slightest feeling. He simply 
watched to see what the experiment had to show; he questioned at 
every stage, and accepted nothing as conclusive until it was finally 
proven. He had a vast capacity for inventing little things that 
were needed. If he wished a little piece of apparatus, he had both 
the knowledge, and the mechanical skill and ingenuity to construct 
it. I can add little to that which has been so well said, except in 
regard to the points I have mentioned. (Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. Dwindle, of 
New York. 
Dr. W. H. Dwinelle. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I deem my- 
self fortunate in being here, and especially as I see that I am the 
only representative from my city to express our sympathy with you, 
and our condolence in the death of our worthy friend Dr. Bucking- 
ham. 
The resolutions presented to you to-night are full and exhaustive, 
and I agree with every word which has been said in them. The 
eulogiums which have been pronounced upon Dr. Buckingham, I 16 
endorse with all my heart. The communications which have been 
received, and the testimony which has been uttered touching the 
excellence of the character of Dr. Buckingham, certainly, we all en- 
dorse with all our hearts. A great man has fallen among us—I 
mean great in its conservative sense—great in a comprehensive 
sense—not great in all things. 
He had those good and those substantial traits of character which 
are better than mere brilliant qualities. I knew Dr. Buckingham, 
I do not know for how many years. I believe I commenced the 
profession earlier than he—at any rate, for almost all the years I 
have been associated in the profession, I knew Dr. Buckingham with 
a tolerable degree of intimacy. Of course, living in another city, I 
only saw him occasionall}1-; but I never saw the man, but my heart 
went out to him in sympathy, in admiration, and in love. He was 
a man who seemed to have dual qualities, almost contradictory, 
which were joined—I might say—married together. The sweet- 
ness of his nature you all knew. He was tender, almost womanly 
in his feeling, and yet there was a strength and a manliness of char- 
acter in him which nobody could fail to recognize. But in the com- 
bination of all his characteristics there was a peculiar sweetness. I 
had an exemplification of that recently, and within a few months. 
By an invitation he came over to join me at a gathering of a little 
social club in New York, and it was my unspeakable pleasure to 
have him as my guest. He remained during Saturday night and 
Sunday, and I then had an opportunity of learning the man as 
nevor before, and as I could not have known him had we not been 
brought so intimately and tenderly together. We were discussing 
the death of some friends in our profession, and our talk brought us 
very near to each other. In that conversation 1 discovered the 
sweetness and excellence and grace of his character as I never 
knew it before. It seemed to me that he showed more than most 
men do that he had learned the lesson of life, and that he had ap- 
preciated it, and profited by it. The memories which he has left 
behind, green and beautiful, and the works which he accomplished 
are crystallized into our profession, and have become part of it as we 
all know. 
Dr. Buckingham came into our profession as has been exhibited 
to you by our friend Dr. White, when it was in process of formation, 
and when it wTas almost a reproach to be called a dentist. Like a 
pioneer he did all he could to remove the difficulties, and make the 
future of the profession easier and more agreeable to those who suc- 
ceeded him. He did his work nobly and well, and those who come 
after him will revere him for what he did. 
We have talked about our friend Dr. Buckingham as though he 17 
had passed away from us forever, as though we would see nothing 
more of him. But he has left behind him a heritage. While we 
must regard him as lost to us in many respects, we should enumer- 
ate the gains which come to us as a heritage from him, and which 
will continue to come to us as members of our profession. 
“ How can I cease to pray for thee ? Somewhere 
In God’s great universe thou art to-day, 
Can He not reach thee with His tender care? 
Can He not hear me when for thee I pray ? 
“ What matters it to Him who holds within 
The hollow of His hand all worlds, all space, 
That thou art done with earthly pain and sin ? 
Somewhere within His ken thou hast a place. 
“ Somewhere thou livest and hast need of Him ; 
Somewhere thy soul sees higher heights to climb ; 
And somewhere still there may be valleys dim 
That thou must pass to reach the hills sublime ! 
“ Then all the more because thou canst not hear 
Poor human words of blessing, will I pray— 
0 true, brave heart! God bless thee I wheresoe’er 
In His great universe thou art to-day 1” 
(Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. James Tru- 
man. 
Dr. James Truman. When a traveler starts to climb a mountain 
height, ho has to pass over rugged rocks, and places of difficulty, and 
as he ascends higher and higher, he finds that the difficulties in- 
crease more and more; but as he goes fui’ther on, and looks back- 
ward to the places he has left, he observes how they diminish in 
size, and sees that everything upon the surface of the earth has 
diminished; while before him and around him, as he goes still fur- 
ther on, the sun shines in a mid-day illumination, lighting every 
cloud with glory. Such I take it, is the life of every individual in 
the passage through life. Whatever troubles and whatever diffi- 
culties we may have had in our past lives, they are smoothed down 
as we pass on towards the end of our existence, and become as no- 
thing; and may even be tinged with glory. Such, as I understand 
it, were the character and the life of our friend Dr. Buckingham. 
Beginning in humble circumstances, he mounted many difficulties, 
and traversed one trouble after another; experiencing trials and 
victories, which have come to man}T of us who have gone through 
the same course of instruction. As he climbed up, he held on, and 
stood in his latter days in all the glory of his profession. 18 
When I was a young man, just starting out in this profession, I 
remember the obstacles and difficulties that lay in my way. I did 
not know which way to turn. As has been well said by Dr. J. D. 
White, the difficulties in those early days cannot be understood by 
those who have come into practice at this later period of time. As 
he stated there was then very little or no intercourse, between mem- 
bers in the profession. At that time, however, a noble member of 
our profession stretched out his hand, and brought me into the old 
Philadelphia college, and for that I had a sense of thankfulness 
which has lasted until the present time. I allude to Dr. Elisha 
Townsend. 
When I first attended the lectures of Dr. Buckingham he was the 
professor of mechanical dentistry. You all perhaps have experi- 
enced a desire to communicate with your fellows, and to have 
something in common with others. I had that desire, especially in 
regard to those who were as young as myself. When I first had 
an opportunity of hearing a lecture on mechanical dentistry, I 
cannot describe my feelings in comparing what little I knew, 
with what was known by one my superior. The regard I had 
for him wThen I first knew him grew as the years went on. The 
time came when I too had to join him as a colleague, as a pro- 
fessor in this college. I remember well that time. It was a period 
of great anxiety. He had been an old professor. He gave me 
such advice, and comfort, and strength, as enabled me to go on; 
and probably I might not have been able to go on had it not been 
for him. I remember that with gratitude. I remember also—and 
I cannot let the opportunity pass without alluding to them—two 
other colleagues who have recently passed away. I allude to one 
who was always in the background, who was always too modest to 
come to the front ranks. Out of twenty men in the profession to- 
day, not one probably ever did as much for our profession as Profes- 
sor Wildman. I remember him well. (Applause). He died in the 
streets of Philadelphia, but his name should live as it does with me. 
But I am afraid it does not. Then I remember ever combative, 
earnest, and ever generous Barker, who has also passed away. I 
remember him with feelings of satisfaction, because he was the life 
of our conventions. I say it also here with satisfaction, because I 
was sometimes opposed to him. But although we combatted on 
principle, I believe we never lost an honest respect for each other. 
But time passed on. Most of the difficulties that this college has 
passed through I experienced, because I was connected with it dur- 
ing the most critical period of its existence. I remember very well 
one occasion—and you will pardon me for alluding to it here, as I 
know it is a subject which should not be brought up in such a meet- 19 
ing, probably, but I do it for the purpose of alluding to one incident 
in the life of Dr. Buckingham which does him honor—I remember, as 
most of you will remember who are as old as I am, and some of you 
perhaps who are younger, that period in the history of this college, 
when it was a question whether women should be admitted into our 
profession. The difficulty finally culminated, and I can remember, 
how at last one poor lone woman came here from Germany, asking 
for admission at our doors. She was received very coldly; the faculty 
was not disposed to receive her as a student, and had by a tie vote 
decided to reject her application. As we stood in the Museum after 
the faculty meeting had adjourned, Dr. Buckingham called me to 
one side and said, “Dr. Truman I have changed my vote!” And 
Mrs. Hirschfeld was admitted into the Pennsjflvania College of 
Dental Surgery. (Applause). 
Now, what was the result? Mrs. Hirschfeld went to the Old 
Country, and there she influenced German home-life and German 
woman-life. Now we have women students here from Germany, 
and all through Germany there are women graduates from this in- 
stitution. And more than that, she established in Berlin a clinic 
and a hospital for the diseases of women. I think that was one of 
the crowning acts of Dr. Buckingham’s life; but I will not dwell 
any longer upon this matter. His character is well known to all 
of you. He was gentle and kindly. He had his peculiarities, but 
he attracted all who came into social contact with him. Dr. Buck- 
ingham’s life, clouded as it was with mists, and the ingratitude of 
others, will still be beautiful to most of us. The present may be 
tempered with sorrow on account of his loss, but the future will be 
lightened by a remembrance of his worth. (Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). I will now call upon Dr. David Roberts. . 
Dr. David Roberts. Mr. Chairman, I can testify to the great 
value of Dr. Buckingham as a teacher in our profession. The reso- 
lutions which have been presented, cover the ground so thoroughly, 
and the gentlemen who have already spoken have so fully exhibited 
the good qualities of Dr. Buckingham, that there is really nothing- 
left for me to say. I had an acquaintance with him extending over 
thirty-five years. I always -found him genial, and I may say affec- 
tionate. There was a magnetism about him that drew you towards 
him as naturally as water runs down a hill. It may have been that 
there was more of a brotherly feeling between us, because we both 
came from the same State—Delaware. Of course there was a State 
pride in us, which no doubt brought us more closely to each other. 
But I wish to say that Dr. Buckingham was all that a man can be 
in his family; and he was all that a man could be in society, and in 
the world, and in his profession. I frequently was in his company 20 
long after I ceased practice. I always found him a gentleman, and 
I may say more than that, because I have some knowledge of it, I 
found him a Christian. I am convinced from what I saw in the last 
year of his life that he had become seriously impressed with regard 
to the future state, and was a regular attendant at church. Peace 
to his ashes. (Applause). 
Dr. Neall (chairman). The Chair will call upon Dr. Hayhurst, of 
New Jersey. 
Dr. Hayhurst. My acquaintance with Dr. Buckingham extended 
back more than thirty years, and my intercourse with him was as 
close and as intimate, probably, as that of any man in this house. 
T never came to the city without visiting him, and he frequently 
visited me. In all our intercourse—and at one time I occupied a 
chair in the college—I can say that we were always found side by 
side. I loved the man, and always did love him, from the day on 
which he took me by the hand, in his own kindly way, and extended 
to me a cordial welcome, and a professional interest; and, probably, 
had it not been for him and his influence, I would not be standing 
here to-night. He was my friend in the fullest acceptation of the 
term, and as such I appreciated him. As to his character it has al- 
ready been fully spoken of, and it is fully understood. The last 
time I met him was at Niagara; I had not seen him for some time; 
and as I looked upon his tottering frame, I saw his debilitated ap- 
pearance and the evidences of his failing health. Yet I found him 
interested in matters connected with our profession—still working 
for its good, and still exhibiting a warmth of heart towards all in 
our profession and a desire for their advancement. At the express 
desire of a portion of his family I had some oversight and some 
little care of him at that time. I parted with him on the evening 
when I left there, not expecting to hear so speedily of his dissolu- 
tion. During his sickness his son sent to me a daily account of his 
health and prospects, which I appreciated, because of my love and my 
veneration for the man. I was somewhat intimate with his family, 
and I had an interest in them. Dr. Buckingham has gone; but to 
the younger members of the profession he has left behind him his 
works; through them “ though dead he still speaketh.” (Applause.) 
Dr. Neall (chairman). I call upon Dr. Guilford. 
Dr. Guilford. I did not come here to-night to speak, but to honor 
the memory of one whom I loved. While sitting here listening to 
the remarks of the gentlemen who have already spoken, many 
things have occurred to my mind in regard to Dr. Buckingham, 
and I feel that I would be recreant to my duty, if I did not say 
something to testify in honor of his memory. I very well remem. 
her the first time I met him, when I was brought to the city a green 21 
country boy, with the intention of being placed under his personal 
instructions, and the good advice he gave me. I remember his 
kindness.towards me while I attended college, and afterwards on 
social occasions in our own house, from time to time. I knew him 
personally as a friend, more intimately within the last few years 
than ever before. 
The last time it was my pleasure to look upon him was upon a 
warm Sunday evening in July, when he came to my home in West 
Philadelphia, as he often did. I feel indebted to him for good in- 
struction, for good advice, and for the encouragement he gave me 
in my profession. There was disparity in our years, but yet he 
never hesitated to tell me about his troubles and bis joys. I feel it 
a duty to pay my tribute to his memory to-night. In my judgment 
one trait of his character has not been sufficiently dwelt upon—the 
greatest of them all—the power of attracting everybody towards 
him and making friends of them. Yet he was a man of great in- 
dividuality; he often had controversies with others in his profession, 
when he would speak his mind freely; at the same time, however, 
he was always willing to be convinced, and always generous to his 
opponents, so long as he thought they were treating him properly. 
While I listened to the remarks which have been made this evening 
I thought of the old adage—“Speak nothing but good of the dead.” 
But nothing but good can be spoken of Dr. Buckingham. He loved 
his own best—he loved his family, he loved his profession, he loved 
his college. In its amplitude he did not confine his love to his fam- 
ily, nor to his profession, nor to his college, nor to those who were 
the most closely associated with him ; he was liberal in a remark- 
able degree, and his heart always went out towards everybody who 
would exhibit a return. I indorse every word of the resolutions 
which have been presented to-night. I could not add a word to 
them nor would I take a word from them. (Applause). 
Dr. Daniel Heall (chairman). Before putting the resolutions it 
occurs to me to allude again to the figure of the “ Old Oak,” which 
has already been employed by Dr. Litch in reference to Dr. Buck- 
ingham. The “ Old Oak ” shaken down after many years. I also 
had observed in Dr. Buckingham his patience, his persistency, and 
his inflexibility of character. It seems to me that dentists of the 
present day are well content “to be." That is good—“to be”—pro- 
vided you be in work! Dr. Buckingham was ! He comprehended 
his whole duty. He was! You saw all the lights and shadows of 
the man. Fifteen years ago the torturing tyrant dyspepsia had hold 
of him and he had no peace; and yet he was kind. He recognized 
his brothership with men, and probably very few ever obeyed or 
fulfilled this law better than he. That was the shade. But when 22 
the light, the sunshine came—how lovely he was! And in every 
circumstance and condition of his life we always knew that he 
“was.” He “was” in those fragments of time, and he certainly “is” 
in the great future—the eternity. But brothers, old and young, he 
died with the harness on. That is enough. (Applause). 
The resolutions presented by the committee were unanimously 
agreed to by a rising vote, after which the meeting adjourned.