It took him 16 years of studying part time on nights and weekends while working full time and raising a family to complete his engineering degree at UB, but Felix Smist, B.S. ’65, of North Tonawanda, N.Y., kept at it. To honor his father and help students who experience similar situations, Felix’s son James Smist, B.S. ’80, and his wife, Mary, have established the Felix Smist Scholarship at UB with their gift of $30,000.
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Contact Information:
Center For Tomorrow
Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone: 716.645.3312
Fax: 716.645.3838
Wake-up Call
by Dr. Gerald Benjamin
In '94, I decided I was going to become involved with UB again. I sent the new dean of the dental school a contribution, unrequested, with a scathing letter. I said, "You have to start teaching things to students that are going to enable them to make a living."
It was a wake-up call. Eric Alcott called me shortly after UB received the gift and said, "What do you want?" I told him, "I want you to do your job. I want you to teach kids relevant things." He said, "Can I meet with you?" I said, "Sure."
So Eric came to Troy, and we went to dinner. And he said, "What do you want?" I said, "I don't want anything. I want you to do what you're supposed to be doing." What had happened was the University had lost its role in dental education. It was being left open to individual lecturers and dental laboratories. They were providing the best education.
So I met with the dean four or five times, and I showed him photographs of my patients who have undergone esthetic dentistry. After the first meeting the dean said, "Now let me get this straight. Cosmetic dentistry is just everyday dentistry?" I said, "You got it." He said, "It's not just for famous people?" I said, "No." And that's when he could understand in his own mind, because he's not a clinician. After about the fifth meeting, he said, "This is what I'm going to do. We're going to have a world class facility. We're going to create an esthetic center."
Today, the Esthetic Dentistry Center at UB is still the only one in the world, and I'm very grateful and honored to have played a role. And when they said, "Will you support us financially?" I gave them a $25,000 contribution, which I just renewed.