A lifetime of learning - An interview with Nashvill’s Dr.Sandra Harris

In a city known for its educational roots, Dr. Sandra Harris reflects on her passion for the profession and the importance of teaching others.

Dr. Harris stands in front of the Parthenon, the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville’s premier urban park (photos by skarstad photography)

BY KEVIN HENRY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Spend a few moments with Dr. Sandra Harris and you’ll quickly realize that you could spend a lifetime talking to her and learning from her. Based in Nashville, a city referred to often as the “Athens of the South,” it shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise when Dr. Harris speaks of her love for education and learning.

Born and raised in Nashville, education and learning have been in Dr. Harris’ blood for as long as she can remember. Of course, when your grandparents’ house is across the street from a dental school, it’s hard not to take notice.

The following is an interview with Dr. Harris. From her days during the Civil Rights movement to the joy she finds in her daughter, we hope you’ll enjoy this talk with one of the the leaders of today’s female dentist population.

Where did you go for undergrad, and what was your major?

I graduated from undergraduate school from Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., and my major was sociology. I later attended San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif., to acquire science courses needed for application to dental school. I returned to college 13 years after receiving a BA degree from Fisk.

Where did you attend dental school?

I received a DDS degree from Meharry Medical College, School of Dentistry in Nashville in 1984.

Do you specialize?

Yes, I am an orthodontist. I completed my training in orthodontics from Howard University, College of Dentistry in Washington, D.C., in 1986.

Why did you become a dentist?

I had considered becoming a physician while in elementary school because I had a female cousin who was in medical school at the time. However, I had never met a female dentist and didn’t consider dentistry until much later. Many years later, as more and more females began entering the profession and becoming bored as a housewife, I began thinking of dentistry as a career. Prior to entering dental school, I was employed as a social worker for three years and then spent 11 years as a housewife. I had always been interested in the health professions and began thinking of dentistry as a career. Having been a sociology major in college, I went back to college part-time to take the science prerequisites needed for admission to dental school.

How did you begin your dental career?

Following graduation from Howard University, I returned to Nashville and leased office space from Wood & Associates, where I opened a practice in Orthodontics. I also began a career in academics at Meharry Medical College in 1987, where I initially taught part-time and later full time. I remained in academics until 2005 when I retired from Meharry’s School of Dentistry as an associate professor. While in academics, I maintained a part-time private practice in orthodontics, where I continue to lease office space from Dr. Eric Wood, pediatric dentist, in Goodlettsville, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville.

How are you involved in leadership and community?

I was invited by the American Dental Education Association to become a fellow in their first class of fellows in their Leadership Institute in 1999.

I presently serve on the Executive Board of the American Association of Women Dentists as Immediate Past President. I am presently a member of the Nashville Dental Society Board of Trustees.

I served for three years as an Alternate Delegate for the House of Delegates of the Tennessee Dental Association and am presently serving a three-year term as a delegate.

While on the faculty in the School of Dentistry at Meharry Medical College, I served in many leadership roles, e.g., Chairperson of the Department of Orthodontics, Chairperson of the Department of Growth and Development, which was a combination of the departments of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. I also chaired the Dental Admissions Committee, the Dental Student Recruitment Committee, the Dental Honors and Awards Committee, and the Dental Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee

In the community, I am a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. I am active in many alumni associations from high school through postgraduate dental school. I also enjoy mentoring students who are interested in dental careers, especially those who are interested in the profession of orthodontics.

Tell me about your family

My father’s family became residents of Nashville in the mid-1800s. My great grandfather opened a retail furniture store in Nashville. He and my great grandmother had a house built in 1876 on property which is now part of Fisk University, my alma mater. That house has been declared a historic landmark on Fisk’s campus and is now named the Harris Music Building.

My grandparents had their home built in 1899, and it is located across the street from Meharry Medical College’s School of Dentistry. Individuals from four generations of my family have received college degrees from Fisk University and those from three generations have received doctorates in medicine or dentistry from Meharry Medical College.

I am one of two children born to Norman and Eva Harris. My father was a supervisor at our main post office in Nashville, where he was employed his entire life after having served overseas during World War II, and my mother was employed by Tennessee State University. My father has been deceased for over 20 years. My mother is presently disabled following a stroke four years ago, and I devote much of my time when I’m not working to help care for her.

I have a brother, who is a musician, who also lives in Nashville. I was formerly married to an ophthalmologist and am the mother of one child, Tracey Hughes, who resides in New York City. My daughter was employed by Colgate-Palmolive for approximately 10 years in marketing, in which she has a master’s degree from Northwestern University in Illinois. However, several years ago Tracey started her own business, “Rum Cake Fairy.” Her rum cake was featured on the “O List” last December in Oprah magazine, and MSNBC’s “Your Business” did a segment on Tracey and the business in July of this year.

What is your most prized accomplishment?

Being a mother and having a fantastic daughter.

What are your goals?

Professionally, I have achieved most of my goals, e.g., becoming a dentist and an orthodontist, teaching and mentoring dental students, etc. I have achieved more than I ever dreamed possible and feel blessed to be a part of a profession which I enjoy so much. My present goals are to slow down and spend more time enjoying life. I want to decrease my list of things that have to be done and make more time for things which I enjoy doing. Although I am semi-retired, I still have not reached that goal but am getting closer.

Tell me three things about yourself that might surprise people.

It would surprise most people to learn that I have been arrested more than once and have spent time in jail. A period of my life of which I am most proud occurred while a college student at Fisk University, during which time I participated in civil rights demonstrations in Nashville. Like many other parts of the southern United States at that time, Nashville was totally segregated - schools, churches, theaters, restaurants, movies, parks, etc. I sat-in at various restaurants in Nashville and was arrested with other college students, including U.S. Representative John Lewis, who was also a student at Fisk University at that time.

I think that we spent about four days in jail before being released on bail, which was obtained by my father placing the family property as bond so that I and other students could be released from jail. Eventually all charges were dropped against most civil rights demonstrators. I also traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1963 to take part in the “March on Washington,” where Martin Luther King made his “I Have a Dream” speech.

What is your favorite Web site?

My daughter’s, www.rumcakefairy.com.

If you were to interview one person, who would it be and why?

I would want to interview Oprah Winfrey because she has accomplished so much, is an amazing woman, and grew up here in Nashville, my hometown.

What are you known for in general or dental-related?

I think that most people are aware of my organizational skills and patience.

Do you have any advice for women who want to pursue dentistry?

Dentistry is a wonderful profession which I thoroughly enjoy. After practicing orthodontics for 21 years, I still enjoy it immensely. Dentistry is a profession which offers many options. Following graduation from dental school, one may choose to become self-employed by opening their own office, become an associate and work for someone else, perform research, enter the military dental corps, enter public health, or work for a corporation.

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