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Remembering three longtime faculty of the UW School of Dentistry

Three retired members of the UW School of Dentistry faculty sadly passed away recently. Drs. Chuck Bolender, Lars Hollender and Dan Middaugh all were longtime faculty whose impacts on the School of Dentistry not only were instrumental in its development throughout the second half of the nineteenth century but are still being felt to this day in the classrooms and structure of the School.

Join us in remembering the lives of each of the three dental giants from our community:

Dr. Chuck Bolender

Dr.-Chuck-BolenderDr. Chuck Bolender, who had a long and distinguished career in prosthodontics and made a lasting impact on the UW School of Dentistry and the dental profession, passed away on April 30, 2024.

Dr. Bolender came to the UW Department of Prosthodontics to teach in 1959 and served as chair of the department from 1963 to 1989. After stepping down as chair in 1989, he continued to teach for another 11 years. Prior to his time at UW, he received his dental training at the University of Iowa, then served as an active-duty prosthodontist in the U.S. Army. Read more on Dr. Bolender.


Dr. Lars Hollender

Dr.-Lars-HollenderDr. Lars Hollender, who was internationally renowned for his work in maxillofacial imaging and was considered one of the best diagnostic oral and maxillofacial radiologists in the world, recently passed away at the age of 90.

Dr. Hollender became Professor and Director of the Oral Radiology Division of the UW School of Dentistry in 1988 and continued as a full-time member of the faculty for almost 30 years, fully retiring only a few years ago. He was a prolific collaborator and communicator, greatly respected by members of the medical and dental radiology community throughout the world. Read more on Dr. Hollender.


Dr. Dan Middaugh

Dr.-Dan-MiddaughDr. Dan Middaugh, a giant in the School of Dentistry’s history whose accomplishments and impact on the School and the dental community at-large are many and far-reaching, passed away on May 5, 2024.

Dr. Middaugh was instrumental in the design and modernization of the UW School of Dentistry in the 1970s. He was responsible for coordinating the design of the seven-story portion of the D-wing, and helped plan both curriculum and facilities for a significant increase in class size. Read more on Dr. Middaugh.