Dental Branch Professor Emeritus D'Anton Dies

Erbert William "Danny" D'Anton,D.D.S.

Erbert William "Danny" D'Anton, D.D.S., 86, professor emeritus at The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, died Jan. 6 in his San Marcos home.

A Dental Branch faculty member for 40 years, D'Anton joined the Department of Oral Biomaterials in 1948 and became chairman in 1956. He served in this position until his retirement in 1988, when he was named professor emeritus.

D'Anton was a Fellow of the American and International Colleges of Dentists, as well as a life member of the Greater Houston Dental Society and the Texas and American Dental Associations.

Born in Newark, N.J., he graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1941 and went on to attend St. Louis University Dental School. However, his dental education was interrupted from 1943-45 by his service in the U.S. Army infantry during World War II. After the war, he returned to dental school and graduated in 1946.

Author of the book Memories: A History of the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston (Copyright 1991, UTDB), he represented the Dental Branch as a delegate to the Council of Faculties of the American Association of Dental Schools, 1961-68, and served as vice president of the supreme chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon national dental honor society, 1968-69. In addition, he was president of the UT Houston Retiree Organization during its infancy.

Because of his commitment and dedication to the Dental Branch, D'Anton was awarded honorary membership in the UTDB Alumni Association in 1990. His alma mater, St. Louis University, presented him with the dental school's alumni merit award in 1996.

Mara Crow, a granddaughter of D'Anton, is a graduate of the School of Dental Hygiene and is in the Dental Hygiene degree completion program.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Dental Branch Student Scholarship Endowment, The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston, 6516 M. D. Anderson Blvd., Suite 147, Houston, Texas 77030-3402.

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