Family & Friends of Dr. Francis H. Wright

Seeing a need for more dental hygiene professional training and services in the South Suburbs, Dr. Wright, along with Dr. Dan E. Herrold and hygienist Carol Freitag, in 1966 launched the Dental Hygiene Program from the hospital in conjunction with the new Prairie State College. After its humble beginnings on the grounds of St. James Hospital as the Prairie State College Dental Clinic, the program has evolved over the past 50 years into a fully accredited American Dental Association curriculum that has graduated more than 1,000 dental hygienists including his daughters Karen and Vivian (who both were named Outstanding Graduates by their fellow students). In the early 1970s, the founders applied for a $95,000 federal grant, which allowed Prairie State College to build its first dental clinic. In 2000, with a $2 million grant that Dr. Wright helped secure, the clinic expanded and improved when it moved to the college’s new Health Tech building. As the program grew more autonomous, Dr. Wright and his fellow founders continued to support Prairie State College by reviewing the curriculum for other programs. For his contributions to the practice of dental hygiene throughout the South Suburbs, the Prairie State College Foundation on June 15th, 2017 recognized Dr. Wright with its prestigious Pioneer Pillar of the Community Award.