Background
Sognnaes, Reidar Fauske was born on November 6, 1911 in Bergen, Norway. Son of Johannes Olsen and Thora Gurine (Fauske) Sognnaes.
Sognnaes, Reidar Fauske was born on November 6, 1911 in Bergen, Norway. Son of Johannes Olsen and Thora Gurine (Fauske) Sognnaes.
Examen Artium, Tanks Latin Gymnasium, Bergen, 1931. Examen Philosophicum, Oslo University, 1932. Examen Physicum, Leipzig University, 1932.
Licensed Dental Surgeon summa cum laude, Norwegian Dental School Oslo University, 1936.
Doctor of Philosophy, Rochester U. Doctor of Philosophy (Carnegie Dental fellow), 1941.
Master of Arts (honorary), Harvard, 1948, Doctor of Medical Dentistry, 1951. Honorary doctorate, U. Oslo, Norway, 1961. Dental investigator Norwegian Science Expd. to Tristan da Cunha, 1937-1938.
Intern Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children, Boston, 1938-1939, consultant, 1949-1960.
Assistant professor dentistry School Dental Medicine, Harvard, 1945-1948, associate professor dental medicine, 1948-1952, associate dean and Charles A. Brackett professor oral pathology, 1952-1960. Dean of dentistry University of California, 1960-1969.
Professor oral biology School Dentistry, University of California at Los Angeles, 1960-1981, professor anatomy School Medicine, 1963-1981, dean emeritus, 1981-1984. Dental member Unitarian Service Company Medical Mission to Greece and Italy, 1948.
Member of national dental advisory council National Institutes of Health.
Chairman Gordon Conference Bones and Teeth, 1956.
He took the first part of dental education in Leipzig, and concluded with an examination at the Norwegian Dental School (Norges Tannlegehøyskole) in 1936. He participated in a Norwegian scientific expedition to Tristan da Cunha during 1937-1938. Sognnaes came to America in 1938 as an intern at the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children in Boston.
Following World World War II, in which he served in the Royal Norwegian Air Force, Sognnaes accepted a teaching position at Harvard University.
There he occupied an endowed chair as the Charles A. Brackett professor of oral pathology and eventually served Director of Postdoctoral Studies at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine between 1956 and 1960, when he came to University of California, Los Los Angeles Sognnaes guided the founding of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry, which was established in 1960. Sognnæs also put his name on scientific publications, primarily on research on tooth enamel and fluoride.
Later he published several articles on education and research. He stepped down as dean in 1968, but continued as professor
Sognnaes will perhaps be best remembered for his work as a gifted forensic scientist
He is credited with identifying the remains of Adolf Hitler and Martin Bormann, through examination of classified American and Soviet dental record. Sognnaes also disproved the theory that President George Washington had wooden teeth. When the original dentures were stolen from the Smithsonian Institution during 1981, he was able to produce a duplicate.
The Reidar Sognnaes Award of Excellence is awarded annually by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in honor of Doctor Reidar F. Sognnaes, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Doctorate.M.D., Doctor of Philosophy
Served as dental officer Royal Norwegian Air Force, 1941-1945, overseas and Canada. Fellow American Academy Arts and Sciences, American Academy Dental Science. Member American Institute Oral Biology (president 1964-1970), International Association of Dental Research (president 1957-1958, Mineralization award 1965), American Association for the Advancement of Science (secretary section Doctorate 1959-1962), International Society Forensic Odonto-Stomatology (president 1975-1978), Norwegian dental associations, Oslo Dental Society (honorary.
Member), Danish Dental Society (correspondent.
Member), Stomatological Society Greece (honorary), Swedish Dental Association (honorary), Sigma Xi, Omicron Kappa Upsilon.
Married Edel Marie Holand, June 29, 1939. Children: Solveig Eleanor (Mistress J. Barnes), Thor Heige, Reidun Kristine (Mistress G. Racz), Anne Lise (Mistress R. Spees).