Walter Manny Bartlett
Walter M. Bartlett was born in New Orleans in 1862. He entered the field of dentistry in 1878 as an apprentice to a New Orleans dentist, coming to St. Louis in 1884 as Technician in the office of Dr. H. H. Keith. Bartlett entered the Missouri Dental College as both student and instructor in 1888, graduating with the D.D.S. in 1890. He served as associate professor of Mechanical Dentistry at his alma mater until 1895 when he resigned to devote his time to the enactment of laws exempting dentists from jury duty (passed in 1896) and creating a state Dental Board (passed in 1897). The governor appointed Bartlett the first president of the Missouri State Board of Dental Examiners, where he investigated and expelled graduates of diploma mills from practicing dentistry in the state.
In 1901 Bartlett resigned from the State Board of Dental Examiners and returned to his alma mater (then the Dental Department of Washington University) as professor of Prosthetic Dentistry and secretary of the faculty. Bartlett became dean of the faculty in 1922 and was instrumental in the erection of a new dental school building and the purchase of new equipment, paving the way for the school to obtain a Class “A” rating.
In 1932 was awarded an honorary Master of Science degree and made dean emeritus. He retired from active practice as a dentist in 1940 due to failing eyesight. Bartlett died in 1948.