William Guy (1859-1950) was an eminent Edinburgh dentist whose mother was a sister of John Smith (See Portraits and Busts) and his father was a surgeon in Kent. He obtained his LDS in 1892 and was appointed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in 1895. He was made Dean of the Dental School four years later. In 1914 he was called up to serve with the RAMC in the 2nd Scottish General Hospital.
He instituted the first Higher Dental Diploma and was the first to receive an honorary diploma in 1946. When the College instituted the FDS, he was made its first Honorary Fellow.
He also received the same honour from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was a forceful teacher with an international reputation and a strong advocate of proper qualifications for dentists. His advocacy and that of others led to the passing of the 1921 Act which made this compulsory and set up the Dental Board of the UK. From 1921 to 1929, he was the Scottish representative on the Board. He also demanded high standards for anaesthesia in an era when there were none and he was responsible for the appointment of the first anaesthetists in Edinburgh.
Further reading
British Dental Journal; 1950; v88; p337
Scotsman; 19 May 1950
