AT THE COLLEG E // FACULT Y
43 Years
&
of Love Dedication
After 43 years, Dunn H. Cumby, D.D.S., head of the Division of Community Dentistry at the college, has stepped down. He plans to pursue life, family and the groundwork for a new master’s degree program within the college. The first African American man to graduate from OU College of Dentistry in 1976, Dr. Cumby said he has achieved everything he sought to do over the past 43 years. "I spent three years at OU for my undergrad and went to dental school in Oklahoma City at the OU College of Dentistry. After the fourth year, I received my M.P.H. and D.D.S. Soon after, I became a faculty member at the college and have been for the last 50 years," Dr. Cumby said.
28
While Dr. Cumby was an instructor at the college, he also founded his private practice in 1976. In 1999, he began teaching courses such as Introduction to Practice Management, Practice Management and Fundamentals of Dental Practice. He also taught Introduction to Ethics. In 2007, Dr. Cumby was approved for a training program, called the Community Dental Health Coordinator Pilot Training Program, which generated $1.4 million to the OU College of Dentistry. In addition to his dental career, in 1998 Dr. Cumby became an ordained deacon for the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. He's also a 4th Degree Black Belt and World Taekwondo referee, as well as directed and instructed for the East Side YMCA World Taekwondo School for three years. “It wasn’t that I was ready to retire, I just needed more time and flexibility," Dr. Cumby said. “I’ve got nine grandkids now and eight of them live in California. My wife goes to visit them for long periods of time and it makes me want to have more time with them.” Last year, Dr. Cumby, 68, said he was offered a deal to sell his private practice. “I was at a church in Orlando, Florida, and I remember praying for
Th e U n i v e r s i t y o f O k l a h o m a- C o l l e g e o f D e n t i s t r y / 2 0 2 0 M a g a z i n e
