Thomas W. Evans
Thomas W. Evans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 23, 1823 |
| Died | November 14, 1897 (aged 73) Paris, France |
| Resting place | Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Dentist |
| Awards | Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur. |
Thomas Wiltberger Evans (December 23, 1823 – November 14, 1897) was an American dentist. He performed dental procedures on many heads of state, including Napoleon III,[1] and received numerous medals for his dentistry,[2] including the Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur.[3] He is noted for popularizing a number of techniques that have since become standard, including the use of amalgam fillings and of nitrous oxide.[4]
In 1868, Evans helped found the American Register, the first American newspaper published in Paris.[5] In 1884 he published the first English translation of the memoirs of Heinrich Heine, to which he also wrote the introduction.[3] He also was active in the arts; helping to launch the career of famous American sculptor Cyrus Dallin commissioning one of his first equestrian sculptures, The Marquis de Lafayette in 1889. The statue was prominently displayed at the Paris Exhibition of 1889.[6]
He was famous for having assisted the Empress Eugénie in escaping from Paris in 1870, along with Joseph Bonaparte's grandson Louis Joseph Benton, after the Battle of Sedan.[3][7]
He died in Paris,[1][3] where he had lived for many years, and was buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia. In his will, he left money and land for the founding of what was to become the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
References
[edit]- ^ a b The New York Times
- ^ The New York Times: "The doctor had every kind of decoration...the orders he received number over 200."
- ^ a b c d Johnson
- ^ Reichhold, Nicolette (2014). James Ernest Heesom (1837–1927): A Yorkshire dentist in Paris. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1495330575.
- ^ Hamon
- ^ Francis, Rell (1976). Cyrus E. Dallin Let Justice Be Done. Cyrus Dallin Art Museum Archives: Springville Museum of Art. p. 27.
- ^ The New York Times: "Dr. Evans was best known for his rescue of the Empress Eugénie..."
- Hamon, Count Louis (1905), "The Oldest English Newspaper in Paris", in Ingram, William H. (ed.), Who's who in Paris Anglo-American colony: a biographical dictionary of the leading members of the Anglo-American colony of Paris, 1905, The American Register, p. 121, retrieved June 12, 2009
- "Dr. Thomas W. Evans Dead", The New York Times, New York, NY, p. 7, November 16, 1897, retrieved June 12, 2009
- Johnson, Rossiter; Brown, John Howard, eds. (1904), "Thomas William Evans", The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, vol. 4, Boston, Massachusetts: The Biographical Society, retrieved June 12, 2009
- Hughes, Samuel (November–December 1999), "Crowns and Confidences", The Pennsylvania Gazette, 98 (2), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, archived from the original on June 5, 2010, retrieved April 15, 2013
- David McCullough, The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, Simon & Schuster, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4165-7176-6
External links
[edit]- Finding aid to the Thomas W. Evans papers at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries
- PFA International Hall of Fame of Dentistry
